Ethiopia has many indigenous languages (some 84 according to SIL), most of them Afro-Asiatic (Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic) and Nilo-Saharan. SIL International is a worldwide non-profit evangelical Christian organization whose main purpose is to study, develop and document lesser-known languages in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy and aid minority language development. ... Map showing the distribution of Afro-Asiatic languages The Afro-Asiatic languages are a language family of about 240 languages and 285 million people widespread throughout North Africa, East Africa, the Sahel, and Southwest Asia. ... In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic (from the Biblical Shem, Hebrew: שם, translated as name, Arabic: سام) was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages. ... The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages phylum, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... The Omotic languages are Afro-Asiatic languages spoken in northeast Africa. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ...

English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is the medium of instruction secondary schools and universities. Amharic was the language of primary school instruction, but has been replaced in many areas by local languages such as Oromifa and Tigrinya. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromoo, Oromiffa(a), and sometimes in other languages as variant spellings of these names (Oromigna, Afan Oromo, etc. ... Tigrigna (or ትግሪኛ) is a Semitic language spoken in Eritrea, where it is the official language, and in parts of Ethiopia and Israel. ...

Afro-Asiatic languages

• Ethiopian Semitic languages
  • North
    • Tigrinya language
    • Ge'ez language (extinct, liturgical)
  • South
    • Transverse
      • Amharic language
      • Argobba language
      • Harari language
      • East Gurage languages
        • Silt'e language (Ulbareg, Inneqor)
        • Wolane language
        • Zay language
    • Outersouth
      • Gafat language (extinct)
      • Soddo language
      • Muher language
      • Goggot language
      • West Gurage languages
        • Inor language
        • Mesmes language (extinct)
        • Mesqan language
        • Chaha (Sebat Bet Gurage)
        • Ezha language
        • Gumer language
        • Gura language
        • Gyeto language
        • Indegen language
        • Iner language

• Cushitic
  • Agaw languages
    • Awngi language
    • Kunfal language
    • Qemant language
    • Xamtanga language
  • East Cushitic
    • Afar language
    • Alaba language
    • Arbore language
    • Baiso language
    • Bussa language
    • Burji language
    • Daasanach language
    • Dirasha language
    • Gawwada language
    • Gedeo language
    • Hadiyya language
    • Kambaata
    • Konso language
    • Libido language
    • Oromo language
    • Saho language
    • Sidamo language
    • Somali language
    • Tsamai language
    • Xamtanga language
• Omotic
  • Aari language
  • Anfillo language
  • Bambassi language
  • Basketo language
  • Bench language
  • Boro language
  • Chara language
  • Dime language
  • Dizi language
  • Dorze language
  • Gamo-Gofa-Dawro
  • Ganza language
  • Hamer-Banna
  • Hozo language
  • Kachama-Ganjule
  • Kafa language
  • Karo language
  • Koorete language
  • Male language
  • Melo language
  • Nayi language
  • Oyda language
  • Seze language
  • Shekkacho language
  • Sheko language
  • Welayta language
  • Yemsa language

Nilo-Saharan

• Anuak language
• Berta language
• Gumuz language
• Kacipo-Balesi
• Komo language
• Kwama language
• Kwegu language
• Majang language
• Me'en language
• Murle language
• Mursi language
• Nuer language
• Nyangatom language
• Opuuo language
• Rer Bare language (extinct)
• Shabo language
• Suri language
• Turkana language
• Uduk language
• Zayse-Zergulla language

Unclassified

• Weyto language (extinct)
• Ongota (moribund; possibly Omotic or its own branch of Afro-Asiatic or not Afro-Asiatic at all)

