Harari language
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherTemplate:Main otherHarari is an Ethio-Semitic language spoken by the Harari people of Ethiopia. Old Harari is a literary language of the city of Harar, a central hub of Islam in the Horn of Africa.[1] According to the 2007 Ethiopian census, it is spoken by 25,810 people. Harari is closely related to the Eastern Gurage languages, Zay, and Siltʼe, all of whom are believed to be linked to the now extinct Semitic Harla language.[2][3] Locals or natives of Harar refer to their language as Script error: No such module "Lang". or Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Gloss (Script error: No such module "Lang". is the word for how Harari speakers refer to the city of Harar, whose name is an exonym).Template:Sfn According to Wolf Leslau, Sidama is the substratum language of Harari and influenced the vocabulary greatly.Template:Sfn He identified unique Cushitic loanwords found only in Harari and deduced that it may have Cushitic roots.Template:Sfn
Harari was originally written with a version of the Arabic script, Harari script, then the Ethiopic script was adopted to write the language.[4] Some Harari speakers in diaspora write their language with the Latin alphabet.
Phonology
Grammar
Nouns
Number
Wolf Leslau discusses Harari–East Gurage phonology and grammar:[5] The noun has two numbers, singular and plural. The affix Script error: No such module "Lang". changes singulars into plurals:
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Nouns ending in a or i become plural without reduplicating this letter:
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/s/ alternates with /z/:
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- Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Gloss; Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Gloss
Gender
Masculine nouns may be converted into feminines by three processes. The first changes the terminal vowel into Script error: No such module "Lang"., or adds Script error: No such module "Lang". to the terminal consonant:
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Animals of different sexes have different names. and this forms the second process:
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The third and the most common way of expressing sex is by means of Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Gloss and Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Gloss, corresponding to English "he-" and "she-":
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Pronouns
| English | Independent | Object pronoun suffixes | Possessive suffixes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | Prepositional | ||||
| Benefactive | Locative/adversative | ||||
| I | Script error: No such module "Lang". an | ||||
| you (m. sg.) | Script error: No such module "Lang". äkhakh | ||||
| you (f. sg.) | Script error: No such module "Lang". akhâsh | ||||
| you (polite/formal) | Script error: No such module "Lang". akhâkhu | ||||
| he/him | Script error: No such module "Lang". äzzo | ||||
| she/her | Script error: No such module "Lang". äzze | ||||
| s/he (polite/formal) | Script error: No such module "Lang". äzziyu | ||||
| we | Script error: No such module "Lang". ignâch | ||||
| you (pl.) | Script error: No such module "Lang". akhâkhâch | ||||
| they | Script error: No such module "Lang". äzziyach | ||||
| Number, Gender | Near | Far | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Masculine | Script error: No such module "Lang". yi (i) | Script error: No such module "Lang". yäǝ |
| Feminine | Script error: No such module "Lang". ittä | Script error: No such module "Lang". yättä | |
| Plural | Script error: No such module "Lang". yiyâch | Script error: No such module "Lang". Ya’âch | |
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Án | Innách or Inyách. |
| 2 | Akhákh | Akhákhách |
| 3 | Azo | (383)Template:Clarify Azziyách |
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. – ziyu or siyu, their. Gár-ziyu, their house. (384)Template:Clarify
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 atti'e hárkho: I myself went.
- Akhákh attikha hárkhí: thou thyself wentest.
- Azo attiizo hára: he himself went.
Verbs
The following are the two auxiliary verbs:
| Past | Present | Imperative | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Negative | Affirmative | Negative | ||||
| Person | (s) | 1 | Án narkhú. | Án alnárkhúm. | Án halkho. | Án elkhúm. | |
| 2 | Akhákh nárkhí. | Akhákh alnárkhím. | Akhákh halkhí. | Akhákh elkhím. | Hal. | ||
| 3 | Azo nárá. | Azo alnárum. | Azo hal (<A>Template:Clarify). | Azo elúm. | |||
| (pl) | 1 | Inyách nárná. | Inyách alnárum. | Inyách halna. | Inyách elnám. | ||
| 2 | Akhákhách narkhú. | Akhákhách alnárkhúm. | Akhákhách halkhú. | Akhákhách elkhúm. | Halkhú. | ||
| 3 | Aziyách nárú. | Aziyách alnárúm. | Aziyách halú | Aziyásc elúm. | |||
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: Innách nikání nárná.
