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Amharic Lesson

This document provides greetings and phrases in Amharic, the most widely spoken Semitic language in Ethiopia. It also includes some background on Ge'ez, the ancient language from which Amharic descended, as well as the politics of language use in Ethiopia. Specifically, Amharic was imposed by kings but others like Oromifa have adopted the Amharic script or Latin letters as a stance of ethnic pride and separation after a history of oppression.

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1K views23 pages

Amharic Lesson

This document provides greetings and phrases in Amharic, the most widely spoken Semitic language in Ethiopia. It also includes some background on Ge'ez, the ancient language from which Amharic descended, as well as the politics of language use in Ethiopia. Specifically, Amharic was imposed by kings but others like Oromifa have adopted the Amharic script or Latin letters as a stance of ethnic pride and separation after a history of oppression.

Uploaded by

ksuphdcandi
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Greetings TENASTILIGN Hello (Literally May God give you health.) INDEMINALLU How are you?

you? DENANOT Are you fine?

Greeting Answers DEHINA Im fine. DEHINA EGZABIHER-YEMESGIN Im fine thank God. ALLEN Im good (hipper than Im fine)

Other Greetings INDEMINADERU Good morning (Literally How did you sleep?) DENADERU Good night (Literally Sleep well.) MELCAM KEN Have a good day.

Useful Phrases SHINTI BAIT YETINO Where is the bathroom? WAGAU SINTINO How much is it (price)? ISHI Okay BUKKA Enough TUGIBIALLO Im satisfied. DEKEMOIGNAL Im tired. OW Yes YELLEM - No ZORIBEL Get out of here!

Ge-ez
This is a precursor to Amharic. It is the ancient Semitic language that seems to have its roots in Arabia and India an indication of trade routes across the Red Sea. Like Latin, it gave rise to multiple tongues but is no longer spoken. Like Latin, however, it is studied by priests and used in church liturgy. Most Ethiopian major language groups are outside of this family of languages.

Politics of language
Amharic was the language of the most recent kings. It was imposed on the country as a unifier but also as a reminder of who was in power. Most but not all of the languages of Ethiopia have elected, in this time of heightened ethnic awareness, to adopt the Amharic script to represent their written language a choice not available under the Amhara kings such as Haile Selassie. Some, including Oromifa Ethiopias largest single ethnic group - have chosen Latin letters such as those used in English. This is a deliberate stance of pride and separation born of a sense of struggle and oppression.

New Vocabulary
Thank you amesegenallo Dollar birr (Also means silver) Water wuha National food injera be wut Metsahaf book

Verbs Basic Amharic Structure


To want mufelleg I want ifelligallo You want (polite) yefellegallu He wants yefellegal She wants tefellegallech They want yefellegallu We want - inifellegallen

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