Abstract
The article presents an overview of the Ethiopian Semitic (ES) languages spoken in the Horn of Africa. Among the presently spoken Semitic languages, ES languages comprise more than 80% and are divided into a northern and a southern group. Although this division is basically regional, there is a strong morpho-syntactic support for this classification. ES languages show a higher complexity in the use of concatenative and nonconcatentative morphemes for various grammatical categories. This rich morphological behavior, the SOV order, and other peculiar morphophonemic features are assumed to be the result of language contact, but sufficient data for this claim are still lacking.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, 14-Volume Set
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.