Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, belongs to the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. It shares various linguistic features with several other languages from both the Semitic and Berber branches. According to the eLinguistics.net analysis using specific software modules to assess linguistic relationships, the five languages most similar to Amharic are Tigrigna, Arabic, Tmazight, Hebrew, and Kabylian.
- Tigrigna (65.6)
Tigrigna is perhaps the most closely related language to Amharic. Both languages are part of the South Semitic language group. Tigrigna is primarily spoken in Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The close relationship between Tigrigna and Amharic is due to shared historical roots in the ancient Ethiopian Empire and the Ge’ez language, the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. - Arabic (47.4)
Arabic shares a deep historical and linguistic connection with Amharic. As a Semitic language, Arabic has influenced many languages across the Afroasiatic family, including Amharic. Trade, religion, and cultural exchange through centuries of interaction between the Arab world and Ethiopia have contributed to this linguistic relationship. Amharic has many Arabic loanwords, particularly in religious and legal contexts. - Tmazight (40.6)
Tmazight is a major Berber language spoken in North Africa. It belongs to the Afroasiatic language family. Amharic and Tmazight exhibit some structural similarities due to their shared Afroasiatic ancestry. While they are not mutually intelligible, some basic lexical elements are recognizable between the two due to ancient contact and a shared linguistic history. - Hebrew (40.4)
Hebrew is primarily spoken by Israelis. It is the official language of Israel. Hebrew shares several cognates with Amharic due to their common Semitic heritage. Both languages have complex verb conjugation systems that change based on person, number, and gender. Historically, Ethiopia and the Jewish community have shared connections. - Kabylian (36.5)
Kabylian is a Berber language primarily spoken in Algeria. It also belongs to the Afroasiatic family. There are some lexical similarities due to their shared roots. Throughout history, there has been cultural and linguistic exchange across North Africa. Kabylian and Amharic share certain methods of word derivation and inflection.
(to be considered for the list, the language must be spoken by at least one million people)