The Afro-Asiatic languages constitute a language family (Languages of Africa) with about 375 languages (SIL estimate) and more than 300 million speakers spread throughout North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, and Southwest Asia (including some 200 million speakers of Arabic). ... Ethiopian Semitic languages (sometimes Ethiopic) is a language group which together with Old South Arabian forms the Western branch of the South Semitic languages. ... Tigrinya (Geez ትግርኛ tigriññā, also spelled Tigrigna) is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigray-Tigrinya people in central Eritrea (there referred to as the Tigrinya people), where it is one of the main working languages (Eritrea does not have official languages), and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia (whose... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Argobba is an Ethiopic language that was spoken in an area north-east of Addis Ababa. ... aman be dejqho ... ... The Silte language (Selti, Silti; ISO/DIS 639-3: xst) is an South Semitic (East Gurage) language of Ethiopia, with some 830,000 speakers (1998 census), spoken in the region about 150 km south of Addis Abeba. ... The Wolane language is the language of the Wolane people of Ethiopia. ... The Zay language is one of the Ethiopic languages. ... The Gafat language is an extinct Semitic language that was once spoken along the Abbay River in Ethiopia. ... Soddo (autonym kəstane Christian; formerly called Aymälläl in Western sources, after a particular dialect of it) is a Gurage language spoken by about 300,000 people in southeastern Ethiopia. ... Muher is a Semitic [2] language belonging to Ethiopia. ... ... Inor ([ino:r]), sometimes called Ennemor, is a Semitic language spoken in central Ethiopia, mainly within the Gurage zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, and by speakers of the language who have settled in Ethiopian cities, especially Addis Ababa. ... Chaha (in Chaha and Amharic: ቸሃ čehā or čexā) is a Semitic language spoken in central Ethiopia, mainly within the Gurage Zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region and by speakers of the language who have settled in Ethiopian cities, especially Addis Ababa. ... The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages phylum, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... The Central Cushitic, or Agaw, languages are spoken by small groups in Ethiopia and Eritrea; they include Bilin, and Kaïliña. ... The Awngi language is a Central Cushitic language spoken by the Awi people, living in Central Gojjam in northwestern Ethiopia. ... Xamtanga or Khamtanga is a Central Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia. ... The East Cushitic languages comprise more than thirty languages belonging to the Cushitic family within the Afro-Asiatic phylum. ... Afar () is a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. ... Bussa (or Muusiye) is a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in the Dirashe region in the South West of Ethiopia. ... Hadiya (sometimes Hadiyigna or Adiya) is the language of the Hadiya people of Ethiopia. ... Kambata is the name of ethnic that blongs cushetic group, and an Afro-Asiatic language spoken by (in 2007) approximately 1. ... Konso (or Komso, Conso) is a East Cushitic language spoken in South West Ethiopia. ... Libido (also known as Maraqo, Marako, ISO/DIS 639-3 liq) is a language of Ethiopia, with some 36,600 speakers (1998 census; 14,600 monolinguals), spoken in the Gurage Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, north-east of Hosaena. ... Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromoo, Oromiffa(a), and sometimes in other languages as variant spellings of these names (Oromigna, Afan Oromo, etc. ... The Saho language is an East Cushitic language of Eritrea, spoken in the middle of the country, as well as by a small group across the border in Ethiopia. ... The Sidamo languages are part of the Afro-Asiatic languages, belonging to the Cushitic sub-phylum. ... The Somali language (Af Soomaali) is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. ... Xamtanga or Khamtanga is a Central Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia. ... The Omotic languages are Afro-Asiatic languages spoken in northeast Africa. ... Aari is an Afro-Asiatic Omotic language of Ethiopia. ... Anfillo is a Northern Omotic language spoken in Western Ethiopia by a few hundred people. ... Bench (also called Gimira, considered a derogatory term) is a Northern Omotic language of the Gimojan subgroup, spoken by about 174,000 people (as of 1998) in the Kaffa region of southern Ethiopia (now the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region), around the towns of Mizan Teferi and Shewa Gimira. ... Bodo is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Bodo people of north-eastern India and Nepal. ... The Hamer language (Hamer-Banna), is classified as part of the Afro-Asiatic linguistic group, this language is spoken primarily in the Southern part of Ethiopia by the Hamer people ethnic group. ... Welayta language (vars: Wolaita, Wolaita, etc. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ... The Berta language is spoken in Sudan and Ethiopia, and is generally classified as a branch of Nilo-Saharan. ... Meen (also Mekan, Mieen, Mieken, Meqan, Men; ISO/DIS 639-3: mym) is a Nilo-Saharan language (Eastern Sudanic, Surmic) spoken in Ethiopia by the Meen people. ... The Mursi (or Murzu) are a nomadic cattle herder ethnic group located in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region in Ethiopia, close to the Sudanese border. ... The Nuer language is a Nilo-Saharan language of the Western Nilotic group. ... The Rer Bare (or Rerebere, Adona) are a tribe in Ethiopias eastern Ogaden region on the Wabi Shebelle river, near Somalia, who currently speak Somali. ... Shabo (also called Mikeyir) is an endangered language spoken by less than 1,000 hunter-gatherers in southwestern Ethiopia, in the south-central portion of the former Illubabor province. ... The Turkana language is the language of the Turkana people of Kenya. ... The Weyto language is believed to be an extinct language formerly spoken in the Lake Tana region of Ethiopia by a small group of hippopotamus hunters who now speak Amharic. ... Ongota (also known as Birale/Birayle) is a moribund language of southwest Ethiopia. ... A language is usually considered moribund (literally, dying) when it is no longer the language of the community, and is no longer learned by children, so that without massive intervention it will likely become extinct when the last of its current speakers dies. ...

External links

• Ethnologue page on Ethiopian languages
• PanAfriL10n page on Ethiopia
• Mursi Online page on the Mursi ‘Surmic’ language (tugo)