Amharic, also called Amarinya or Kuchumba, is one of the two main languages of Ethiopia (along with Oromo). It is spoken predominantly in the central highlands of the country. Amharic is an Afro-Asiatic language of the Southwest Semitic group and is related to Geʿez (the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church). Although the oldest surviving records in Amharic are songs and poems dating back to the 14th century AD, there were no significant works of literature prior to the 19th century.
Ethiopian languages
There are ninety languages in Ethiopia (according to the 1994 census conducted by an ethnologist). At the beginning of the 21st century, about 25 million people spoke Amharic, which is about one third of the Ethiopian population (and another third speaks Oromo). Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the language of the court and the dominant population in the highlands of Ethiopia.
Amharic was spoken to some extent in every province, including the Amhara region. It also bears similarities to Tigre, Tigrinya and South Arabicdialects. There are three main dialects: Gondar, Gojjam and Shoa. Differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar between northern and southern dialects are especially noticeable. Since Amarinya is the working language of the Ethiopian government, it has received official status and is used throughout the country.
Amarinya recording system
The Amharic alphabet is written in a slightly modified form used to write the Geez language. All in a semi-syllable system called Feedel (ፊደል). Unlike Arabic, Hebrew, or Syriac, Amharic is written from left to right. There are 33 basic characters, each with seven forms, depending on which vowel is to be pronounced in the syllable. Amharic has been heavily influenced by the Cushitic languages, especially the Oromo and Agave languages. Stress does not affect the meaning of words. In verbs, the stress falls on the penultimate syllable, in other words - on the extreme left.
Spread of Amharic
The history of Amarinha dates back to the 1st millennium BC. e. to the time of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Historians believe that immigrants from southwestern Arabia crossed the Red Sea into what is now Eritrea and mingled with the Kushite population. This union led to the birth of Gezeza (ግዕዝ), which was the language of the Aksumite Empire in Northern Ethiopia. It existed between the 1st and 6th centuries. n. e. When the base of Ethiopia moved from Aksum to Amhara, between the 10th and 12th centuries. n. BC, the use of amarinha increased the influence of the language, making it national.
Amharic alsois one of the most studied in Ethiopia. It is used for primary education in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. It is part of the school curriculum at most primary and secondary levels of education. Amharic is studied at various universities in America and other developed countries as an elective course. There are several sites created specifically for learning amarina from the basics.
Knowing the Amharic language is essential to understanding Ethiopian culture. It is very useful for scientists in the field of anthropology, history and archeology, as well as in linguistics, since Ethiopia is a country of great history and treasures.
