Eritrea
PrintPrimary tabs
Afar
[aar] Northern Red Sea and Southern Red Sea regions. Users: 505,000 in Eritrea (2020), increasing. Status: 4 (Educational). Alternate Names: Afaraf, Qafar, Qafar af, Qafaraf, ʿAfár af, “Danakil” (pej.), “Denkel” (pej.). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Saho-Afar.
Arabic, Hijazi Spoken
[acw] Northern Red Sea and Southern Red Sea regions. Users: 30,400 in Eritrea (2020). Ethnic population: 80,000 (2010). Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Rashaida, Rashida. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Standard
[arb] Widespread. Users: 2,420,000 in Eritrea (2015 SIL), all users. Status: 1 (National). De facto national language. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Arabic, Sudanese Spoken
[apd] Anseba and Gash-Barka regions: possibly Asmara and other urban communities. Users: Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Alternate Names: Arabi. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic.
Bedawiyet
[bej] Anseba and Gash-Barka regions. Users: 201,000 in Eritrea (2020). Status: 4 (Educational). Alternate Names: Beḍauye, Bedawi, Bedawiye, Bedawye, Bedja, Bedwi, Bedya, Bedàwie, Beja, Bidhaaweet, Bidhaawyeet, Lobat, Tu Bdhaawi. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, North.
Bilen
[byn] Anseba region: Keren town area. Users: 116,000 (2020). Status: 4 (Educational). Alternate Names: Balen, Belen, Beleni, Bilayn, Bilein, Bilene, Bileno, Bilin, Bogo, Bogos, North Agaw. Autonym: Blin, ብሊን (Blin). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, Central, Northern.
Dahalik
[dlk] Northern Red Sea region: Dahlak Archipelago. Users: 2,500 (2012 J. McLaughlin). Status: 6b* (Threatened). Alternate Names: Dahlak. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North.
English
[eng] Widespread. Users: Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English.
Geez
[gez] Widespread. Users: No known L1 speakers in Eritrea. Ethnic population: No ethnic community. Status: 9 (Second language only). Alternate Names: Ancient Ethiopic, Ethiopic, Ge’ez, Giiz. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North.
Italian
[ita] Maekel region: Asmara area. Users: A few monolinguals. Status: 8b (Nearly extinct). Alternate Names: Italiano. Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Italo-Dalmatian.
Kunama
[kun] Gash-Barka region: between Gash river and Ethiopia border; Aimara west of Barentu, Barka south of Barentu, Marda north, northeast, and east of Barentu, Barentu. Users: 237,000 in Eritrea (2020), increasing. Total users in all countries: 244,570 (as L1: 244,430; as L2: 140). Status: 4 (Educational). Alternate Names: Baada, Baaden, Baaza, Baazayn, Baazen, Bada, Baden, Baza, Bazen, Cunama, Diila. Autonym: Kunama. Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Satellites, Kunama.
Nara
[nrb] Gash-Barka region: north of Barentu. Users: 103,000 (2020), increasing. Status: 4 (Educational). Alternate Names: Nara bana, Nera, “Barea” (pej.), “Baria” (pej.), “Barya” (pej.). Autonym: Nara. Classification: Nilo-Saharan, Satellite-Core, Core, Eastern Sudanic, Northern (k languages), Nara.
Saho
[ssy] Debub, Northern Red Sea, and Southern Red Sea regions. Users: 243,000 in Eritrea (2020), increasing. Total users in all countries: 279,180 (as L1: 275,800; as L2: 3,380). Status: 4 (Educational). Alternate Names: Sao, Shaho, Shiho, Shoho. Autonym: Saaho. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Saho-Afar.
Tigré
[tig] Anseba, Gash-Barka, and Northern Red Sea regions. Widespread except in Southern Red Sea region. Users: 1,340,000 in Eritrea (2020), increasing. Total users in all countries: 1,359,000. Status: 4 (Educational). Autonym: ትግራይት (Tigrayit/Tigraayit). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North.
Tigrigna
[tir] Widespread, especially south and central. Users: 3,220,000 in Eritrea (2020), increasing. Total users in all countries: 10,004,940 (as L1: 9,852,940; as L2: 152,000). Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language. Alternate Names: Habashi, Tigray, Tigrinya. Autonym: ትግርኛ (Tigrinya). Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North.