With 57,500,000 total speakers as of 2019, including around 25,100,000 second language speakers, Amharic is the most widely spoken language of Ethiopia and second-most commonly spoken Semitic language in the world (after Arabic).[4][5]Tigrinya has 7 million speakers and is the most widely spoken language in Eritrea.[6][7] There is a small population of Tigre speakers in Sudan, and it is the second-most spoken language in Eritrea. The Ge'ez language has a literary history in its own Ge'ez script going back to the first century AD. It is no longer spoken but remains the liturgical language of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches, as well as their respective Eastern Catholic counterparts.
The "homeland" of the South Semitic languages is widely debated, with some sources, such as A. Murtonen (1967) and Lionel Bender (1997),[8] suggesting an origin in Ethiopia, and others suggesting the southern portion of the Arabian Peninsula.[9] A study based on a Bayesian model suggested the latter.[10] This statistical analysis could not estimate when or where the ancestor of all Semitic languages diverged from Afroasiatic but it suggested that the divergence of East, Central, and South Semitic branches occurred in the Levant.[11] According to many scholars, Semitic originated from an offshoot of a still earlier language in North Africa, perhaps in the southeastern Sahara, and desertification forced its inhabitants to migrate in the fourth millennium BC – some southeast into what is now Ethiopia, others northeast out of Africa into Canaan, Syria and the Mesopotamian valley.[12]
The division of Ethiopic into northern and southern branches was proposed by Cohen (1931) and Hetzron (1972) and garnered broad acceptance, but has been challenged by Rainer Voigt, who concludes that the northern and southern languages are closely related.[13]
^Diakonov, Igor Mikhailovich (1965). Semito-Hamitic Languages: An Essay in Classification. Nauka: Central Department of Oriental Literature. p. 12 – via Google Books.
^"The world factbook". cia.gov. 18 September 2023.
^Woldemikael, Tekle M. (April 2003). "Language, Education, and Public Policy in Eritrea". African Studies Review. 46 (1): 117–136. doi:10.2307/1514983. JSTOR 1514983. S2CID 143172927.
^Simeone-Senelle, Marie-Claude (December 2005). (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
^Bender, L. (1997). "Upside Down Afrasian". Afrikanistische Arbeitspapiere. 50: 19–34.
^Hetzron, Robert (1972). Ethiopian Semitic: Studies in Classification. Manchester University Press. p. 122. ISBN9780719011238.
^Kitchen, Andrew; Ehret, Christopher; Assefa, Shiferaw; Mulligan, Connie J. (29 April 2009). "Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of Semitic languages identifies an Early Bronze Age origin of Semitic in the Near East". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 276 (1665): 2703–2710. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0408. PMC2839953. PMID 19403539.
^Kitchen, A.; Ehret, C.; Assefa, S.; Mulligan, C. J. (29 April 2009). "Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of Semitic languages identifies an Early Bronze Age origin of Semitic in the Near East". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 276 (1668): 2703–10. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0408. PMC2839953. PMID 19403539.
^Weitzman, Steven (2017). The Origin of the Jews: The Quest for Roots in a Rootless Age. Princeton: Princeton University Press. p. 69. ISBN978-0-691-19165-2. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
^Voigt, Rainer. (PDF). portal.svt.ntnu.no. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-01-10. Retrieved 2019-06-12. Via Scribd
^For its membership in North Ethiopic, see Leslau, Wolf (1970). "Ethiopic and South Arabian". Linguistics in South West Asia and North Africa. The Hague. p. 467.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link), and Faber, Alice (2005). "Genetic Subgrouping of the Semitic Languages". The Semitic Languages. Routledge. pp. 6–7..
^"Ethiopia to Add 4 More Official Languages to Foster Unity". Ventures Africa. Ventures. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
^"Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia – Article 5" (PDF). Federal Government of Ethiopia. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
^Hudson, Grover (2013). Northeast African Semitic: Lexical Comparisons and Analysis. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. p. 289.
Bibliographyedit
Cohen, Marcel (1931). Études d'éthiopien méridional [Southern Ethiopian Studies] (in French). Paris.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Hetzron, Robert (1972). Ethiopian Semitic: studies in classification. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Weninger, Stefan. "Vom Altäthiopischen zu den neuäthiopischen Sprachen" [From Old Ethiopian to the New Ethiopian Languages]. In Haspelmath, Martin; König, Ekkehard; Oesterreicher, Wulf; Raible, Wolfgang (eds.). Language Typology and Language Universals (in German). Vol. 2. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. pp. 1762–1774.
