View source for Tigrinya language

{{Short description|Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea}}
{{Distinguish|Tigre language}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Tigrinya
| nativename       = {{lang|ti|ትግርኛ}} ({{transliteration|ti|Təgrəñña}})
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|ti|tɨɡrɨɲːä||ti-ትግርኛ.oga}}
| states           = [[Eritrea]], [[Ethiopia]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|9.940190|2}} million
| date             = 2022–2023
| ref              = <ref name="E28">{{cite web |last1=Eberhard |first1=David M. |last2=Simons |first2=Gary F. |last3=Fennig |first3=Charles D. |title=Tigrinya |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/tir/|website=Ethnologue, 28th ed. |publisher=SIL International |access-date=March 28, 2025 |date=2025}}</ref>
| ethnicity        = [[Tigrayans]]<br />[[Tigrinya people|Tigrinya]]
| familycolor      = Afro-Asiatic
| fam2             = [[Semitic languages|Semitic]]
| fam3             = [[West Semitic languages|West Semitic]]
| fam4             = [[South Semitic languages|South Semitic]]
| fam5             = [[Ethiopian Semitic languages|Ethiopic]]
| fam6             = [[Ethiopian Semitic languages|North]]<ref>{{e28|tir}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Classification-of-Ethiosemitic-languages-according-to-Hudson-2013_fig1_363263199|title=Classification of Ethio Semitic languages according to Hudson 2013|publisher=Research Gate|access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363263199_Issues_in_Mapping_and_Classifying_the_Semitic_Languages_of_Ethiopia/download?_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6Il9kaXJlY3QifX0|title=Issues in mapping and classifying the Semitic languages of Ethiopia|publisher=Tekabe Legesse Felake|access-date=21 April 2025}}</ref>
| script           = [[Geʽez script]] (Tigrinya abugida)
| nation           = Eritrea<br />Ethiopia
| iso1             = ti
| iso2             = tir
| iso3             = tir
| glotto           = tigr1271
| glottorefname    = Tigrinya
| notice           = IPA
| image            = Tigrinya text.svg
| imagescale       = 0.7
| map = Eritrea_Ethiopia_locator.svg
| mapcaption = Countries where Tigrinya holds official status:<ref name="Tigrinya language">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tigrinya-language |title=Tigrinya language |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica |date=2024-03-06}}</ref> {{legend|green|Eritrea}}
{{legend|orange|Ethiopia}}
}}
{{Contains special characters|Ethiopic}}
[[File:Tigrinya notices at an Eritrean Orthodox Church, Schiebroek, Rotterdam (2021) 02.jpg|thumb|Tigrinya notices at an [[Eritrean Orthodox Church]] in [[Schiebroek]], [[Rotterdam]], [[Netherlands]].]]
'''Tigrinya''',{{efn|{{langx|ti|ትግርኛ|Təgrəñña|label=none}}}} sometimes romanized according to Italian spelling rules as '''Tigrigna''', is an [[Ethio-Semitic languages|Ethio-Semitic]] language, which is a subgrouping within the [[Semitic languages|Semitic]] branch of the [[Afroasiatic languages]]. It is primarily spoken by the [[Tigrinya people|Tigrinya]] and [[Tigrayans|Tigrayan]] peoples, native to [[Eritrea]] and to the [[Tigray Region]] of [[Ethiopia]], respectively.<ref name="Tigrinya language">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tigrinya-language |title=Tigrinya language |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica |date=2024-03-06}}</ref> It is also spoken by the global diaspora of these regions.

== History and literature ==
Although it differs markedly from the [[Geʽez]] (Classical Ethiopic) language, for instance in having phrasal verbs, and in using a word order that places the main verb last instead of first in the sentence, there is a strong influence of Geʽez on Tigrinya literature, especially with terms relating to Christian life, Biblical names, and so on.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Bible in Tigrinya |publisher=United Bible Society |year=1997}}</ref> Ge'ez, because of its status in Eritrean and Ethiopian culture, and possibly also its simple structure, acted as a literary medium until relatively recent times.<ref>{{cite book |first=Edward |last=Ullendorff |title=The Ethiopians |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1960}}</ref>{{page needed|date=January 2024}} Tigrinya is lexically 68% similar to Geʽez, slightly higher than the lexical similarity of [[Amharic]] to the ancient language at 62%.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bender |first1=M. L. |title=The Languages of Ethiopia: A New Lexicostatistic Classification and Some Problems of Diffusion |journal=Anthropological Linguistics |date=May 1971 |volume=13 |issue=5 |page=173 |jstor=30029540}}</ref>

The earliest written example of Tigrinya is a text of local laws found in the district of Logosarda, [[Southern region (Eritrea)|Debub Region]] in Southern Eritrea, which dates from the 13th century.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}

