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:
“I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigree of nations.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)
“Science and technology multiply around us. To an increasing extent they dictate the languages in which we speak and think. Either we use those languages, or we remain mute.”
—J.G. (James Graham)
“The less sophisticated of my forbears avoided foreigners at all costs, for the very good reason that, in their circles, speaking in tongues was commonly a prelude to snake handling. The more tolerant among us regarded foreign languages as a kind of speech impediment that could be overcome by willpower.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)