Languages of Eritrea
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of Eritrea.]
State of Eritrea. 4,527,000. National or official languages: English, Standard Arabic, Tigrinya. Independence from Ethiopia 1993. Literacy rate: 37%. Immigrant languages: Central Kanuri, Hadrami Spoken Arabic (100,000), Hausa, Qimant, Sudanese Spoken Arabic (100,000), Ta’izzi-Adeni Spoken Arabic (18,000). The number of individual languages listed for Eritrea is 13. Of those, 12 are living languages and 1 has no known speakers.
| Afar | [aar]
Southern parts.
Alternate names: Afaraf, “Danakil” , “Denkel”.
Dialects: Central Afar, Northern Afar, Aussa, Ba’adu.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Saho-Afar
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| Arabic, Hijazi Spoken | [acw]
23,900 in Eritrea (2006). Red Sea coast.
Alternate names: Hijazi.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
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| Arabic, Standard | [arb]
Middle East, North Africa.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
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| Bedawiyet | [bej]
158,000 in Eritrea (2006). 20,000 Hadendoa (1970 Bendor).
Alternate names: Bedauye, Bedawi, Bedawiye, Bedawye, Bedja, Bedwi, Bedya, Beja, Lobat.
Dialects: Hadareb (Hadaareb), Bisharin (Bisarin, Bisariab), Hadendoa (Hadendowa), Beni-Amir, Ababda, Amara.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, North
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| Bilen | [byn]
91,000 (2006). Central, Keren town area.
Alternate names: Balen, Belen, Beleni, Bilayn, Bilein, Bileno, Bilin, Bogo, Bogos, North Agaw.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, Central, Northern
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| English | [eng]
Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
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| Geez | [gez]
Extinct.
Alternate names: Ancient Ethiopic, Ethiopic, Ge’ez, Giiz.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North
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| Italian | [ita]
A few monolinguals.
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian
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| Kunama | [kun]
187,000 in Eritrea (2006). 1,000 in Ilit, 600 in Odasa. Population total all countries: 188,880. West, Gash and Setit rivers, Sudan border and into Tigray Province. Barka south of Barentu; Marda north, northeast, and east of Barentu and in Barentu; Aimara west of Barentu; Laki-Tukura south of Aimara, west of Barka; Tika south of Laki-Tukura, west of Barka. Also in Ethiopia.
Alternate names: Baada, Baaden, Baaza, Baazayn, Baazen, Bada, Baden, Baza, Bazen, 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. Bitama and Ilit are nearly unintelligible to other Kunama dialect speakers. Barka is the largest dialect and intelligible to speakers of all others.
Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Kunama
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| Nara | [nrb]
81,400 (2006). West, Barentu area and north, next to Kunama territory south.
Alternate names: “Barea” , “Baria” , “Barya” , Higir, Koyta, Mogareb, Nera, Santora.
Dialects: Considerable dialect variation within the 4 main groups: Higir, Mogareb, Koyta, Santora. Little intelligibility with Kunama [kun].
Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Eastern Sudanic, Eastern, Nara
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| Saho | [ssy]
191,000 in Eritrea (2006). Population total all countries: 213,800. South. Also in Ethiopia.
Alternate names: Sao, Shaho, Shiho, Shoho.
Dialects: Very similar to Afar [aar]. The Irob dialect is only in Ethiopia.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Saho-Afar
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| Tigré | [tig]
1,050,000 in Eritrea (2006). Also in Sudan.
Alternate names: Khasa, Xasa.
Dialects: Mansa’ (Mensa).
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North
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| Tigrigna | [tir]
2,540,000 in Eritrea (2006). South and central.
Alternate names: Tigray, Tigrinya.
Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North
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