In Eritrea, during [[History of Eritrea#British administration and federalisation|British administration]], the Ministry of Information put out a weekly newspaper in Tigrinya that cost 5 cents and sold 5,000 copies weekly. At the time, it was reported to be the first of its kind.<ref name="Ministry">{{cite report |author=Ministry of Information |year=1944 |title=The First to be Freed—The record of British military administration in Eritrea and Somalia, 1941–1943 |location=London |publisher=His Majesty's Stationery Office}}</ref>

Tigrinya (along with Arabic) was one of Eritrea's official languages during its short-lived [[Ethiopian–Eritrean Federation|federation with Ethiopia]]. In 1958, it was replaced by the Southern Ethiopic language [[Amharic]] prior to Eritrea's annexation. Upon Eritrea's independence in 1991, Tigrinya retained the status of working language in the country. Eritrea was the only state in the world to officially recognize Tigrinya until 2020, when Ethiopia made changes to recognize Tigrinya on a national level.

== Speakers==
There is no general name for the people who speak Tigrinya. In Eritrea, Tigrinya speakers are officially known as the {{transliteration|ti|Bəher-Təgrəñña}} ({{gloss|nation of Tigrinya speakers}}) or [[Tigrinya people]]. In Ethiopia, a [[Tigrayan]], that is a native of [[Tigray Region|Tigray]], who also speaks the Tigrinya language, is referred to in Tigrinya as {{transliteration|ti|təgraway}} (male), {{transliteration|ti|təgrawäyti}} (female), {{transliteration|ti|tägaru}} (plural). Bəher roughly means "nation" in the ethnic sense of the word in Tigrinya, [[Tigre language|Tigre]], Amharic and Ge'ez. The [[Jeberti people|Jeberti]] in Eritrea also speak Tigrinya.

Tigrinya is the most widely spoken language in Eritrea (see [[Demographics of Eritrea]]), and the fourth most spoken language in Ethiopia after [[Amharic]], [[Oromo language|Oromo]], and [[Somali language|Somali]]. It is also spoken by large immigrant communities around the world, in countries including [[Sudan]], [[Saudi Arabia]], Israel, Denmark, Germany, Uganda, Italy, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. In Australia, Tigrinya is one of the languages broadcast on public radio via the multicultural [[Special Broadcasting Service]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/language/tigrinya/ti |script-title=ti:ኤስ ቢ ኤስ ትግርኛ |title={{transliteration|ti|ʾEs Bi ʾEs Təgrəñña}} |website=SBS Your Language}}</ref>

Tigrinya dialects differ phonetically, lexically, and grammatically.<ref name="leslau">{{cite book |last=Leslau |first=Wolf |year=1941 |title=Documents Tigrigna (Éthiopien Septentrional): Grammaire et Textes |location=Paris |publisher=Librairie C. Klincksieck}}</ref> No dialect appears to be accepted as a standard. Even though the most spread and used in, for example books, movies and news is the Asmara dialect.

== Phonology ==
For the representation of Tigrinya sounds, this article uses a modification of a system that is common (though not universal) among linguists who work on [[Ethiopian Semitic languages]], but differs somewhat from the conventions of the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]].

=== Consonant phonemes ===
Tigrinya has a fairly typical set of phonemes for an Ethiopian Semitic language. That is, there is a set of [[ejective consonant]]s and the usual seven-vowel system. Unlike many of the modern Ethiopian Semitic languages, Tigrinya has preserved the two [[pharyngeal consonant]]s which were apparently part of the ancient [[Geʽez language]] and which, along with {{IPAblink|xʼ}}, voiceless [[velar ejective fricative]] or voiceless [[uvular ejective fricative]], make it easy to distinguish spoken Tigrinya from related languages such as Amharic, though not from Tigre, which has also maintained the [[pharyngeal consonant]]s.

