Gēy Sinan
Harari
Afro-Asiatic (Semitic)
Harari (Gēy Sinan, “language of the city”) is an Ethiosemitic language spoken by about 26,000 people, historically centered in the walled city of Harar and now also used by communities elsewhere in Ethiopia and abroad. It belongs to the South Ethiosemitic group and has been strongly shaped by long contact with Oromo, Somali, Arabic, and Amharic. Harari has a substantial Islamic literary tradition: Old Harari texts were written in an adapted Arabic script. The Harari regional government adopted an Ethiopic-based orthography in 1999, which is now used in education and publications, while Latin romanization appears in scholarship. Glottolog currently assesses Harari as not endangered, though its relatively small speaker population makes continued transmission important.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Harari
Sources
- Wiktionary Harari lemmas (citing Littmann and Leslau); W. Leslau 1958, The Verb in Harari (South Ethiopic), Univ. of California Publications in Semitic Philology 21 (archive.org verbinhararisout00lesl)
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Afro-Asiatic (Semitic)
| Meaning | Harari | Amharic | Tigrinya | Tigre | Ge'ez | Bahrani Arabic | Qatari Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | miy /miːj/ | ውሃ /wɨha/ | ማይ /maj/ | ማይ /maj/ | ማይ /maːj/ | مي /miː/ | مي /meː/ |
| Fire | isat /isɑt/ | እሳት /ɨssat/ | ሓዊ /ħawi/ | እሳት /ʔəssat/ | እሳት /ʔəsaːt/ | نار /nɑːr/ | نار /naːr/ |
| Sun | ir /iːr/ | ፀሐይ /tsʼɛhaj/ | ጸሓይ /tsʼəħaj/ | ጸሓይ /tsʼəħaj/ | ፀሐይ /sˤaħaj/ | شمس /ʃæms/ | شمس /ʃɑms/ |
| Moon | wahri /wɑhri/ | ጨረቃ /tʃʼɛɾɛkʼa/ | ወርሒ /wərħi/ | ወርሕ /warəħ/ | ወርኅ /warχ/ | قمر /ɡɑmɑr/ | قمر /ɡɑmɑr/ |
| Star | kokäb /kokəb/ | ኮከብ /kokəb/ | ኮኸብ /koˈxəb/ | ኮከብ /kokəb/ | ኮከብ /kokab/ | نجمة /nɪdʒma/ | نجمة /nɪjma/ |
| Night | lelit /lelit/ | ሌሊት /leːlit/ | ለይቲ /lɐjti/ | ላሊ /lali/ | ሌሊት /leːlit/ | ليل /leːl/ | ليل /leːl/ |
| Mother | wallidda /wɑlːidːɑ/ | እናት /ɨnnat/ | ኣደ /ʔaddə/ | እሞ /ʔəmmo/ | እም /ʔəmm/ | أم /ʔəm/ | أم /ʔumm/ |
