Geʽez script

Geʽez is a script used as an <a href="/facts/Abugida/FWhLePru">abugida</a> (alphasyllabary) for several <a href="/facts/Afroasiatic_languages/fzqjWd0q">Afro-Asiatic</a> and <a href="/facts/Nilo-Saharan_languages/jVN5pesl">Nilo-Saharan</a> languages of <a href="/facts/Ethiopia/LVujNp5v">Ethiopia</a> and <a href="/facts/Eritrea/tuhgQTdR">Eritrea</a>. It originated as an <a href="/facts/Abjad/Hn50ebWn">abjad</a> (consonantal alphabet) and was first used to write the <a href="/facts/Ge%25CA%25BDez_language/8ks8q9Hm">Geʽez language</a>, now the <a href="/facts/Liturgical_language/557K2NXD">liturgical language</a> of the <a href="/facts/Ethiopian_Orthodox_Tewahedo_Church/l46wvlRq">Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church</a>, the <a href="/facts/Eritrean_Orthodox_Tewahedo_Church/zJPygneW">Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church</a>, the <a href="/facts/Eritrean_Catholic_Church/PYHVDG1q">Eritrean Catholic Church</a>, the <a href="/facts/Ethiopian_Catholic_Church/RW2d1Qvy">Ethiopian Catholic Church</a>, and <a href="/facts/Haymanot/B3jyVzkX">Haymanot</a> <a href="/facts/Judaism/tjQ5Tgs6">Judaism</a> of the <a href="/facts/Beta_Israel/KINATX1J">Beta Israel</a> Jewish community in Ethiopia. In the languages <a href="/facts/Amharic/zVHLsajh">Amharic</a> and <a href="/facts/Tigrinya_language/KjCdk0vI">Tigrinya</a>, the script is often called fidäl (ፊደል), meaning "script" or "letter". Under the <a href="/facts/Unicode_Standard/DDu3MfPV">Unicode Standard</a> and <a href="/facts/ISO_15924/jSzSBtjf">ISO 15924</a>, it is defined as Ge'ez text.

The Geʽez script has been adapted to write other languages, mostly <a href="/facts/Ethiopian_Semitic_languages/1psvCDav">Ethiopian and Eritrean Semitic</a>, particularly Amharic in Ethiopia, and Tigrinya in both Eritrea and Ethiopia. It has also been used to write <a href="/facts/Sebat_Bet_Gurage_language/osY5HTea">Sebat Bet</a> and other <a href="/facts/Gurage_languages/ndhXheQ0">Gurage languages</a> and at least 20 other languages of Ethiopia. In Eritrea it has traditionally been used for <a href="/facts/Tigre_language/fMU0xPUP">Tigre</a> and just recently for <a href="/facts/Bilen_language/LC1kogm3">Bilen</a>. The Geʽez script has also recently been used to write <a href="/facts/Anuak_language/oPeNI8Uu">Anuak</a>, and used in limited extent to write some other <a href="/facts/Nilo-Saharan_languages/jVN5pesl">Nilo-Saharan</a> <a href="/facts/Nilotic_languages/EcGXuWtF">Nilotic</a> languages, including <a href="/facts/Majang_language/wty8v9LB">Majang</a> languages. It was also used in the past to write some <a href="/facts/Omotic_languages/ar9EClg8">Omotic languages</a>, including <a href="/facts/Wolaytta_language/RuzFa3H3">Wolaytta</a>, <a href="/facts/Bench_language/TIoIQuoI">Bench</a>, <a href="/facts/Hamer_language/5L2tFcwl">Hamer</a>, and <a href="/facts/Kafa_language/R2fdwKL2">Kafa</a>.
For the representation of sounds, this article uses a system that is common (though not universal) among linguists who work on <a href="/facts/Ethiopian_Semitic_languages/1psvCDav">Ethiopian Semitic languages</a>. This differs somewhat from the conventions of the <a href="/facts/International_Phonetic_Alphabet/2e7jmUaG">International Phonetic Alphabet</a>. See the articles on the individual languages for information on the pronunciation.

Geʽez script open-in-new

Geʽez script