Tigrigna, the official language of Eritrea, 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 Tigrigna are Amharic, Arabic, Hebrew, Tmazight, and Kabylian.
- Amharic (65.6)
Amharic is perhaps the most closely related language to Tigrigna. Both languages are part of the South Semitic language group. In fact, Eritrea was once part 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 (61.6)
The Arabian peninsula is just across the Red Sea from Eritrea. As a Semitic language, Arabic has influenced many languages across the Afroasiatic family, including Tigrigna. Trade, religion, and cultural exchange through centuries of interaction between the Arab world and Eritrea have contributed to this linguistic relationship. - Hebrew (52.2)
Hebrew is primarily spoken by Israelis. It is the official language of Israel. Hebrew shares several cognates with Tigrigna due to their common Semitic heritage. For example, Hebrew word for peace, shalom, is close to Tigrinya’s selam. - Tmazight (38.8)
Tmazight is a major Berber language spoken in North Africa. It belongs to the Afroasiatic language family. Tigrigna 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. - Kabylian (29.1)
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 Tigrigna 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)