- 2. Ye became: Akhákhách tikání nárkhú.
- 3. They became: Aziyách ikání nárú.
Present tense
- Sing. 1. I become: Án ikánákh.
- 2. Thou becomest: Akhákh tikánákh.
- 3. He becomes: Azo ikánál.
- Plur. 1. We become: Inyách nikánáná.
- 2. Ye become: Akhákhách tikánákhu.
- 3. They become: Aziyách yikánálú.
Imperative
- Become thou, "Kanni". Become ye, "Kánnú".
Prohibitive
- Sing. 2. Become not, ikánnumekh.
- Plur. 2. Become not ye, tikánnumekhu.
Past tense
(Affirmative form)
- Sing. 1. I went, Án letkho.
- 2. Thous wentest, Akhákh letkhí.
- 3. He went, Azo leta.
- Plur. 1. We went, Inyách letna.
- 2. Ye went, Akhákhách letkhú.
- 3. They went, Aziyách 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, Inyách aletnám.
- 2. Ye went not, Akhákách alletkhúm.
- 3. They went not, Azziyách alletúm.
Present tense.
(Affirmative form)
- 1. I go, Án iletákh 1. Inyásh niletáná.
- 2. Thou goest, Akhákh tiletínakh 2. Akhákhách tiletákhú.
- 3. He goes, Azo yiletál 3. Azziyách yiletálú.
(Negative form)
- Sing. 1. I go not, Án iletumekh.
- 2. Thou goest not, Akhákh tiletumekh.
- 3. He goes not, Azo yiletumel.
- Plur. 1. We go not, Inyách niletumena.
- 2. Ye go not, Akhákhach tiletumekhú.
- 3. They go not, Azziyách 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, Inyách niletle halns.
- 2. Ye will go, Akhákhách tiletle halkhú.
- 3. They will go, Azziyách niletle halns.
Writing system
Harari today is generally written in three scripts. It was originally written in an unmodified and now in a standardized modified Arabic Script.[6][7][8] The Ethiopic script was then adopted to write Harari.[6] There is a Latin version of the script used by the Harari diaspora.[7][9]
Historically the language was also written in native Harari secret script until the late 70s.[10]
Harari Arabic script
Harari Arabic script consists of 36 letters, made up of the original 28 Arabic letters, plus 8 additional letters for sounds unique to Harari or to loanwords of European origin. 8 of the original 28 letters are only used for writing of loanwords of Arabic origin (shown in beige in the table below). 2 of the 8 new letters are only used for writing of loanwords of European origin (shown in green in the table below).
Harari Arabic script is also made up of 5 vowel diacritics. A unique and noteworthy feature of this script is that it indicates stressed syllables in an explicit manner, as explained in the following section.
Vowel markings table
In Harari Arabic script, there are 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u). These vowels are shown with the three Arabic diacritics (a, i, u), plus two additional diacritics (e, o). Furthermore, in Harari Arabic script, vowels are also distinguished by length, indicated by mater lectionis letters, and by stress, indicated by a combination of hamza and mater lectionis letters.
Modified Ge'ez script
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Harari can be written in the unmodified Ethiopic script as most vowel differences can be disambiguated from context. The Harari adaptation of the Ethiopic script adds a long vowel version of the Ethiopic/Amharic vowels by adding a dot on top of the letter. In addition certain consonants are pronounced differently when compared to the Amharic pronunciation.
The table below shows the Harari alphasyllabary with the Romanized, Arabic equivalence, and IPA representation along the rows and the Romanized vowel markings along the columns.[11]
- Notes
- Gemination can be done by simply writing the "∅/ə" variation of a letter before the letter itself.