The charts below show the phonemes of Tigrinya. The sounds are shown using the same system for representing the sounds as in the rest of the article. When the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] symbol is different, the orthography is indicated in brackets.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ [[Consonant]]s
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan="2"|
! rowspan="2" |[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br>[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Postalveolar consonant|Postalveolar]]/<br />[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! colspan="2" |[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Pharyngeal consonant|Pharyngeal]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! <small>Plain</small>
! <small>[[Labialization|Lab.]]</small>
|-
!colspan="2"|[[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
|{{IPA link|m}}
|{{IPA link|n}}
|{{IPA link|ɲ}} {{grapheme|ñ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan="3"|[[Plosive]]
!<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiceless]]</small>
|{{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|t}}
|{{IPA link|tʃ}} {{grapheme|č}}
|{{IPA link|k}}
|{{IPA link|kʷ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ʔ}} {{grapheme|’}}
|-
!<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
|{{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|d}}
|{{IPA link|dʒ}} {{grapheme|ǧ}}
|{{IPA link|ɡ}}
|{{IPA link|ɡʷ}}
|
|
|-
!<small>[[Ejective consonant|ejective]]</small>
|{{IPA link|pʼ}} {{grapheme|p̣}}
|{{IPA link|tʼ}} {{grapheme|ṭ}}
|{{IPA link|tʃʼ}} {{grapheme|č̣}}
|{{IPA link|kʼ}} {{grapheme|q}}
|{{IPA link|kʷʼ}} {{grapheme|qʷ}}
|
|
|-
!rowspan="3"|[[Fricative]]
!<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiceless]]</small>
|{{IPA link|f}}
|{{IPA link|s}}
|{{IPA link|ʃ}} {{grapheme|š}}
|{{IPA link|x}}{{efn|name=x_allophones|The [[fricative]] sounds {{IPA|[x]}}, {{IPA link|[xʷ]}}, {{IPA|[xʼ]}} and {{IPA link|[xʷʼ]}} occur as [[#Allophones|allophones]] of the corresponding velar plosives.}} {{grapheme|ḵ}}
|{{IPA link|xʷ}}{{efn|name=x_allophones}} {{grapheme|ḵʷ}}
|{{IPA link|ħ}} {{grapheme|ḥ}}
|{{IPA link|h}}
|-
!<small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
|{{IPA link|v}}{{efn|The consonant /v/ occurs only in recent borrowings from European languages.}}
|{{IPA link|z}}
|{{IPA link|ʒ}} {{grapheme|ž}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|ʕ}} {{grapheme|{{ayin}}}}
|
|-
!<small>[[Ejective consonant|ejective]]</small>
|
|{{IPA link|tsʼ}} {{grapheme|ṣ}}
|
|{{IPA link|xʼ}}{{efn|name=x_allophones}} {{grapheme|q̱}}
|{{IPA link|xʷʼ}}{{efn|name=x_allophones}} {{grapheme|q̱ʷ}}
|
|
|-
!colspan="2"|[[Approximant]]
|
|{{IPA link|l}}
|{{IPA link|j}} {{grapheme|y}}
|
|{{IPA link|w}}
|
|
|-
!colspan="2"|[[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]
|
|{{IPA link|r}}
|
|
|
|
|
|}
{{notelist}}

=== Vowel phonemes ===
The sounds are shown using the same system for representing the sounds as in the rest of the article. When the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] symbol is different, the orthography is indicated in brackets.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+[[Vowel]]s<ref>{{cite journal |last=Buckley |first=E. |year=1994 |title=Tigrinya vowel features and vowel coalescence |journal=University of Pennsylvania Working Papers in Linguistics |volume=1 |issue=1 |page=2}}</ref>
|-
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|{{IPA link|ɨ}} {{grapheme|ə}}
|{{IPA link|u}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPA link|e}}
|{{IPA link|ɐ}} {{grapheme|ä}}
|{{IPA link|o}}
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
|{{IPA link|a}}
|
|}

=== Gemination ===
[[Consonant length|Gemination]], the doubling of a consonantal sound, is meaningful in Tigrinya, i.e. it affects the meaning of words. While gemination plays an important role in the morphology of the Tigrinya verb, it is normally accompanied by other marks. But there is a small number of pairs of words which are only differentiable from each other by gemination, e.g. {{IPA|/kʼɐrrɐbɐ/}}, ({{gloss|he brought forth}}); {{IPA|/kʼɐrɐbɐ/}}, ({{gloss|he came closer}}). All consonants, with the exception of the [[Pharyngeal consonant|pharyngeal]] and [[glottal consonant|glottal]] ones, can be geminated.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book |last=Rehman |first=Abdel |title=English Tigrigna Dictionary: A Dictionary of the Tigrinya Language |location=Asmara |publisher=Simon Wallenberg Press |chapter=Introduction Pages to the Tigrinya Language |date=18 February 2024 |isbn=978-1-84356-006-7}}</ref>

=== Allophones ===
The [[velar consonant|velar]] consonants {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/kʼ/}} are pronounced differently when they appear immediately after a vowel and are not [[gemination|geminated]]. In these circumstances, {{IPA|/k/}} is pronounced as a velar [[fricative consonant|fricative]]. {{IPA|/kʼ/}} is pronounced as a fricative, or sometimes as an [[affricate consonant|affricate]]. This fricative or affricate is more often pronounced further back, in the [[uvular consonant|uvular]] place of articulation (although it is represented in this article as {{IPA|[xʼ]}}). All of these possible realizations – [[velar ejective fricative]], [[uvular ejective fricative]], [[velar ejective affricate]] and [[uvular ejective affricate]] – are cross-linguistically very rare sounds.

