Languages
Eritrea's population comprises nine ethnic groups, most of whom speak languages from the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. The Semitic languages in Eritrea are Tigre, Tigrinya, the newly-recognized Dahlik, and Arabic (spoken natively by the Rashaida Arabs).
Other Afro-Asiatic languages belonging to the Cushitic branch are also widely spoken in the country. The latter include Afar, Beja, Blin and Saho.
In addition, languages belonging to the Nilo-Saharan language family (Kunama and Nara) are spoken as a mother tongue by the Kunama and Nara Nilotic ethnic minorities that live in the north and northwestern part of the country.
Italian and English are also spoken as working languages, and are used in secondary and university education.
| Number | Gender | Near | Far |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Masculine | እዚ ǝzi ... (እዚ ǝzi) | እቲ ǝti ... (እቲ ǝti) |
| Feminine | እዛ ǝza ... (እዚኣ ǝzi’a) | እታ ǝta ... (እቲኣ ǝti’a) | |
| Plural | Masculine | እዞመ ǝzom ... (እዚኦም ǝzi’om) | እቶም ǝtom ... (እቲኦም ǝti’om) |
| Feminine | እዘን ǝzän ... (እዚኤን ǝzi’en) | እተነ ǝtän ... (እቲኤን ǝti’en) |
Read more about this topic: Demographics Of Eritrea
Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“Wealth is so much the greatest good that Fortune has to bestow that in the Latin and English languages it has usurped her name.”
—William Lamb Melbourne, 2nd Viscount (1779–1848)
“The very natural tendency to use terms derived from traditional grammar like verb, noun, adjective, passive voice, in describing languages outside of Indo-European is fraught with grave possibilities of misunderstanding.”
—Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897–1934)
“The trouble with foreign languages is, you have to think before your speak.”
—Swedish proverb, trans. by Verne Moberg.