Languages of Eritrea
The languages of Eritrea are generally spoken of nine ethno- linguistic groups.
Each of them has their own idiom: Afar, Arabic ( spoken by the Rashaida ), Beja ( spoken by the Hedareb ), Blin, Kunama, Nara, Saho, Tigre and Tigrinya. These nine languages have the status of equal national languages .
Eritrea has no official languages , but Tigrinya and Arabic are used as working languages. The Italian language, the official language of the former colony of Italian Eritrea, is still widely understood and spoken especially in front of residents of the capital, Asmara. However, the Italian, the English language is going to outdo. Tigrinya and Arabic were already in the federal province of Eritrea from 1952 to 1956, the official languages , and still continues the most common languages , with Arabic, is proliferating in recent years, particularly among Muslims. The Eritrean People's Liberation Front ( EPLF ) published an extensive Tigrinya - Arabic Dictionary in 1985, followed by Tigrinya -English in 1986.
As part of the gradual restriction of the Eritrean autonomy under the Ethiopian rule of the Amharic language in 1956 was the official language in the province of Eritrea. Today, it is mainly spoken by people of Eritrean origin, who were urged to leave their homes in Ethiopia.
Education policy in which is taught in the primary schools in their native language, has comparatively great success.
The Ge'ez, also called Ethiopic, is the liturgical language of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Language families and groups
- Nilotic languages Kunama
- Nara
- Cushitic languages: Bedscha
- Ostkuschitische languages: Afar
- Saho
- Blin
- Semitic languages: Nordäthiosemitische languages ( Südsemitische languages): Tigre
- Tigrinya
- Dahlik
- Arabic