Since these two sounds are completely conditioned by their environments, they can be considered [[allophone]]s of {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/kʼ/}}. This is especially clear from verb roots in which one consonant is realized as one or the other allophone depending on what precedes it. For example, for the verb meaning {{gloss|cry}}, which has the triconsonantal root √b-k-y, there are forms such as {{lang|ti|ምብካይ}} {{IPA|/məbkaj/}} ({{gloss|to cry}}) and {{lang|ti|በኸየ}} {{IPA|/bɐxɐjɐ/}} ({{gloss|he cried}}), and for the verb meaning {{gloss|steal}}, which has the triconsonantal root √s-r-kʼ, there are forms such as {{lang|ti|ይሰርቁ}} {{IPA|/jəsɐrkʼu/}} ({{gloss|they steal}}) and {{lang|ti|ይሰርቕ}} {{IPA|/jəsɐrrəxʼ/}} ({{gloss|he steals}}).

What is especially interesting about these pairs of phones is that they are distinguished in Tigrinya orthography. Because allophones are completely predictable, it is quite unusual for them to be represented with distinct symbols in the written form of a language.

=== Syllables ===
A Tigrinya syllable may consist of a consonant-vowel or a consonant-vowel-consonant sequence. When three consonants (or one geminated consonant and one simple consonant) come together within a word, the cluster is broken up with the introduction of an [[epenthesis|epenthetic]] vowel {{transliteration|ti|-ə-}}, and when two consonants (or one geminated consonant) would otherwise end a word, the vowel {{transliteration|ti|-i}} appears after them, or (when this happens because of the presence of a suffix) {{transliteration|ti|-ə-}} is introduced before the suffix.
For example,

{|class=wikitable
!Root
! {{lang|ti|ከብድ}} √k-b-d
! {{lang|ti|ልብ}} √l-b-b
|-
!{{lang|ti|-ኢ}} {{transliteration|ti|-i}} {{gloss|∅}}
|{{lang|ti|ከብዲ}} {{transliteration|ti|käbdi}} {{gloss|stomach}}
|{{lang|ti|ልቢ}} {{transliteration|ti|ləbbi}} {{gloss|heart}}
|-
!{{lang|ti|-አይ}} {{transliteration|ti|-äy}} {{gloss|my}}
|{{lang|ti|ከብደይ}} {{transliteration|ti|käbdäy}} {{gloss|my stomach}}
|{{lang|ti|ልበይ}} {{transliteration|ti|ləbbäy}} {{gloss|my heart}}
|-
!{{lang|ti|-ካ}} {{transliteration|ti|-ka}} {{gloss|your (masc.)}}
|{{lang|ti|ከብድኻ}} {{transliteration|ti|käbdəxa}} {{gloss|your (masc.) stomach}}
|{{lang|ti|ልብኻ}} {{transliteration|ti|ləbbəxa}} {{gloss|your (masc.) heart}}
|-
!{{lang|ti|-ን…-ን}} {{transliteration|ti|-n… -n}} {{gloss|and}}
|colspan="2"|{{lang|ti|ከብድን ልብን}} {{transliteration|ti|käbdən ləbbən}} {{gloss|stomach and heart}}
|}

Stress is neither contrastive nor particularly salient in Tigrinya. It seems to depend on gemination, but it has apparently not been systematically investigated.

