Habesha is a term Ethiopians and Eritreans use to refer to themselves. Habesha is a term of pride and used to eliminate the distinction between different tribes and celebrate unity as people of the same region.
by Haben August 4, 2004
Habesha is a word used to refer to both Eritreans and Ethiopians, or, more specifically, to the Semitic-speaking inhabitants of those countries. The first inscription to refer to "Habesha" is a Sabaean South Arabian inscription ca. 200 AD referring to king GDRT of Aksum (an ancient Kingdom located in modern Ethiopia and Eritrea) as king of the city of Aksum and the "clans of Habesha." As Sabaic and Ge'ez (the ancient language and alphabet of Ethiopia, still used) it was unvocalized, it is written as "h.bs't" (put the dot under the h and the apostrophe on top of the s) and later as vocalized as h.abs'aat (put the dot under the h, apostrophe over the s, and make the two a's a long "a" - meaning an a with a line over it), which evolved into today's Habesha. The term was translated by the famous Christian King Ezana of Aksum in the mid 4th century as "Ethiopia" in Greek, which previously referred to Africa south of Egypt in general, or Nubia (in modern-day Sudan) in particular. The term is not, as commonly assumed, of Arabic origin, but of local Semitic origin. Spurious Arabic etymologies tend to connect the term with the meaning "mixed," on the false assumption that the peoples of the Horn of Africa are the product of African-Arab mixes.
The term was also used by the Turks as "Habesh" or "Habeshistan" to refer to their small territory taken from Ethiopia in 1557, comprising of the port cities of Massawa and Hergigo (Habeshistan also included Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the capital of the province, Suwakin in Sudan, and Aden in Yemen).
The term was also used by the Turks as "Habesh" or "Habeshistan" to refer to their small territory taken from Ethiopia in 1557, comprising of the port cities of Massawa and Hergigo (Habeshistan also included Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, the capital of the province, Suwakin in Sudan, and Aden in Yemen).
Shamir of Dhu-Raydan and Himyar had called in the help of the clans of Habashat for war against the kings of Saba. (ancient Sabaic inscription)
Habesha nesh? (Amharic: Are you habesha? (to a female))
Habesha nesh? (Amharic: Are you habesha? (to a female))
by Ge'ez August 9, 2006
Habesha is an old arabic word in reference to the dark-skinned people of the Horn of Africa. Confusingly associated with those influenced by the Aksumite Empire of Eritrea and Ethiopia, it is actually more closely related to the Abyssinian Kingdom. The Abyssinian Kingdom was an empire similar in size to modern Ethiopia, though it had uneasy relations with the northern peoples of the Horn, including todays Sudanese and Eritrea.
by Merhawie Woldezion October 20, 2005
by Senait May 11, 2003
Habesha is a term that refers to people of Ethiopian and Eritrean heritage without discriminating against tribe/ethnicity, nationality, or citizenship. It is a pan-ethnic term that includes the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Ethiopian-Eritrean Diaspora who live abroad.
Are you Habesha? — Yes, Yes I am.
What’s your national origin or where is your family from? — I’m part Eritrean and part Ethiopian.
What ethnicity are you? — I’m Amhara, Gurage, Oromo, Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jewish), Welayta (Wolayta), Tigre, Tigray-Tigrinya (Tigrayan), Agew, Anuak, Kafficho, Kambaata, Kunama, Blien, Afar, Beja, Somali, Gamo, Dorze, Hadiya, or any of the other 80 or so Habesha/Ethiopian-Eritrean ethnic groups. I’m also Ethiopian- American, Eritrean-American, Ethiopian-German, Ethiopian-Canadian, Eritrean-Canadian Eritrean-Swiss, Eritrean-Swedish, Italian-Eritrean-Ethiopian, or any of the other Hyphenated Ethnicities of the Ethiopian-Eritrean (Habesha Community) Diaspora.
What’s your nationality or citizenship? — I’m American (United States), Canadian, Swedish National, Israeli, Germany Citizen, Ethiopian, Eritrean, or a person who is of Ethiopian or Eritrean heritage, ancestry, or national origin but is a citizen of any other country.
What’s your national origin or where is your family from? — I’m part Eritrean and part Ethiopian.
What ethnicity are you? — I’m Amhara, Gurage, Oromo, Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jewish), Welayta (Wolayta), Tigre, Tigray-Tigrinya (Tigrayan), Agew, Anuak, Kafficho, Kambaata, Kunama, Blien, Afar, Beja, Somali, Gamo, Dorze, Hadiya, or any of the other 80 or so Habesha/Ethiopian-Eritrean ethnic groups. I’m also Ethiopian- American, Eritrean-American, Ethiopian-German, Ethiopian-Canadian, Eritrean-Canadian Eritrean-Swiss, Eritrean-Swedish, Italian-Eritrean-Ethiopian, or any of the other Hyphenated Ethnicities of the Ethiopian-Eritrean (Habesha Community) Diaspora.
