Tigré

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A language of Eritrea

ISO 639-3
tig
Autonym
ትግራይት‎ (Tigrayit/Tigraayit)
User Population

1,340,000 in Eritrea (2020), increasing. Total users in all countries: 1,359,000.

Location

Anseba, Gash-Barka, and Northern Red Sea regions. Widespread except in Southern Red Sea region.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, Ethiopian, North
Dialects

Mansa’ (Mensa), Habab, Beni-Amir, Semhar, Algeden, Senhit (Ad-Tekleis, Ad-Temariam, Bet-Juk, Marya Kayah, Mensa). Between dialects, intelligibility is above 91% (Idris 2005); between Dahalik [dlk] and Tigré dialects: 24%–51% (Idris 2010). Lexical similarity: 71% with Ge’ez [gez], 64% with Tigrigna [tir] (Bender, M. 1971). Tigré dialectical lexical similarity is 86%–97% (Idris 2005); 55%–60% with Dahalik [dlk] and Tigré dialects (Idris 2010).

Typology

SOV.

Language Use

All domains. Used by all. Somewhat positive attitudes. Formerly they favored Arabic [arb]. Also use Sudanese Spoken Arabic [apd]. Also use Tigrigna [tir]. Used as L2 by Bilen [byn], Nara [nrb], Saho [ssy], Tigrigna [tir].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: Females: about 30%. Taught in primary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1988.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Tigré
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Ethiopic script [Ethi], used since 1889, not written in Sudan.

Other Comments

Spoken by some Beni-Amer called Lobot. Other ethnic groups are Ad Aha, Geden Sikta, Iddifer, and Teroa Beit Mushe. Believed by some to be the direct linguistic descendant of Ge’ez [gez]. Incorrectly called Ge’ez. Muslim, Christian.

Also spoken in:

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