Amharic

[nadanbata]

Do all 80 million people in Ethiopia understand this or what. What is % of those that do?

[African Lion]

No, not all 80 million people. Its the working language in several federal states. It is also widely spoken in cities and the Amhara culture is very strong in Ethiopia. All said, about 40% or so are fluent or can get by.

[nadanbata]

Originally Posted by African Lion

No, not all 80 million people. Its the working language in several federal states. It is also widely spoken in cities and the Amhara culture is very strong in Ethiopia. All said, about 40% or so are fluent or can get by.

Hmm wanted to see if it is bigger than Hausa language in Africa but I dont think it is... How about Oromo?

[African Lion]

about 35-40%.

[nadanbata]

cool cool thanks.

[musa90]

It depends on the region. I would say the Somali region of Ethiopia has the lowest percentage of fluent Amharic speakers, it won't get you far there.

[nadanbata]

How about literate in the Amharic script?

[musa90]

Originally Posted by nadanbata

How about literate in the Amharic script?

The literacy rate (42.7%) in general is low.

[Kata-2]

Originally Posted by African Lion

No, not all 80 million people. Its the working language in several federal states. It is also widely spoken in cities and the Amhara culture is very strong in Ethiopia. All said, about 40% or so are fluent or can get by.

If my memory serves me correctly, that's not true. I think Afaan Oromo is widely spoken according to the rotten agency called CSA's 2007 census. Amharic is no near 40%. If you only been to the cities, it definitely may seem like its spoken by the majority but it's not. Their website is down now, can't check thou.

[musa90]

Originally Posted by Kata-2

If my memory serves me correctly, that's not true. I think Afaan Oromo is widely spoken according to the rotten agency called CSA's 2007 census. Amharic is no near 40%. If you only been to the cities, it definitely may seem like its spoken by the majority but it's not. Their website is down now, can't check thou.

Wouldn't Amharic have a lot more second-language speakers than Oromo?

[begtera]

The Amhara are about 40% in Ethiopia. So there goes your 40% right there. That said, at every city and every village near a city Amharic is spoken. Even Gambellans are fluent now a days. I say Amharic is spoken by about 80% of Ethiopians fluently. That is about 60 million people. Writing is a different story.

[Simfan34]

Yes yes yes! We need more of that, Quebec-style language laws that mandate that Amharic be "markedly predominant". Because this is just wrong:



I'd like to see EAL's planes with the English on one side and the Amharic on the other. We really do need strict language laws. The government seems to not understand the importance of language to a nation's strength. We become just another artificial nation if we give up our native languages.

But I'd like to see EAL also do more Indian routes- look at Emirates routes. That's exactly what EAL should be doing. Ten years ago, really.

[Kata-2]

Originally Posted by begtera

The Amhara are about 40% in Ethiopia. So there goes your 40% right there. That said, at every city and every village near a city Amharic is spoken. Even Gambellans are fluent now a days. I say Amharic is spoken by about 80% of Ethiopians fluently. That is about 60 million people. Writing is a different story.

lol where you live? you have to be either on other planet or still living in the dynasty era.

Here is the statistics


-Amharic Speakers 29.3%
-Ethnic Amhara population 26.95%
-Afaan Oromo speakers(mother tongue) ~34.0%
-Ethnic Oromo population 34.5%
-Total city population 16% of the country
-of total city population about 50% Amhara origin or Amharic speakers

Wouldn't Amharic have a lot more second-language speakers than Oromo?

Absolutely, in that case yes Amharic could be the widely spoken language. I don't think its 40% thou...

[African Lion]

Originally Posted by Kata-2

lol where you live? you have to be either on other planet or still living in the dynasty era.

Here is the statistics


-Amharic Speakers 29.3%
-Ethnic Amhara population 26.95%
-Afaan Oromo speakers(mother tongue) ~34.0%
-Ethnic Oromo population 34.5%
-Total city population 16% of the country
-of total city population about 50% Amhara origin or Amharic speakers



Absolutely, in that case yes Amharic could be the widely spoken language. I don't think its 40% thou...

I dont know if the those numbers are accurate. Ethnic amharas were 30-33% of the last census survey. The ethnic surveys are VERY POLITICAL and the TPLF might have brought those numbers down.

Regardless its somewhere in the range of 30-40%. 80% would probably be in the cities.

[Kata-2]

Originally Posted by African Lion

I dont know if the those numbers are accurate. Ethnic amharas were 30-33% of the last census survey. The ethnic surveys are VERY POLITICAL and the TPLF might have brought those numbers down.