== Grammar ==
{{main|Tigrinya grammar}}

=== Typical grammatical features ===
Grammatically, Tigrinya is a typical [[Ethiopian Semitic languages|Ethiopian Semitic (ES) language]] in most ways:
* A Tigrinya [[noun]] is treated as either [[grammatical gender|masculine or feminine]]. However, most inanimate nouns do not have a fixed gender.
* Tigrinya nouns have [[grammatical number|plural]], as well as singular, forms, though the plural is not obligatory when the linguistic or pragmatic context makes the number clear. As in Tigre and Ge{{hamza}}ez (as well as Arabic), noun plurals may be formed through internal changes ("broken" plural) as well as through the addition of [[affixes|suffixes]]. For example, {{lang|ti|ፈረስ}} {{transliteration|ti|färäs}} {{gloss|horse}}, {{lang|ti|ኣፍራሰ}} {{transliteration|ti|{{hamza}}afras}} {{gloss|horses}}.
* [[Adjectives]] behave in most ways like nouns. Most Tigrinya adjectives, like those in Tigre and Ge'ez, have feminine and plural (both genders) forms. For example, {{lang|ti|ጽቡቕ}} {{transliteration|ti|ṣǝbbuq̱}} {{gloss|good (m.sg.)}}, {{lang|ti|ጽብቕቲ}} {{transliteration|ti|ṣǝbbǝq̱ti}} {{gloss|good (f.sg.)}}, {{lang|ti|ጽቡቓት}} {{transliteration|ti|ṣǝbbuq̱at}} {{gloss|good (m./f. pl.)}}
* Within [[personal pronoun]]s and subject [[agreement (linguistics)|agreement]] [[inflection]]s on [[verb]]s, gender is distinguished in second [[grammatical person|person]] as well as third. For example, {{lang|ti|ተዛረብ}} {{transliteration|ti|täzaräb}} {{gloss|speak! (m.sg.)}}, {{lang|ti|ተዛረቢ}} {{transliteration|ti|täzaräbi}} {{gloss|speak (f.sg.)}}.
* [[Possession (linguistics)|Possessive]] adjectives take the form of noun suffixes: {{lang|ti|ገዛ}} {{transliteration|ti|gäza}} {{gloss|house}}, {{lang|ti|ገዛይ}} {{transliteration|ti|gäza-y}} {{gloss|my house}}, {{lang|ti|ገዛኺ}} {{transliteration|ti|gäza-ḵi}} {{gloss|your (f.sg.) house}}.
* Verbs are based on consonantal [[root (linguistics)|roots]], most consisting of [[triliteral|three consonants]]: √sbr {{gloss|break}}, {{lang|ti|ሰበረ}} {{transliteration|ti|säbärä}} {{gloss|he broke}}, {{lang|ti|ይሰብር}} {{transliteration|ti|yǝsäbbǝr}} {{gloss|he breaks}}, {{lang|ti|ምስባር}} {{transliteration|ti|mǝsbar}} {{gloss|to break}}.
* Within the [[grammatical tense|tense]] system there is a basic distinction between the perfective form—[[Grammatical conjugation|conjugated]] with suffixes and denoting the past—and the imperfective form—conjugated with prefixes and in some cases suffixes—and denoting the present or future: {{lang|ti|ሰበሩ}} {{transliteration|ti|säbär-u}} {{gloss|they broke}}, {{lang|ti|ይሰብሩ}} {{transliteration|ti|yǝ-säbr-u}} {{gloss|they break}}.
* As in Ge'ez and Amharic, there is also a separate "gerundive" form of the verb, conjugated with suffixes and used to link verbs within a sentence: {{lang|ti|ገዲፍካ ተዛረብ}} {{transliteration|ti|gädifka täzaräb}} {{gloss|stop (that) and speak (m.sg.)}}.
* Verbs also have a separate [[jussive mood|jussive]]/[[imperative mood|imperative]] form, similar to the imperfective: {{lang|ti|ይስበሩ}} {{transliteration|ti|yǝ-sbär-u}} {{gloss|let them break}}.
* Through the addition of [[derivation (linguistics)|derivational]] morphology (internal changes to verb stems and/or prefixes), verbs may be made [[grammatical voice|passive]], [[reflexive voice|reflexive]], [[causative voice|causative]], [[frequentative]], [[reciprocal (grammar)|reciprocal]], or reciprocal causative: {{lang|gez|ፈለጡ}} ''fäläṭ-u'' 'they knew', {{lang|gez|ተፈልጡ}} ''tä-fälṭ-u'' 'they were known', {{lang|gez|ኣፈልጡ}} ''{{hamza}}a-fälṭ-u'' 'they caused to know (they introduced)', {{lang|gez|ተፋለጡ}} ''tä-faläṭ-u'' 'they knew each other', {{lang|gez|ኣፋለጡ}} ''{{hamza}}a-f-faläṭ-u'' 'they caused to know each other'.
* Verbs may take direct [[object (grammar)|object]] and [[adposition|prepositional]] pronoun suffixes: {{lang|gez|ፈለጠኒ}} ''fäläṭä-nni'' 'he knew me', {{lang|gez|ፈለጠለይ}} ''fäläṭä-lläy'' 'he knew for me'.
* [[Negation]] is expressed through the prefix ''ay-'' and, in [[independent clause]]s, the suffix ''-n'': {{lang|gez|ኣይፈለጠን}} ''{{hamza}}ay-fäläṭä-n'' 'he didn't know'.
* The [[copula (linguistics)|copula]] and the verb of existence in the present are [[irregular verb|irregular]]: {{lang|gez|ኣሎ}} ''{{hamza}}allo'' 'there is, he exists', {{lang|gez|እዩ}} ''{{hamza}}ǝyyu'' 'he is', {{lang|gez|የለን}} or {{lang|gez|የልቦን}} ''yällän'' or ''yälbon'' 'there isn't, he doesn't exist', {{lang|gez|ኣይኰነን}} ''{{hamza}}aykʷänän'' 'he isn't, it isn't', {{lang|gez|ነበረ}} ''näbärä'' 'he existed, he was, there was', {{lang|gez|ይኸውን}} ''yǝ-ḵäwwǝn'' 'he will be', {{lang|gez|ይነብር}} ''yǝ-näbbǝr'' 'he will exist, there will be'.
* The verb of existence together with object suffixes for the possessor expresses possession ('have') and obligation ('must'): {{lang|gez|ኣሎኒ}} ''{{hamza}}allo-nni'' 'I have, I must' ({{lit|there is to}}) me').
* [[Relative clause]]s are expressed by a prefix attached to the verb: {{lang|gez|ዝፈለጠ}} ''zǝ-fäläṭä'' 'who knew'
* [[Cleft sentence]]s, with relative clauses normally following the copula, are very common: {{lang|gez|መን እዩ ዝፈለጠ}} ''män {{hamza}}ǝyyu zǝ-fäläṭä'' 'who knew?' ({{lit|who is he who knew?}}).
* There is an [[accusative case|accusative]] marker used on [[definiteness|definite]] [[object (grammar)|direct objects]]. In Tigrinya this is the prefix ''nǝ-''. For example, {{lang|gez|ሓጐስ ንኣልማዝ ረኺቡዋ}} ''ḥagʷäs '''nǝ'''’almaz räḵibuwwa'' 'Hagos met Almaz'.
* As in other '''modern''' Ethiopian Semitic languages, the default [[word order]] in clauses is subject–object–verb, and noun modifiers usually (though not always in Tigrinya) precede their head nouns.