- Stressed vowels can be written by following a letter with Template:Script (The "no-vowel" variation of the "a" letter)
- For example, the Harari demonstrative pronoun yaʼ (Template:Script) is written as Template:Script
- Formerly, long-e (ê) and long-i (î) were represented by adding Template:Script (y) after the character. Now, a dot diacritic is preferred instead.
- Formerly, Long-o (ô) and long-u (û) were represented by adding Template:Script (w) after the character Now, a dot diacritic is preferred instead.
Modified Latin script
Teble below shows the Latin script, modified and adapted for Harari language.[11]
- Notes
- The Harari Latin Alphabet has eight digraphs: ch, dh, gh, gn, kh, sh, xh, and zh. It is possible to have a geminated (double) consonant. In the case of digraphs, only the initial letter is doubled, i.e. “dh” followed by “dh” is written as “ddh” Template:Script / Template:Script)
- The apostrophe character has multiple functions in Harari Latin orthography:
- It indicates that the preceding consonant is an isolated consonant and not part of a digraph, e.g. hêgʼna (Template:Script / Template:Script - replace), i.e. gʼn is “g+n” rather than “gn”.
- It distinguishes between a geminated digraph and a consonant followed by digraph, magʼgna (Template:Script / Template:Script - throwing) i.e. gʼgn is “g+gn” rather than “ggn”.
- It separates a consonant and a following independent vowel, Gaz’i (Template:Script / Template:Script - God)
- If following a vowel, it indicates that the vowel is stressed, raʼyi (Template:Script / Template:Script - idea) or usuʼ (Template:Script / Template:Script - person).
Sample Text
Below is a sample text, in the three scripts for Harari.[11][12]
| Latin Script | Waldâchzinâw dînziyu wâ sinânzîw matlêmadle 1992be qurân gêy kafatnama gêy sinânuw amânbe matlêmad nifarkikut lâtin harfîbe matlêmad êgalna.
Yîbe amânbe waldâchzina ûga zilahadube, 1999be bâdbe (ḣararbe) hukûmazina sabi harfibe sinânzinâw maktable murti huluf zâshasa igʼgnâchum fîtzanâw azzo garab gargab âshna. Yakhnimâm qâcibe zilêqu waldâchuw sabi harfîw matlêmad ôrkut tâb khânama agagnnêw. |
|---|---|
| Ge'ez Script | Template:Script |
| Arabic Script | Template:Script/Arabic |
| Translation | Back in 1992 Harari Language School was established to teach our children the Harari language. To simplify the process of teaching we adopted the Latin script and have successfully developed it for the need of the Harari language.
In 1999, when the Harari Regional Government adopted the Sabean (Ethiopic) script, we tried to use it here for our students. However our students found Sabean script very hard to learn. |
Numerals
- 1. Ahad
- 2. Ko'ot
- 3. Shi'ishti
- 4. Haret
- 5. Ham'misti
- 6. Siddisti
- 7. Sa'ati
- 8. Su'ut
- 9. Zahtegn
- 10. Assir
- 11. Asra ahad
- 12. Asra ko'ot
- 13. Asra shi'ishti
- 14. Asra haret
- 15. Asra ham'misti
- 16. Asra siddisti
- 17. Asra sa'ati
- 18. Asra su'ut
- 19. Asra zahtegn
- 20. Kuya
- 30. Saasa
- 40. Arbîn
- 50. Hamsein
- 60. Sit'tin
- 70. Sa'ati asir
- 80. Su'ut asir
- 90. Zahtana
- 100. Baqla
- 1,000. Kum or Alfi
References
Works cited
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- Cerulli, Enrico. “La lingua e la storia di Harar” in Studi Etiopici, vol. I, 1936 (Roma).
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External links
- World Atlas of Language Structures information on Harari
- Grammatical Outline and Vocabulary of the Harari Language
Template:Languages of Ethiopia Template:Afro-Asiatic languages Template:Modern Semitic languages Template:Semitic languages Template:Arabic script
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- ↑ Omniglot - Harari https://www.omniglot.com/writing/harari.htm