Harari language


Harari is an Ethiopian Semitic language spoken by the Harari people of Ethiopia. According to the 2007 Ethiopian census, it is spoken by 25,810 people. Most of its speakers are multilingual in Amharic and/or Eastern Oromo. Harari is closely related to the Eastern Gurage languages, Zay, and Silt'e, all of whom are linked to the now extinct Semitic Harla language. Locals or natives of Harar refer to it as Gēy Ritma or Gēy Sinan "language of the City".
Harari was originally written with a version of the Arabic script, then the Ethiopic script was adopted to write the language. Some Harari speakers in diaspora write their language with the Latin alphabet.

Vowels

/æ, a, e, ai, ɪ, i/

Grammar

Nouns

Number

discusses Harari–East Gurage phonology and grammar:
The noun has two numbers, Singular and Plural. The affix -ač changes singulars into plurals:
Nouns ending in a or i become plural without reduplicating this letter:
/s/ alternates with /z/:

Gender

Masculine nouns may be converted into feminines by three processes. The first changes the terminal vowel into -it, or adds -it to the terminal consonant:
Animals of different sexes have different names. and this forms the second process:
The third and the most common way of expressing sex is by means of aboch, "male or man," and inistí: woman, " female, corresponding to English " he-" and " she-":

Pronouns

PersonSingularPlural
1ÁnInnách or Inyách.
2AkhákhAkhákhách
3Azo Azziyách

The affixed pronouns or possessives attached to nouns are:--
Singular.
Plural.
In the same way attached pronouns are affixed to verbs:
The demonstrative pronouns are:
The interrogative pronouns are the following:

Verbs

The following are the two auxiliary verbs:
Past Tense.
Present Tense.
Imperative.
Prohibitive.
Past Tense.
'
'

Present Tense.
'
'

Numerals