Language Primer: Amharic

‘To understand Amharic is to understand Ethiopia,’ a whispering man once said before evaporating into the ether. Sadly, such musings were all we heard from this figure; any more meditations – or even indications that the apparition existed in the first place – have long been lost to the ages. 

Still, ostentatious exits aside, the statement bears a kernel of truth. As the second most widely spoken Semitic language in the world after Arabic, Amharic a prominent vernacular; as Ethiopia’s primary lingua franca, it represents the main means of communication for many in the Horn of Africa.

Both Amharic and Arabic have their similarities, for sure, but at some point, Amharic went off on its trajectory and never came back. If you want to have even the vaguest idea of what’s going on in Ethiopia, knowing some Amharic is, officially, A Very Good Idea.

Amharic suits its mother country. A tongue-twister in design and practice, the language proves hard to grasp and laborious to master. When you consider Ethiopia is the only African nation never to be fully colonised – save for a brief Italian incursion – the symbiosis between independence, pride and the native tongue becomes clear. 

Still, see how far it’ll get you. Whether you can speak Amharic or not is academic. The guy at Lalibela will still yell at you, the kids will still throw stones at you in Harar, touts will still swamp you at Bahir Dar bus station.

Linguistic knowledge does not automatically translate to ease of travel, and nowhere is that more perfectly illustrated than Ethiopia. Any country with a six-syllable word for ‘thank you’ is clearly not the simplest place to navigate. Travel here can cause stress, and foreigners receive few concessions. 

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Ethiopia is a magnificent country with stunning scenery, aeons of mysterious history, great music, and delicious food. Stay prepared, have your wits about you, stand your ground and always carry a towel. You never know when you’ll need it.