When and who created Amharic, and how was it created?
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When and who created Amharic, and how was it created?

It’s not a matter of a single person or a specific date “creating” Amharic, as languages evolve naturally over long periods. Amharic developed through a complex historical and linguistic process.

Here’s a breakdown:

Origins and Evolution:

  • Semitic Roots: Amharic is a Semitic language, part of the larger Afro-Asiatic language family. Its origins trace back to the 1st millennium B.C., when Semitic-speaking immigrants from southwestern Arabia crossed the Red Sea into what is now Eritrea and northern Ethiopia.
  • Descent from Ge’ez: Amharic is a descendant of Ge’ez (ግዕዝ), an ancient Semitic language that was the language of the Axumite Empire (1st to 6th Century A.D.) and remains the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Think of the relationship between Latin and the Romance languages (like French, Spanish, and Italian); Amharic evolved from Ge’ez in a similar way.
  • Cushitic Influence: As Semitic speakers interacted with the indigenous Cushitic populations in the Ethiopian highlands, Amharic developed with a “Cushitic substratum” and a “Semitic superstratum,” meaning it absorbed influences from both language groups.
  • Divergence from Argobba: Amharic diverged from its closest linguistic relative, Argobba, sometime after the 9th century A.D., likely due to religious differences (Argobba speakers adopted Islam).
  • Emergence as a Spoken Language: By the 13th century, Amharic had evolved as a spoken language and became the common means of communication in the imperial court, where it was referred to as “the language of the king” (lәsanä nәgus).

Becoming a Literary and Official Language:

While Amharic existed as a spoken language for centuries, its rise to a prominent literary and official language is linked to the actions of several Ethiopian emperors:

  • Shift in Power: When the power base of Ethiopia shifted from Axum to the Amhara region between the 10th and 12th centuries A.D., the use of Amharic spread.
  • Emperor Tewodros II (1855-1868): He is credited with being the first to make Amharic a literary language. Unlike his predecessors who wrote royal chronicles in Ge’ez, Tewodros II ensured his were written in Amharic.
  • Emperor Yohannes IV (1872-1879): Though a Tigrigna speaker, he used Amharic in his correspondence with regional kings, believing it could help unify the state.
  • Emperor Menelik II (1889-1913): As he expanded the Ethiopian empire, Amharic became the language of Ethiopia’s rulers and elites in annexed territories, giving it a de-facto official status.
  • Emperor Haile Selassie (1930-1974): He officially declared Amharic the official language of Ethiopia in 1955. He implemented a legal framework and language policy to ease communication across diverse linguistic groups, making Amharic the sole language used in primary schools and for government activities during his reign.

In summary, Amharic wasn’t “created” by a single individual at a specific moment. It evolved organically over millennia from ancient Semitic roots, drawing influence from other languages, and its formal establishment as the national language was a gradual process championed by various emperors who sought to unify the nation.