Regardless its somewhere in the range of 30-40%. 80% would probably be in the cities.

That is not true according to 2007 CSA census. The figures I posted above is from the census. If you don't think CSA was right, its to be expected given how it operates.

[qweads]

My family originates from Gondar, which some would consider Amhara-central, so we would likely be classified as Amharas but we never really considered ourselves as such except when speaking to other people who just assumed. IMHO, an Amhara can be any Ethiopian who speaks Amharic and has not engaged in separatist activity (ie. has no beef with Ethiopian identity/nationalism). Haile Selassie, who was supposedly part Oromo, never stated he was "Amhara" but he was since he was an Ethiopian who spoke the national language Amharic. I think the TPLF made it an official ethnic group so that they can use it as some sort of scapegoat for all of Ethiopia's past and present troubles.

I share the same view as these Wikipedia paragraphs:

Validity of ethnic group status

Up until the last quarter of the 20th century, "Amhara" was only used (in the form amariñña) to refer to Amharic, the language, or the medieval province located in Wollo (modern Amhara Region)[citation needed]. Still today, most people labeled by outsiders as "Amhara," refer to themselves simply as "Ethiopian," or to their province (e.g. Gojjamé from the province Gojjam)[citation needed]. According to Ethiopian ethnographer Donald Levine, "Amharic-speaking Shewans consider themselves closer to non-Amharic-speaking Shewans than to Amharic-speakers from distant regions like Gonder."[11] Amharic-speakers tend to be a "supra-ethnic group" composed of "fused stock."[12] Takkele Taddese describes the Amhara as follows:


The Amhara can thus be said to exist in the sense of being a fused stock, a supra-ethnically conscious ethnic Ethiopian serving as the pot in which all the other ethnic groups are supposed to melt. The language, Amharic, serves as the center of this melting process although it is difficult to conceive of a language without the existence of a corresponding distinct ethnic group speaking it as a mother tongue. The Amhara does not exist, however, in the sense of being a distinct ethnic group promoting its own interests and advancing the Herrenvolk philosophy and ideology as has been presented by the elite politicians. The basic principle of those who affirm the existence of the Amhara as a distinct ethnic group, therefore, is that the Amhara should be dislodged from the position of supremacy and each ethnic group should be freed from Amhara domination to have equal status with everybody else. This sense of Amhara existence can be viewed as a myth.[12]

[African Lion]

Amhara are an ethnic group and i am one of them. Many societies have ethnic groups from a fuse of different peoples, ie Agaw and oromo for Amharas.

We might identify with Ethiopia first but we are still amhara. Dont forget that amhara culture dominates Ethiopia! Its easy not to be ethnic when ethiopianess too many times is just ahmaraness.

[Simfan34]

Originally Posted by qweads

My family originates from Gondar, which some would consider Amhara-central, so we would likely be classified as Amharas but we never really considered ourselves as such except when speaking to other people who just assumed. IMHO, an Amhara can be any Ethiopian who speaks Amharic and has not engaged in separatist activity (ie. has no beef with Ethiopian identity/nationalism). Haile Selassie, who was supposedly part Oromo, never stated he was "Amhara" but he was since he was an Ethiopian who spoke the national language Amharic. I think the TPLF made it an official ethnic group so that they can use it as some sort of scapegoat for all of Ethiopia's past and present troubles.

I share the same view as these Wikipedia paragraphs:

As do I. So I suppose you call yourself "Gondere"?

Where's Hersh? He should be killing us all.

[mike7743]

Originally Posted by Simfan34

As do I. So I suppose you call yourself "Gondere"?

Where's Hersh? He should be killing us all.

Lol, I was waiting for the Hersh dude to show up and start comparing Amharas to the Third Reich.

That train is never late. In 5 4 3 2...

[DiogenesClub]

Yes yes yes! We need more of that, Quebec-style language laws that mandate that Amharic be "markedly predominant"

Outside of Addis Ababa, the Oromia regional state does that for Afaan Oromo. The road from Addis to DebreZeit is full of signs with Afaan Oromo closely followed under by Amharic. Ironically, when this is enforced for Amharic the separatist idiots jump ahead and scream "Neftegna!"

Ethiopia's self imposed lobotomy continues apace.We all know the overwhelming majority in the capital speak Amharic, but the best and brightest of Ethiopia are steadily being acculturated because of this ridiculous political correctness. Everyone from the 8th grade upwards and including in the university learns Ethiopian history in English. This is permanently stunting the language that is holding the country together. I'm all for nationalities rights, but to let Amhara guilt and past history destroy an authentic Ethiopian language is incredibly pig headed.