Ethnologue report for Eritrea

Languages of Eritrea

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.

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