Tigrigna

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A language of Ethiopia

ISO 639-3
tir
Alternate Names
Beta Israel, Tigray, Tigrinya
Population

4,320,000 in Ethiopia (2010 UNSD). L2 users: 147,000 in Ethiopia. 2,820,000 monolinguals. Total users in all countries: 7,899,400 (as L1: 7,747,400; as L2: 152,000).

Location

Tigray region border areas; Amhara and Afar regions.

Language Maps
Language Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial working language in Tigray Region (1994, Constitution, Article 47(3)).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North
Typology

SOV; noun head final; gender (masculine/feminine); definite article; verb affixes mark person, number, gender of subject; passives; aspect; 33 consonant and 14 vowel phonemes.

Language Use

Also use Amharic [amh]. Used as L2 by Amharic [amh], Kunama [kun], Xamtanga [xan].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 27%. Taught in primary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1956.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Tigrigna
Writing

Ethiopic script [Ethi], used since 13th or 14th century.

Other Comments

Christian.

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