=== Innovations ===
Tigrinya grammar is unique within the [[Ethiopian Semitic]] language family in several ways:
* For second-person pronouns, there is a separate vocative form, used to get a person's attention: {{lang|gez|ንስኻ}} ''nǝssǝḵa'' 'you (m.sg.)', {{lang|gez|ኣታ}} ''{{hamza}}atta'' 'you! (m.sg.)'.
* There is a definite article, related (as in English) to the demonstrative adjective meaning 'that': {{lang|gez|እታ ጓል}} ''{{hamza}}ǝta gʷal'' 'the girl'.
* The gerundive form is used for past tense, as well as for the linking function as in Ge'ez and Amharic: {{lang|gez|ተዛሪቡ}} ''täzaribu'' '(he) speaking, he spoke'.
* Yes–no questions are marked by the particle {{lang|gez|ዶ}} ''do'' following the questioned word or the verb, if there is none: {{lang|gez|ሓፍተይዶ ርኢኺ}} ''ḥaftäydo rǝ{{hamza}}iḵi'' 'did you (f.sg.) see my sister?'.
* The negative circumfix ''{{hamza}}ay- -n'' may mark nouns, pronouns, and adjectives as well as verbs: {{lang|gez|ኣይኣነን}} ''{{hamza}}ay-{{hamza}}anä-n'' 'not me', {{lang|gez|ኣይዓብይን}} ''{{hamza}}ay{{ayin}}abǝy-ǝn'' 'not big'
* Tigrinya has an unusually complex [[tense–aspect–mood]] system, with many nuances achieved using combinations of the three basic aspectual forms (perfect, imperfect, gerundive) and various auxiliary verbs including the copula ({{lang|gez|እዩ}} ''{{hamza}}ǝyyu'', etc.), the verb of existence ({{lang|gez|ኣሎ}} ''{{hamza}}allo'', etc.), and the verbs {{lang|gez|ነበረ}} ''näbärä'' 'exist, live', {{lang|gez|ኮነ}} ''konä'' 'become', {{lang|gez|ጸንሔ}} ''s'änḥe'' 'stay'.
* Tigrinya has compound prepositions corresponding to the preposition–postposition compounds found in Amharic: {{lang|gez|ኣብ ልዕሊ ዓራት}} '''''{{hamza}}ab lǝ{{ayin}}li''' {{ayin}}arat'' 'on (top of) the bed', {{lang|gez|ኣብ ትሕቲ ዓራት}} '''''{{hamza}}ab tǝḥti''' {{ayin}}arat'' 'under the bed'
* Unlike most Ethiopian Semitic languages, Tigrinya has only one set of [[applicative voice|applicative]] suffixes, used both for the [[dative case|dative]] and [[benefactive case|benefactive]] and for [[locative case|locative]] and adversative senses: {{lang|gez|ተቐሚጣሉ}} ''täq̱ämmiṭa-'''llu''''' 'she sat down '''for him'''' or 'she sat down '''on it'''' or 'she sat down '''to his detriment''''.

== Writing system ==
Tigrinya is written in the [[Geʽez script]], originally developed for Ge{{ayin}}ez. The Ethiopic script is an [[abugida]]: each symbol represents a consonant+vowel syllable, and the symbols are organized in groups of similar symbols on the basis of both the consonant and the vowel.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> In the table below the columns are assigned to the seven vowels of Tigrinya; they appear in the traditional order. The rows are assigned to the consonants, again in the traditional order.