February 02, 2024
ethiopian, semitic, languages, ethiopian, semitic, also, ethio, semitic, ethiosemitic, ethiopic, abyssinian, family, languages, spoken, ethiopia, eritrea, sudan, they, form, western, branch, south, semitic, languages, itself, branch, semitic, part, afroasiatic. Ethiopian Semitic also Ethio Semitic Ethiosemitic Ethiopic or Abyssinian 2 is a family of languages spoken in Ethiopia Eritrea and Sudan 3 They form the western branch of the South Semitic languages itself a sub branch of Semitic part of the Afroasiatic language family Ethiopian SemiticEthiopic Ethiosemitic AbyssinianGeographicdistributionEthiopia Eritrea Sudan 1 Linguistic classificationAfro AsiaticSemiticWest SemiticSouth SemiticEthiopian SemiticSubdivisionsNorth Ethiopic South EthiopicGlottologethi1244With 57 500 000 total speakers as of 2019 including around 25 100 000 second language speakers Amharic is the most widely spoken language of Ethiopia and second most commonly spoken Semitic language in the world after Arabic 4 5 Tigrinya has 7 million speakers and is the most widely spoken language in Eritrea 6 7 There is a small population of Tigre speakers in Sudan and it is the second most spoken language in Eritrea The Ge ez language has a literary history in its own Ge ez script going back to the first century AD It is no longer spoken but remains the liturgical language of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches as well as their respective Eastern Catholic counterparts The homeland of the South Semitic languages is widely debated with some sources such as A Murtonen 1967 and Lionel Bender 1997 8 suggesting an origin in Ethiopia and others suggesting the southern portion of the Arabian Peninsula 9 A study based on a Bayesian model suggested the latter 10 This statistical analysis could not estimate when or where the ancestor of all Semitic languages diverged from Afroasiatic but it suggested that the divergence of East Central and South Semitic branches occurred in the Levant 11 According to many scholars Semitic originated from an offshoot of a still earlier language in North Africa perhaps in the southeastern Sahara and desertification forced its inhabitants to migrate in the fourth millennium BC some southeast into what is now Ethiopia others northeast out of Africa into Canaan Syria and the Mesopotamian valley 12 The modern Ethiopian Semitic languages all share subject object verb SOV word order as part of the Ethiopian language area but Ge ez had verb subject object VSO order in common with other Semitic languages spoken in what is now Yemen Contents 1 Classification 1 1 Hudson 2013 2 References 3 BibliographyClassification editThe division of Ethiopic into northern and southern branches was proposed by Cohen 1931 and Hetzron 1972 and garnered broad acceptance but has been challenged by Rainer Voigt who concludes that the northern and southern languages are closely related 13 nbsp Genealogy of the Semitic languagesEthiopic North Ethiopic Geʽez Classical Ethiopic 14 Dahalik Tigre Tigrinya South Ethiopic Transversal South Ethiopic Amharic Argobba Amharic Amharic is the working language of the Federal Government of Ethiopia 15 16 Argobba Harari East Gurage Harari East Gurage Silt e Silt e dialects Ulbare Wolane Inneqor Zway Zay Outer South Ethiopic n group Gafat extinct Soddo Kistane tt group Mesmes extinct sometimes considered Inor Muher West Gurage Mesqan Masqan Sebat Bet Sebat Bet Gurage dialects Chaha Ezha Gumer Gura Inor dialects Ennemor Inor proper Endegegn Gyeto Hudson 2013 edit Hudson 2013 recognises five primary branches of Ethiosemitic His classification is below 17 Ethiosemitic North Ge ez Tigre Tigrinya Gafat Soddo Mesqan Gurage Soddo Mesqan Gurage Mesqan Gurage Muher Chaha Inor Silt e Zay Harari Harari Silt e Zay Argobba AmharicReferences edit https www ethnologue com 25 country SD Diakonov Igor Mikhailovich 1965 Semito Hamitic Languages An Essay in Classification Nauka Central Department of Oriental Literature p 12 via Google Books https www ethnologue com 25 country SD Amharic Ethnologue The world factbook cia gov 18 September 2023 Woldemikael Tekle M April 2003 Language Education and Public Policy in Eritrea African Studies Review 46 1 117 136 doi 10 2307 1514983 JSTOR 1514983 S2CID 143172927 Simeone Senelle Marie Claude December 2005 Up todate Assessment of the results of the research on the Dahalik language December 1996 December 2005 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2016 03 04 Retrieved 2019 06 12 Bender L 1997 Upside Down Afrasian Afrikanistische Arbeitspapiere 50 19 34 Hetzron Robert 1972 Ethiopian Semitic Studies in Classification Manchester University Press p 122 ISBN 9780719011238 Kitchen Andrew Ehret Christopher Assefa Shiferaw Mulligan Connie J 29 April 2009 Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of Semitic languages identifies an Early Bronze Age origin of Semitic in the Near East Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 276 1665 2703 2710 doi 10 1098 rspb 2009 0408 PMC 2839953 PMID 19403539 Kitchen A Ehret C Assefa S Mulligan C J 29 April 2009 Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of Semitic languages identifies an Early Bronze Age origin of Semitic in the Near East Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 276 1668 2703 10 doi 10 1098 rspb 2009 0408 PMC 2839953 PMID 19403539 Weitzman Steven 2017 The Origin of the Jews The Quest for Roots in a Rootless Age Princeton Princeton University Press p 69 ISBN 978 0 691 19165 2 Retrieved 11 January 2023 Voigt Rainer North vs South Ethiopian Semitic PDF portal svt ntnu no Archived from the original PDF on 2014 01 10 Retrieved 2019 06 12 Via Scribd For its membership in North Ethiopic see Leslau Wolf 1970 Ethiopic and South Arabian Linguistics in South West Asia and North Africa The Hague p 467 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link and Faber Alice 2005 Genetic Subgrouping of the Semitic Languages The Semitic Languages Routledge pp 6 7 Ethiopia to Add 4 More Official Languages to Foster Unity Ventures Africa Ventures 4 March 2020 Retrieved 2 February 2021 Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Article 5 PDF Federal Government of Ethiopia Retrieved 31 January 2018 Hudson Grover 2013 Northeast African Semitic Lexical Comparisons and Analysis Wiesbaden Harrassowitz p 289 Bibliography editCohen Marcel 1931 Etudes d ethiopien meridional Southern Ethiopian Studies in French Paris a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Hetzron Robert 1972 Ethiopian Semitic studies in classification Manchester Manchester University Press Weninger Stefan Vom Altathiopischen zu den neuathiopischen Sprachen From Old Ethiopian to the New Ethiopian Languages In Haspelmath Martin Konig Ekkehard Oesterreicher Wulf Raible Wolfgang eds Language Typology and Language Universals in German Vol 2 Berlin Walter de Gruyter pp 1762 1774 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ethiopian Semitic languages amp oldid 1195336567, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