| Father | aw /ɑw/ | አባት /abbat/ | ኣቦ /ʔabbo/ | አቦ /ʔabbo/ | አብ /ʔab/ | أب /ʔəb/ | أب /ʔɑb/ |
| I | ān /aːn/ | እኔ /ɨne/ | ኣነ /ˈʔanɐ/ | አነ /ʔana/ | አነ /ʔana/ | أنا /aːna/ | أنا /aːna/ |
| You | akhākh /aχaːχ/ | አንተ /antə/ | ንስኻ /nɨsˈxa/ | አንታ /ʔɨnta/ | አንተ /ʔanta/ | إنت /enta/ | إنت /inta/ |
| We | iññāch /iɲːaːtʃ/ | እኛ /ɨɲːa/ | ንሕና /nɨħna/ | ሕና /ħəna/ | ንሕነ /nəħna/ | إحنا /ˈiħna/ | إحنا /ˈiħna/ |
| Name | sum /sum/ | ስም /sɨm/ | ስም /sɨm/ | ስም /sɨm/ | ስም /səm/ | اسم /isim/ | اسم /isim/ |
| Eye | in /iːn/ | ዓይን /ajn/ | ዓይኒ /ʕajni/ | ዐይን /ʕajn/ | ዐይን /ʕajn/ | عين /ʕɑjn/ | عين /ʕeːn/ |
| Ear | uzun /uzun/ | ጆሮ /dʒoro/ | እዝኒ /ʔizni/ | እዝን /ʔəzən/ | እዝን /ʔezn/ | أذن /ʔiðin/ | أذن /əðun/ |
| Mouth | af /ɑf/ | አፍ /af/ | ኣፍ /ʔaf/ | አፍ /ʔaf/ | አፍ /ʔaf/ | — | حلج /ħaldʒ/ |
| Tooth | sin /sɨn/ | ጥርስ /tʼərs/ | ስኒ /sɨni/ | ንብ /nɨb/ | ስን /sənː/ | سن /sinː/ | سن /sinː/ |
| Tongue | arrat /arːat/ | ምላስ /məlas/ | መልሓስ /mɐlħas/ | ልሳን /lisaːn/ | ልሳን /ləsaːn/ | لسان /lisaːn/ | لسان /lsaːn/ |
| Hand | iji /idʒi/ | እጅ /ɨdʒː/ | ኢድ /ʔid/ | እዴ /ʔəde/ | እድ /ʔəd/ | يد /jɑd/ | يد /jɑd/ |
| Foot | igir /iɡir/ | እግር /ˈʔɨɡɨɾ/ | እግሪ /ʔɨɡri/ | እግር /ʔəɡər/ | እግር /ʔəɡr/ | رجل /ridʒil/ | ريل /riːl/ |
| Heart | libbi /libːi/ | ልብ /lɨbb/ | ልቢ /lɨbbi/ | ልብ /ləbb/ | ልብ /ləbb/ | قلب /ɡælb/ | قلب /ɡɑlb/ |
| Bone | aṭ /atʼ/ | አጥንት /atʼənt/ | ዓጽሚ /ʕatsʼmi/ | ዓጽም /ʕatsʼəm/ | ዐፅም /ʕasˤm/ | عظمة /ˈʕaðˤma/ | عظمة /ˈʕaðˤma/ |
| Blood | dam /dam/ | ደም /dɐm/ | ደም /dɐm/ | ደም /dam/ | ደም /dam/ | دم /dam/ | دم /dam/ |
| Love | ḥabb /ħɑbː/ | ፍቅር /fɨkʼɨr/ | ፍቕሪ /fɨqʼri/ | ፍቅሪ /fəqʼri/ | አፍቀረ /ʔafqara/ | حب /ħəb/ | حب /ħubb/ |
| Tree | lafu /laˈfu/ | ዛፍ /zaf/ | ኦም /ʔom/ | ዕጨይ /ʕətʃʼaj/ | ዕፅ /ʕasˤ/ | شجرة /ʃɑʒərə/ | شيرة /ʃjara/ |
| Dog | buchi /butʃi/ | ውሻ /wɨʃʃa/ | ከልቢ /kəlbi/ | ከልብ /kalb/ | ከልብ /kalb/ | چلب /tʃælb/ | چلب /tʃalb/ |
| Cat | aduru /ɑduːru/ | ድመት /dɨmmɛt/ | ድሙ /dɨmmu/ | ድሙ /dəmmu/ | ድሙ /dəmmu/ | قطة /qɪtːə/ | قطو /ɡatˤu/ |
| Fish | tulam /ˈtulam/ | አሳ /asa/ | ዓሳ /ʕasa/ | ዓሳ /ʕasa/ | ዓሣ /ʕaʃaː/ | سمچة /ˈsimtʃa/ | سمچة /ˈsimtʃa/ |
