Excerpt from change request document:

The Wolane language area is separated from the Silte area, being some 30-40 kms away from each other. It is true that there is inherent intelligibility to some degree, but the Wolane strongly feel like being ethnically separate from the Silte. The Wolane feel like belonging to the Gurage people, with whom they are direct neighbors and have close links with. On administrative level, the Wolane did not want to be part of the Silte Zone, but of the Gurage zone.

The Wolane speech variety does not have its own writing system, as opposed to Silte where an orthography was adopted some 10 years ago. In the Silte area, the Medium of Instruction (MoI) is Silte, but the Wolane use Amharic.

In terms of religion, the vast majority of Silte are Muslims, whereas this is only true for part of the Wolane, quite a percentage of them are following Ethiopian orthodox Christianity.