A Sociolinguistic Profile of Amharic
Amharic is an Afro-Asiatic language that belongs to the biggest living group of the Semitic languages: the Ethio-Semitic sub-family. Next to Arabic, Amharic is the Semitic language with the largest number of first language speakers. It is spoken as a mother tongue mainly in the northern and central provinces of the country by an estimated population of 17.5 millions, and as a lingua franca or second language in urban centers within Ethiopia and elsewhere (e.g., Egypt, Israel, Sweden and USA) by an additional 8 millions or so for a total of over 26 millions. Amharic is the national official language of Ethiopia that has served as the medium of communication of the court of the dominant population group in Highland Ethiopia since at least the late 13th century. It represents one of the rare languages in Africa with its own semi-syllabic writing system called “fidel”.
Amharic has been upheld as a national language in the ethnically diverse nation. It is one of the most widely studied languages in Ethiopia, and constitutes a field of study leading to the B.A. and M.A. degrees. It has been serving as a medium of instruction in studying the Ethiopian society and culture. Ethiopia has long fascinated the outside world, because of its long uninterrupted history, its archeological wonders, its geo-political position of Ethiopia, its biodiversity, and its many other attractions as the headquarters of many international organizations such as the African Union (the successor to the Organization of Africa Unity), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and numerous NGOs that bring scholars, businesspersons, and tourists. Further, Ethiopia has served as an important symbol of Black civilization to the African Diaspora.
Why Should You Study Amharic?
The answers are simple and straightforward. First, Amharic is one of the few African languages that is imbued with a rich religious, cultural, and political history. The Amharas, i.e, speakers of Amharic, are reported to have accepted Christianity in the 9th century and to have “achieved considerable churchly prominence” thereafter. They built one of the most powerful empires in Africa from the 13th century, and maintained it until the dethroning of its last Emperor, Haile Selassie, in September 1974. Amharic is the vehicle par excellence for accessing this rich history. Second and from a colonial history perspective, Amharic is not only the language of the land that successfully prevented its colonization, but also the sole African language to have served as an official language since the 13th century—an exemplary development worth studying.
Third, like any other language, Amharic is a key to entering the world of its speakers, from interacting with the real people to understanding their history and culture. It is an indispensable asset for understanding, conducting research, and working in Ethiopia; and knowing Amharic will greatly enrich their experience. Ethiopian musicians, most notably Aster Awake, have contributed to international popular music.