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Languages of Eritrea

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National or official language: English. 3,577,000 (1998 UN). Capital: Asmara. Independence from Ethiopia 1993. Literacy rate 37%. Also includes Western Agaw, Hadrami Spoken Arabic 100,000, Sudanese Spoken Arabic 100,000, Taizzi-Adeni Spoken Arabic 18,000, Hausa, Central Kanuri. Data accuracy estimate: B. The number of languages listed for Eritrea is 13. Of those, 12 are living languages and 1 is extinct. Diversity index 0.69.

Spoken living languages

AFAR

[AFR] 300,000 in Eritrea (1993 Johnstone).  Southern Eritrea. May also be in Somalia. Alternate names: AFARAF, 'DANAKIL', 'DENKEL'.  Dialects: CENTRAL AFAR, NORTHERN AFAR, AUSSA, BA'ADU.  Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Saho-Afar.  More information.

ARABIC, HIJAZI SPOKEN

[ACW]   Red Sea coast. Alternate names: HIJAZI.  Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.  More information.

ARABIC, STANDARD

[ABV]   Middle East, North Africa. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.  More information.

BEDAWI

[BEI] 120,000 in Eritrea (1993 Johnstone), including 20,000 Hadendoa (1970 Bendor).   Alternate names: BEDÀWIE, BEJA, BEDAWIYE, BEDAWYE, BEDAUYE, BEDWI, BEDYA, BEDJA, LOBAT.  Dialects: HADAREB (HADAAREB), BISHARIN (BISARIN, BISARIAB), HADENDOA (HADENDOWA), BENI-AMIR, ABABDA, AMARA.  Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, North.  More information.

BILEN

[BYN] 70,000 (1995).  Central Eritrea, in and around the town of Keren. Alternate names: BOGO, BOGOS, BILAYN, BILIN, BALEN, BELENI, BELEN, BILEIN, BILENO, NORTH AGAW.  Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, Central, Northern.  More information.

ENGLISH

[ENG]    Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English.  More information.

ITALIAN

[ITN]    Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.  More information.

KUNAMA

[KUM] 140,000 in Eritrea (1993 Johnstone), including 1,000 in Ilit, 600 in Odasa. Population total both countries 142,000.  Alternate names: BAZA, BAAZA, BAZEN, BAAZEN, BAAZAYN, BADEN, BAADEN, BADA, BAADA, CUNAMA, DIILA.  Dialects: BARKA (BERKA), MARDA, AIMARA (AAIMASA, AYMASA, ODASA), TIKA (TIIKA, LAKATAKURA-TIKA), ILIT (ILIIT, IILIIT, IILIT), BITAMA (BITAAMA), SOKODASA (SOGODAS, SOGADAS), TAKAZZE-SETIIT (SETIIT, SETIT), TIGRAY.  Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Kunama.  More information.

NARA

[NRB] 63,000 (1993 Johnstone).  In and north of Barentu, western Eritrea, adjoining Kunama territory which is to the south. Alternate names: NERA, 'BAREA', 'BARYA', 'BARIA', HIGIR, KOYTA, MOGAREB, SANTORA.  Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Eastern Sudanic, Eastern, Nara.  More information.

SAHO

[SSY] 144,000 in Eritrea (1993 Johnstone). Population total both countries 166,750.  Alternate names: SAO, SHAHO, SHOHO, SHIHO.  Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Saho-Afar.  More information.

TIGRÉ

[TIE] 800,000 in Eritrea (1997 census). Population total both countries 800,000 or more.  Alternate names: KHASA, XASA.  Dialects: MANSA' (MENSA).  Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North.  More information.

TIGRIGNA

[TGN] 1,900,000 in Eritrea (1993 Johnstone).  South and central Eritrea. Alternate names: TIGRINYA, TIGRAY.  Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North.  More information.

Extinct languages

GEEZ

[GEE]    Alternate names: ANCIENT ETHIOPIC, ETHIOPIC, GE'EZ, GIIZ.  Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North.  More information.



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Bibliography database last modified: June-2001
Publications catalog database last modified: December-2001
Ethnologue data from Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 14th Edition
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