Amharic

noun

Am·​har·​ic am-ˈher-ik How to pronounce Amharic (audio)
-ˈha-rik;
am-ˈhär- How to pronounce Amharic (audio)
äm-
: a Semitic language that is an official language of Ethiopia
Amharic adjective

Examples of Amharic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Instructions about how to use the phone are in three languages: English, Spanish and Amharic — a reflection of Takoma Park’s Ethiopian community. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2024 She’s also taught herself some Amharic to communicate with patients who speak that Ethiopian language. John Kelly, Washington Post, 12 Dec. 2023 Al Otro Lado, a group aiding migrants, is seeking volunteers who speak Russian, Pashto, Creole, French, Portuguese, Amharic, Hindi, Mandarin, Somali, Turkish and Vietnamese. Elliot Spagat, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2023 Interpreters are available at no cost in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish, French, Amharic and Arabic. Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 6 May 2023 The City of Dallas’s top five languages besides English are Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Korean and Amharic, the latter being the most spoken language in Ethiopia. María Ramos Pacheco, Dallas News, 21 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Amharic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin Amharicus, borrowed from Amharic amarəñña "of Amara (region of highland Ethiopia)," with Latin -icus -ic entry 1 replacing the Amharic suffix -əñña

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Amharic was in 1682

Dictionary Entries Near Amharic

Cite this Entry

“Amharic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Amharic. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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