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Tigrinya

Semitic Languages

A living Ethiopian Semitic language written in the Ge'ez script, official language of Eritrea alongside Arabic and a major working language of Ethiopia's Tigray region. Related to Amharic within the same South Semitic branch, but not mutually intelligible with it.

Facts
ISO 639-3 Code
tir 3
Speaker Count
7,507,780 4
Status
Living 2
De facto national working language, official in Eritrea (1995 constitution) and a working language in Ethiopia's Tigray region.
Attested From (Year)
from 1201 5
Region
Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia 2
Classification
Language Kind
Safe 1
Official Status
Official Language 2
Connections

Associated With

Amharic, Languages

This source names Amharic directly: "Related to Amharic within the same South Semitic branch, but not mutually intelligible with it."

Source Glottolog
Ge'ez, Languages

This source names Ge'ez directly: "Semitic language written in the Ge'ez script, official language of Eritrea alongside Arabic and a major working language of Ethiopia's Tigray region."

Source Glottolog

In Family

Source Wikipedia: Tigrinya Language

Written In

Ge'ez Script, Scripts
Source Princeton McGraw Center: The Ethiopic AlphabetHamza Zafer
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Glottolog: Tigrinya (Glottolog languoid tigr1271)
GlottologEndangerment, AES status
Quote, Endangerment, AES status
AES status: not endangered
View the Source
2. Glottolog
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
  • tigr1271
  • Official status, Tigrinya entity page
    A living Ethiopian Semitic language written in the Ge'ez script, official language of Eritrea alongside Arabic and a major working language of Ethiopia's Tigray region.
View the Source
3. ISO 639-3 Registry, SIL International
SIL Internationaltir
4. Tigrinya (Wikidata)
Wikimedia FoundationWikidata number of speakers (P1098) statement, first-language qualifier (EntityId 11464): 7507780
Quote, Wikidata number of speakers (P1098) statement, first-language qualifier (EntityId 11464): 7507780
Wikidata item Q34124, property P1098 (number of speakers): 7,507,780, qualifier P518=Q36870 (first language), point in time 2019 (normal rank, non-deprecated).
View the Source
5. Omniglot: Tigrinya language, alphabet and pronunciation
OmniglotWritten Tigrinya
Quote, Written Tigrinya
Tigrinya is written with a version of the Ge'ez script and first appeared in writing during the 13th century in a text on the local laws for the district of Logosarda in southern Eritrea.
View the Source
Princeton McGraw Center: The Ethiopic Alphabet
Hamza Zafer, Princeton University, McGraw Center for Teaching and LearningWritten In: Ge'ez ScriptView the Source
Wikipedia: Tigrinya Language
Wikimedia FoundationIn Family: Afro-Asiatic, Infobox, Language family
Quote, In Family: Afro-Asiatic, Infobox, Language family
Afro-Asiatic > Semitic > West Semitic > South Semitic > Ethiopic > North > Tigrinya
View the Source
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