Native to Ethiopia Native speakers 25,810 (2007 census) | Region Harari Region ISO 639-3 har | |
Language family Afro-Asiatic
Semitic
South
Ethiopian
South
Transversal
Harari – East Gurage
Harari Writing system Harari alphabet (Ge'ez script) | ||
Harari is the language of 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 "language of the City" (Gēy is the word for how Harari speakers refer to Harar, whose name is an exonym).
Contents
Harari was originally written with a version of the Arabic script, then the Ethopic 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/
Number
The noun has two numbers, Singular and Plural. The affix -ách changes singulars into plurals:
aboch, a man; abochách, men. wandaq, a servant; wandaqách, servants. gár, a house; gárách, houses.Nouns ending in the long á or í become plural without reduplicating this letter:
gáfá, a slave; gáfách (for gáfáách), slaves. gubná, a harlot; gubnách, harlots. lijji, a son; lijjách (for lijjiách), sons. Maqbarti, a grave; Maqbartách (for Maqbartách), graves./s/ alternates with /z/:
faraz, a horse; farazásh, horses. iráz, a cloth; irázách, cloths.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:
rágá, an old man; rágít, an old woman. buchí, male dog; buchít, female dog wasíf, a slave boy; wasífít, a slave girl.Animals of different sexes have different names. and this forms the second process:
bárá, an ox; lám, a cow.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-":
aboch faraz, a stallion; inistí faraz, a mare. aboch č̣abar a he mule; inistí č̣abar, a she mule.Pronouns
The affixed pronouns or possessives attached to nouns are:--
Singular.
1st Pers. - e, my or mine. : Gár-e, my house. 2nd Pers. - khá, thy or thine. Gár-khá, thy house. 3rd Pers. - zo, or - so, his. Gár-zo, his house.Plural.
1st Pers. - zinya or sinya, our. : Gár-zinya, our house. 2nd Pers. - kho, your. Gár-kho, your house. 3rd Pers. - zinyo or sinyo, their. Gár-zinyo, their house. (384)In the same way attached pronouns are affixed to verbs:
Sit-ayn: give (thou to) me. Sit-ana: give (thou to) us.The demonstrative pronouns are:
Sing. Yí, this. Yá', that. Plur. Yíách, these. Yá'ách, those.The interrogative pronouns are the following:
Mántá: who? Mintá: what? Án atte hárkho: I myself went. Akhákh attekh hárkhí: thou thyself wentest. Azo attezo háre: he himself went.Verbs
The following are the two auxiliary verbs:
Past Tense.
Sing. 1. I became: Án ikaní náarkho. 2. Thou becamest: Akhákh tikání nárkhí. 3. He became: Azo ikáni nárá. Plur. 1. We became: Innásh nikání nárná. 2. Ye became: Akhákhásh tikání nárkhú. 3. They became: Aziyásh ikání nárú.Present Tense.
Sing. 1. I become: Án ikánákh. 2. Thou becomest: Akhákh tikánákh. 3. He becomes: Azo ikánál. Plur. 1. We become: Inyásh nikánáná. 2. Ye become: Akhákhásh tikánákhu. 3. They become: Aziyásh yikánálú.Imperative.
Become thou, "Kanni". Become ye, "Kánnú".Prohibitive.
Sing. 2. Become not, ikánnimekh. Plur. 2. Become not ye, ikánnumekh.Past Tense.
(Affirmative Form.)
Sing. 1. I went, Án letkho. 2. Thous wentest, Akhákh letkhí. 3. He went, Azo leta. Plur. 1. We went, Inyásh letna. 2. Ye went, Akhákhásh letkhú. 3. They went, Aziyásh letú.(Negative Form.)
Sing. 1. I went not, Án alletkhúm. 2. Thou wentest not, Akbákh alletkhím. 3. He went not, Azo alletám. Plur. 1. We went not, Inyásh aletnám. 2. Ye went not, Akhákásh alletkhúm. 3. They went not, Aziyásh alletúm.Present Tense.
(Affirmative Form.)
1. I go, Án iletákh 1. Inyásh niletáná. 2. Thou goest, Akhákh tiletínakh 2. Akhákhásh tiletákhú. 3. He goes, Azo yiletál 3. Aziyásh yiletálú.(Negative Form.)
Sing. 1. I go not, Án iletumekh. 2. Thou goest not, Akhákh tiletumekh. 3. He goes not, Azo iletumel. Plur. 1. We go not, Inyásh niletumens. 2. Ye go not, Akhákhash tiletumekhú. 3. They go not, Aziyásh iletuelú. Sing. 1. I will go, Án iletle halkho. 2. Thou wilt go, Akháhk tiletle halkhí. 3. He will go, Azo iletle hal. Plur. 1. We will go, Inyásh niletle halns. 2. Ye will go, Akhákhásh tiletle halkhú. 3. They will go, Aziyásh niletle halns.