The Amharic language, also called Amarinya or Kuchumba, is one of the two main languages ββof Ethiopia (along with the Oromo language). It is spoken mainly in the central highlands of the country. The Amharic language is the Afro-Asian language of the southwestern Semitic group and is associated with GeΚΏez (the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church). Although the oldest surviving records in Amharic are songs and poems dating from the 14th century AD, until the 19th century there were no significant works of literature.
Ethiopian languages
Ethiopia has ninety languages ββ(according to the 1994 census by an ethnologist). At the beginning of the 21st century, about 25 million people spoke the Amharic language, which makes up about one third of the Ethiopian population (and another third speak the Oromo language). Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the language of the court and the dominant population in highland Ethiopia.
To some extent, Amharic was spoken in every province, including the Amhara region. It also bears resemblance to the tiger, tigrinya and the South Arab dialects. There are three main dialects: gondar, gojam and shoa. Particularly noticeable differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar between northern and southern dialects. Since Amarinya is the working language of the Ethiopian government, it has received official status and is used throughout the country.
AmariΓ±a Recording System
The alphabet of the Amharic language is written in a slightly modified form, used to write the Geez language. Everything is in a semi-syllabic system called Feedel (αα°α). Unlike Arabic, Hebrew, or Syriac, Amharic is written from left to right. There are 33 basic characters, each of which has seven forms, depending on which vowel should be pronounced in the syllable. Amharic was greatly influenced by Cushitic languages, especially the Oromo and Agave languages. Stress does not affect the meaning of words. In verbs, emphasis falls on the penultimate syllable, in other words - on the leftmost.
Amharic spread
The history of Amarigny dates back to the 1st millennium BC. e. to the time of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba. Historians believe that immigrants from southwestern Arabia crossed the Red Sea to present-day Eritrea and mixed with the Cushite population. This union led to the birth of Gezez (ααα), which was the language of the Axumite empire in Northern Ethiopia. It existed between the 1st and 6th centuries. n e. When the base of Ethiopia moved from Axum to Amhara, between the X and XII centuries. n e., the use of amarynas also increased the influence of the language, making it national.
Amharic is also one of the most studied in Ethiopia. It is used in primary education in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. This is part of the school curriculum at most primary and secondary levels of education. Amharic studies in various universities in America and other developed countries as an optional course. There are several sites created specifically for the study of amaryn from basics.
Knowledge of the Amharic language is essential for understanding Ethiopian culture. It is very useful to scientists in the field of anthropology, history and archeology, as well as in linguistics, since Ethiopia is a country of great history and treasures.