For each consonant in an abugida, there is an unmarked symbol representing that consonant followed by a canonical or [[inherent vowel]]. For the Ethiopic abugida, this canonical vowel is ''ä,'' the first column in the table. However, since the pharyngeal and glottal consonants of Tigrinya (and other Ethiopian Semitic languages) cannot be followed by this vowel, the symbols in the first column for those consonants are pronounced with the vowel ''a,'' exactly as in the fourth column. These redundant symbols are falling into disuse in Tigrinya and are shown with a '''dark gray''' background in the table. When it is necessary to represent a consonant with no following vowel, the ''consonant''+''ə'' form is used (the symbol in the sixth column). For example, the word ''{{hamza}}ǝntay'' 'what?' is written {{lang|gez|እንታይ}}, literally {{hamza}}ǝ-nǝ-ta-yǝ.

Since some of the distinctions that were apparently made in Ge'ez have been lost in Tigrinya, there are two rows of symbols each for the consonants ‹ḥ›, ‹s›, and ‹sʼ›. In Eritrea, for ‹s› and ‹sʼ›, at least, one of these has fallen into disuse in Tigrinya and is now considered old-fashioned. These less-used series are shown with a dark gray background in the chart.

The orthography does not mark gemination, so the pair of words ''qärräbä'' 'he approached', ''qäräbä'' 'he was near' are both written {{lang|gez|ቀረበ}}. Since such [[minimal pairs]] are very rare, this presents no problem to readers of the language.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+'''Tigrinya writing system'''
|-valign=top
!&nbsp;!!ä!!u!!i!!a!!e!!(ə)!!o!!wä!!wi!!wa!!we!!wə
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|h}}
|style="background:gray"|ሀ||ሁ||ሂ||ሃ||ሄ||ህ||ሆ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|l}}
|ለ||ሉ||ሊ||ላ||ሌ||ል||ሎ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|ḥ}}
|style="background:gray"|ሐ||ሑ||ሒ||ሓ||ሔ||ሕ||ሖ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|m}}
|መ||ሙ||ሚ||ማ||ሜ||ም||ሞ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|s}}

|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|r}}
|ረ||ሩ||ሪ||ራ||ሬ||ር||ሮ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|s}}
|ሰ||ሱ||ሲ||ሳ||ሴ||ስ||ሶ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|š}}
|ሸ||ሹ||ሺ||ሻ||ሼ||ሽ||ሾ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|q}}
|ቀ||ቁ||ቂ||ቃ||ቄ||ቅ||ቆ||ቈ||ቊ||ቋ||ቌ||ቍ
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{IPA|q̱}}
|ቐ||ቑ||ቒ||ቓ||ቔ||ቕ||ቖ||ቘ||ቚ||ቛ||ቜ||ቝ
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|b}}
|በ||ቡ||ቢ||ባ||ቤ||ብ||ቦ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|v}}
|ቨ||ቩ||ቪ||ቫ||ቬ||ቭ||ቮ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|t}}
|ተ||ቱ||ቲ||ታ||ቴ||ት||ቶ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|č}}
|ቸ||ቹ||ቺ||ቻ||ቼ||ች||ቾ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|h}}

|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|n}}
|ነ||ኑ||ኒ||ና||ኔ||ን||ኖ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|ñ}}
|ኘ||ኙ||ኚ||ኛ||ኜ||ኝ||ኞ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|{{hamza}}}}
|style="background:gray"|አ||ኡ||ኢ||ኣ||ኤ||እ||ኦ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|k}}
|ከ||ኩ||ኪ||ካ||ኬ||ክ||ኮ||ኰ||ኲ||ኳ||ኴ||ኵ
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|ḵ}}
|ኸ||ኹ||ኺ||ኻ||ኼ||ኽ||ኾ||ዀ||ዂ||ዃ||ዄ||ዅ
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|w}}
|ወ||ዉ||ዊ||ዋ||ዌ||ው||ዎ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|{{ayin}}}}
|style="background:gray"|ዐ||ዑ||ዒ||ዓ||ዔ||ዕ||ዖ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|z}}
|ዘ||ዙ||ዚ||ዛ||ዜ||ዝ||ዞ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|ž}}
|ዠ||ዡ||ዢ||ዣ||ዤ||ዥ||ዦ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|y}}
|የ||ዩ||ዪ||ያ||ዬ||ይ||ዮ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|d}}
|ደ||ዱ||ዲ||ዳ||ዴ||ድ||ዶ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|ǧ}}
|ጀ||ጁ||ጂ||ጃ||ጄ||ጅ||ጆ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|g}}
|ገ||ጉ||ጊ||ጋ||ጌ||ግ||ጎ||ጐ||ጒ||ጓ||ጔ||ጕ
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|ṭ}}
|ጠ||ጡ||ጢ||ጣ||ጤ||ጥ||ጦ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|č̣}}
|ጨ||ጩ||ጪ||ጫ||ጬ||ጭ||ጮ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|p̣}}
|ጰ||ጱ||ጲ||ጳ||ጴ||ጵ||ጶ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|ṣ}}
|ጸ||ጹ||ጺ||ጻ||ጼ||ጽ||ጾ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|f}}
|ፈ||ፉ||ፊ||ፋ||ፌ||ፍ||ፎ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-style="font-size:2em"
!style="font-size:0.5em"|{{Transliteration|sem|p}}
|ፐ||ፑ||ፒ||ፓ||ፔ||ፕ||ፖ||colspan="6" style="background:#cccccc"|&nbsp;
|-
!&nbsp;!!ä!!u!!i!!a!!e!!(ə)!!o!!wä!!wi!!wa!!we!!wə
|}

