SDLC 105 Learning Journal #5

[Berhaun Fesshaye]

Knowing the history of language can help one understand its origins and make connections to other languages with similar histories. I think when you know where a language originated and how it has mixed and interacted with other languages, some parts of the language are put into context and make more sense. Amharic belongs to the Semitic language family along with Arabic, Tigrinya, and Hebrew. Amharic and Tigrinya has similar sounds to Arabic which makes sense as there was contact between the Middle East and Ethiopia and Eritrea across the Red Sea. In both languages there are a lot of sounds that are produced from the back of the mouth and do not exist in English. This contact has made a lasting impact because along with having similar sounds with Arabic, the Arabic language itself is spoken throughout Ethiopia and Eritrea. Arabic is also the second national language of Eritrea after Tigrinya. Amharic also shows examples of contact with the Italians since the Italians conquered Ethiopia and Eritrea for a long period of time. There are words that clearly show this influence including autobus meaning bus and escribito meaning pen. Although I’m not sure what the history is, some words in Amharic are English words. Some have the same meaning while others do not. For example, soft is used for toilet paper and napkins. Words for technology are usually just the English words such as television and computer.