| House | gar /ɡɑːr/ | ቤት /bet/ | ገዛ /ɡəza/ | ቤት /beːt/ | ቤት /beːt/ | بيت /bæjt/ | بيت /beːt/ |
| Wheel | gomma /ɡomːɑ/ | ጎማ /ɡoma/ | መንኮርኮር /mənkorkor/ | ዕንክሎሎ /ʕənkəlolo/ | መንኰራኵር /mankʷaraːkʷər/ | عجلة /ʕadʒala/ | عجلة /ʕadʒala/ |
| Eat | mäbla /məblɑ/ | መብላት /mɛblat/ | ምብላዕ /mɨblaʕ/ | በልዐ /balʕa/ | በልዐ /balʕa/ | أكل /ʔəkɑl/ | أكل /ʔɑkɑl/ |
| Drink | säča /sətʃɑ/ | መጠጣት /mɛtʼɛtʼːat/ | ምስታይ /mɨstaj/ | ሰትየ /satja/ | ሰትየ /satja/ | شرب /ʃɑrɑb/ | شرب /ʃɑrɑb/ |
| One | aḥad /ɑħɑd/ | አንድ /and/ | ሓደ /ħadə/ | ዎሮት /worot/ | አሐዱ /ʔaħadu/ | واحد /wɑːħɪd/ | واحد /waːħid/ |
| Two | koʔot /koʔot/ | ሁለት /hulət/ | ክልተ /kɨlˈtə/ | ክልኦት /kɨlʔot/ | ክልኤ /kəlʔeː/ | اثنين /θneːn/ | اثنين /θneːn/ |
| Three | sist /sɨst/ | ሶስት /sost/ | ሰለስተ /sɐlɐste/ | ሰለስ /salas/ | ሠለስቱ /ʃalastu/ | ثلاثة /θalaːθa/ | ثلاثة /θalaːθa/ |
| Hello | salam /sɑlɑm/ | ሰላም /sɛlam/ | ሰላም /səlam/ | ሰላም /salaːm/ | ሰላም /salaːm/ | مرحبا /mɑrħɑbæ/ | السلام عليكم /assalaːm ʕaleːkum/ |
| Thank you | šukran /ʃukrɑn/ | አመሰግናለሁ /amɛsɛɡɡɨnallɛhu/ | የቐንየለይ /jɨqʼɨnjɨlɨj/ | የቀንየለይ /jəqanjəlej/ | ምስጋና /məsɡaːnaː/ | شكراً /ʃʊkrɑn/ | شكراً /ʃukran/ |
| Good | xaww /χɑwː/ | ጥሩ /tʼɨru/ | ጽቡቕ /tsʼɨbuqʼ/ | ጽቡቕ /tsʼəbbuqʼ/ | ሠናይ /sanaːj/ | زين /zeːn/ | زين /zeːn/ |
| New | ḥäǧīs /ħədʒiːs/ | አዲስ /addis/ | ሓድሽ /ħaddɨʃ/ | ሐዲስ /ħaddis/ | ሐዲስ /ħaddis/ | جديد /ʒidiːd/ | جديد /dʒidiːd/ |
| Red | qey /qəj/ | ቀይ /qɐj/ | ቀይሕ /qɐjːɨħ/ | ቀይሕ /qajːəħ/ | ቀይሕ /qajːəħ/ | أحمر /ˈʔaħmar/ | أحمر /ˈʔaħmar/ |
| White | näčiḥ /nətʃʼiːħ/ | ነጭ /nətʃʼ/ | ጻዕዳ /sˤaʕda/ | ጸዓዳ /tsʼaʕada/ | ጸዓዳ /sˤaʕaːdaː/ | أبيض /ʔabjadˤ/ | أبيض /ʔabjaðˤ/ |
| Coffee | bun /bun/ | ቡና /bunna/ | ቡን /bun/ | ቡን /bun/ | — | قهوة /ˈɡahwa/ | قهوة /ˈɡahwa/ |
| Sugar | sukkar /sukːɑr/ | ስኳር /sɨkʷar/ | ሽኮር /ʃɨkor/ | ስከር /sɨkkar/ | — | سكر /ˈsukkar/ | سكر /ˈsukkar/ |
Open the interactive map: Word Map · HanMap · Name Map · Word Order · Tree
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.
Made by Heuron Inc. · GitHub · cho@heuron.com · LangMap home