== See also ==
* [[UCLA Language Materials Project]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |author=Eritrean People's Liberation Front |year=1985 |title=Dictionary, English-Tigrigna-Arabic |location=Rome |publisher=EPLF}}
* {{cite book |author=Eritrean People's Liberation Front |year=1986 |title=Dictionary, Tigrigna-English, mesgebe qalat tigrinya englizenya |location=Rome |publisher=EPLF}}
* Fitzgerald, Colleen. 2006. More on phonological variation in Tigrinya. In Siegbert Uhlig (ed.), ''15th International Conference on Ethiopian Studies'', 763–768. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
* {{cite book |last=Girma |first=Ze'im |year=1983 |title=Lǝsanä Ag{{ayin}}azi |location=Asmara |publisher=Government Printing Press}}
* {{cite book |last=Kane |first=Thomas L. |year=2000 |title=Tigrinya-English Dictionary |volume=1–2 |location=Springfield, VA |publisher=Dunwoody Press |isbn=1-881265-68-4}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Mason |editor-first=John |year=1996 |title=Säwasǝw Tǝgrǝñña, Tigrinya Grammar |location=Lawrenceville, NJ |publisher=Red Sea Press |isbn=0-932415-20-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Täḵlu Räda |first=Dan'el |year=1996 |script-title=ti:ዘበናዊ ሰዋስው ቋንቋ ትግርኛ |title=Zäbänawi säwasəw qʷanqʷa Təgrəñña |publisher=Mäx'älä |isbn=978-99944-994-8-9}} ([[Ethiopian Calendar]] year)
* {{cite book |last=Sahle |first=Amanuel |year=1998 |title=Säwasäsǝw Tǝgrǝñña bǝsäfiḥ |trans-title=A comprehensive Tigrinya grammar |location=Lawrenceville, NJ |publisher=Red Sea Press |isbn=1-56902-096-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Praetorius |first=Franz |orig-year=1871 |title=Grammatik der Tigriñasprache in Abessinien |publisher=Halle |isbn=3-487-05191-5 |year=1974}}
* Täxästä Täxlä et al. (1989, Eth. Cal.) ''Mäzgäbä Qalat Təgrəñña bə-Təgrəñña''. Addis Ababa: Nəgd matämiya dərəǧǧət.
* {{cite book |last=Ullendorff |first=Edward |author-link=Edward Ullendorff |year=1985 |title=A Tigrinya Chrestomathy |location=Stuttgart |publisher=F. Steiner |isbn=3-515-04314-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Voigt |first=Rainer Maria |year=1977 |title=Das Tigrinische Verbalsystem |location=Berlin |publisher=D. Reimer}}

== External links ==
* '''Fonts for Ge{{ayin}}ez script''':
** [https://fonts.google.com/noto/specimen/Noto+Serif+Ethiopic?query=MCKL%2F ''Noto Serif Ethiopic''] (multiple weights and widths)
** [https://software.sil.org/abyssinica/download/ ''Abyssinica SIL''] ([https://software.sil.org/abyssinica/support/character-set-support/ Character set support])
{{interWiki|code=ti}}
{{Wikivoyage|Tigrinya phrasebook|Tigrinya|a phrasebook}}
* [https://www.geezexperience.com/ Tigrigna online], includes an online English-Tigrinya dictionary.
* [https://www.tigrinyatranslate.com/main/ Tigrinya Translate Beta Version]
* Sites with Tigrinya text or sound files (all require a Ge'ez Unicode font).
** [http://globalrecordings.net/language/204 Christian recordings in Tigrinya]: [http://globalrecordings.net Global Recordings] website.
** [http://www.filtet.org Tigrina Learning and Playing Game Board – {{lang|gez|'''ጸወታ ፍልጠት'''}}]: It provides for playful learning of the Ge'ez script and all languages which are written with it. [http://www.erikids.net]

{{Modern Semitic languages}}
{{Afro-Asiatic languages}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tigrinya Language}}
[[Category:Tigrinya language| ]]
[[Category:Fusional languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Eritrea]]
[[Category:Languages of Ethiopia]]
[[Category:South Semitic languages]]
[[Category:Subject–object–verb languages]]
[[Category:Languages written in Geʽez script]]