amharic lesson

•  Greetings •  TENASTILIGN – Hello (Literally – May

God give you health.) •  INDEMINALLU – How are you? •  DENANOT – Are you fine?

•  Greeting Answers •  DEHINA – I’m fine. •  DEHINA EGZABIHER-YEMESGIN – I’m

fine thank God. •  ALLEN – I’m good (hipper than “I’m 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 – I’m satisfied. •  DEKEMOIGNAL – I’m 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 – Ethiopia’s 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.

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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