Amharic

American  

[am-har-ik, ahm-hahr-] / æmˈhær ɪk, ɑmˈhɑr- /

noun

1. the Semitic language that is the official language of Ethiopia.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to this language or its speakers.

Amharic British  

/ æmˈhærɪk /

noun

1. the official language of Ethiopia, belonging to the SE Semitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family

---

adjective

1. denoting or relating to this language

Etymology

Origin of Amharic

First recorded in 1590–1600; Amhar(a) + -ic

Example Sentences

She told us about this Amharic word tizita, that speaks to nostalgia, memory and longing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

It was "shaytan," which means the devil in my parent's mother tongue, Amharic.

From Salon • Oct. 14, 2023

After translating the English version to plain English, learner’s permit tests were created in Farsi, Portuguese, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Hindi, Amharic, Arabic and Yoruba.

From Washington Times • Aug. 29, 2023

Mr Abiy is facing a formidable challenge to his power from militias known as Fano - an Amharic word loosely translated as "volunteer fighters".

From BBC • Aug. 15, 2023

Therefore the ancient Abyssinian language, Geez, and its living dialects, Amharic and Tigrina, are Semitic, although modified by the influence of the old Hamitic Agau or Agao.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7 "Equation" to "Ethics" by Various