South Semitic languages facts for kids

The South Semitic languages are a group of languages. They are part of the larger Semitic languages family. People mainly speak these languages in two areas. These areas are East Africa and the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula.

What Are South Semitic Languages?

South Semitic languages are a branch of the Semitic language family. This family also includes languages like Arabic and Hebrew. These languages have a long history. They have been spoken for thousands of years.

Where Are They Spoken?

These languages are spoken in specific regions. In East Africa, you can find them in countries like Ethiopia and Eritrea. In the Arabian Peninsula, they are spoken in places like Yemen and Oman. This shows how widespread they are across different countries.

Where Did They Come From?

Experts who study languages are called linguists. They do not fully agree on where South Semitic languages first started. Some linguists think they began in Ethiopia. Others believe they came from Southern Arabia. A recent study suggests that Southern Arabia is the more likely origin. This means they probably spread from there to East Africa.

Branches of South Semitic Languages

The South Semitic languages are divided into two main groups. These groups are:

• Eastern South Semitic: This group includes the Modern South Arabian languages. Examples are Soqotri and Mehri. These languages are mostly spoken in Yemen and Oman.
• Western South Semitic: This group has two parts. One part is Old South Arabian. These are ancient languages that are no longer spoken today. The other part is the Ethiopian Semitic languages. These include Amharic and Tigrinya, which are widely spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

See also

In Spanish: Lenguas semíticas meridionales para niños