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The major languages being Amharic, Tigriňňa, Oromiňňa, Guaragiňňa, Somali, Arabic, English, over 80 different languages, with up to 200 different dialects are spoken, with some at extinction level. Except the smaller language groups all Ethiopian languages can be classified as Afrio-Asiatic or Nilo-Saharan.

Geez Alphabet

A religious script written in Geez

All indigenous African languages are said to fall into four super-families, except for some smaller language groups that may be classified into separate families. Of the four super-families two are represented in Ethiopia: namely, Afro-Asiatic and Nilo-Saharan.

Official language

Bilingualism and multilingualism are both common phenomena in Ethiopia. Amharic, being a lingua franca among several communities, and also the official language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, enjoys a very wide currency, while Oromiňňa has the largest number (a little more than Amharic) of native speakers. Currently, Amharic, Oromiňňa and Tigriňňa are used in radio and TV broadcasts. The Ethiopian Constitution has provided for each Regional State to choose its own language both as a working language and the language of education, at least at the primary level.

Of the foreign languages spoken in Ethiopia, English and French enjoy the status of second language, in the order they appear in terms of currency. English, in particular, is also the language of instruction at levels above secondary.

Nilo-Saharan

The Nilo-Saharan family includes such languages as Nara, Mursi, Nuer, Gumuz and others, which are classified as Nilotic in Ethiopia.

Afro-Asiatic

The Afro-Asiatic super-family is represented by six major families, three of which are spoken in Ethiopia: namely, Semitic, Cushitic and Omotic. While the first two of these are spoken in other African countries, Omotic is indigenous to Ethiopia alone.

The Semitic languages of Ethiopia are Amharic, Tigriňňa (spoken in Tigray), Tigre (also spoken in Tigray and a very close relative of Ge'ez), Guragiňňa language groups (some mutually intelligible) spoken in the south, and Harari (spoken in Harar). Just for the record, two Semitic languages, Gafat and Argobba are extinct or almost extinct, this last one boasting one surviving speaker. Ge'ez, the ancient language of the Axumite Empire is no longer spoken, but it is still used in religious services in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and in teaching qene (Ge'ez poetry) in the traditional church schools.

Arabic is also used in Ethiopia, mostly in religious services and religious education among the Muslims.

The Cushitic languages of Ethiopia are: Oromiňňa (spoken by the largest number of people in Ethiopia); Somali (spoken in the Eastern parts of Ethiopia, notably the arid regions of Harar); Agaw (spoken mainly in Gojjam and Gondar); and Afar (spoken in the north-eastern parts of Ethiopia).

The Omotic family shows great diversity within itself. This family is divided into Eastern Omotic (e.g. Ari, Dime and Karo) and Western Omotic, which is further divided into clusters such as Kaficho, Shinasha and Ometo, the last one being further divided into such languages as Wolayitta, Oyida, Zergula, Basketo, Male, etc.