South Ethiopic languages

The South Ethiopic languages are a family of many languages spoken throughout Ethiopia. They include the Amharic language which is the official language of Ethiopia, as well as the second most spoken Semitic language after Arabic.[1]

South Ethiopic
Geographic distribution	Ethiopia
Linguistic classification	Afro-Asiatic Semitic West Semitic South Semitic Ethiopic South Ethiopic
Glottolog	ethi1244

Classification

The division into northern and southern branches was established by Cohen (1931) and Hetzron (1972) and garnered broad acceptance, but this classification has recently been challenged by Rainer Voigt.[2] Voigt rejects the classification that was put forward by Cohen and Hetzron, concluding that they are too closely related to be grouped separately into a north and south.[3]

• South Ethiopic
  • Transversal South Ethiopic
    • Amharic–Argobba
      • Amharic – working language of the Federal Government of Ethiopia.[4]
      • Argobba
    • Harari–East Gurage
      • Harari
      • East Gurage
        • Silt'e (Silt'e; dialects Ulbare, Wolane, Inneqor)
        • Zway (Zay)
  • Outer South Ethiopic
    • n-group:
      • Gafat – extinct
      • Soddo (Kistane)
    • tt-group:
      • Mesmes – extinct (sometimes considered Inor)
      • Muher
      • West Gurage
        • Mesqan (Masqan)
        • Sebat Bet
          • Sebat Bet Gurage (dialects Chaha, Ezha, Gumer, Gura)
          • Inor (dialects Ennemor [Inor proper], Endegegn, Gyeto)

References

1. Lipiński, Edward (2001). Semitic Languages: Outline of a Comparative Grammar. ISBN 9789042908154.
2. "Rainer Voigt - North vs. South Ethiopian Semitic - Languages Of Africa - Syntactic Relationships". Scribd.
3. Voigt, Rainer. "North vs. South Ethiopian Semitic" (PDF). portal.svt.ntnu.no. Retrieved 2019-06-12.
4. "Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia - Article 5" (PDF). Federal Government of Ethiopia. Retrieved 31 January 2018.