What’s your nationality or citizenship? — I’m American (United States), Canadian, Swedish National, Israeli, Germany Citizen, Ethiopian, Eritrean, or a person who is of Ethiopian or Eritrean heritage, ancestry, or national origin but is a citizen of any other country.
by Habesha Union September 8, 2020
Habesha is a term that refers to people of Ethiopian and Eritrean heritage no matter their tribe/ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, whatever country they were born in, or whatever other culture they practice along with it. It is a pan-ethnic term that includes the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the Ethiopian-Eritrean Diaspora.
Are you Habesha? -- Yes, Yes I am.
What's your national origin or where is your family from? -- I'm part Eritrean and part Ethiopian.
What ethnicity are you? -- I’m Amhara, Gurage, Oromo, Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jewish), Welayta (Wolayta), Tigre, Tigray-Tigrinya (Tigrayan), Agew, Anuak, Kafficho, Kambaata, Kunama, Blien, Afar, Beja, Somali, Gamo, Dorze, Hadiya, or any of the other 80 or so Habesha/Ethiopian-Eritrean ethnic groups. I'm also Ethiopian- American, Eritrean-American, Ethiopian-German, Ethiopian-Canadian, Eritrean-Canadian Eritrean-Swiss, Eritrean-Swedish, Italian-Eritrean-Ethiopian, or any of the other Hyphenated Ethnicities of the Ethiopian-Eritrean (Habesha Community) Diaspora.
What's your nationality or citizenship? -- I'm American (United States), Canadian, Swedish National, Israeli, Germany Citizen, Ethiopian, Eritrean, or citizen of any other country of Ethiopian or Eritrean heritage, ancestry, or national origin.
What's your national origin or where is your family from? -- I'm part Eritrean and part Ethiopian.
What ethnicity are you? -- I’m Amhara, Gurage, Oromo, Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jewish), Welayta (Wolayta), Tigre, Tigray-Tigrinya (Tigrayan), Agew, Anuak, Kafficho, Kambaata, Kunama, Blien, Afar, Beja, Somali, Gamo, Dorze, Hadiya, or any of the other 80 or so Habesha/Ethiopian-Eritrean ethnic groups. I'm also Ethiopian- American, Eritrean-American, Ethiopian-German, Ethiopian-Canadian, Eritrean-Canadian Eritrean-Swiss, Eritrean-Swedish, Italian-Eritrean-Ethiopian, or any of the other Hyphenated Ethnicities of the Ethiopian-Eritrean (Habesha Community) Diaspora.
What's your nationality or citizenship? -- I'm American (United States), Canadian, Swedish National, Israeli, Germany Citizen, Ethiopian, Eritrean, or citizen of any other country of Ethiopian or Eritrean heritage, ancestry, or national origin.
by Habesha Union September 8, 2020
Habesha is a tribe that's divided into 5 languages which are not mutually intellgible.
The 5 languages of the Habesha tribe are:
Tigre, Tigrinya, Gurage, Amharic & Harrari.
The Habesha tribe initially spoke one language (Ge'ez) but over the centuries of migrating all over modern day Eritrea/Ethiopia, the Habesha developed into a pento-lingual tribe.
Contrary to popular belief, the Habesha are not a "mixed" people or descendents of Sabeean migration to the Horn of Africa.
This outrageous theory was first spread by European "historians" in the 16th century who have done minimal research in order to maintan the Eurocentric view of the world at that (meaning, Africans could not be capable of great accomplishments or glorious history).
That false and outrageous theory became propelled worldwide by the Arab/Muslim world as they were grateful to receive credit for Habesha history freely.
Thankfully, historians of this last decade (2000-2010) have shown that the Habesha are not a "mixed" or Sabeean descendent people and that Semitic languages were spoken by ancient Habesha in modern day Eritrea/northern Ethiopia from at least 2000BC. Centuries before any Sabeean interaction/trade.
The many wars and conflicts of the last 120 years in Eritrea/Ethiopia led to minimal resources for study/research, but once peace has been restored...more of glorious Habesha history will be revealed to the world!
The 5 languages of the Habesha tribe are:
Tigre, Tigrinya, Gurage, Amharic & Harrari.
The Habesha tribe initially spoke one language (Ge'ez) but over the centuries of migrating all over modern day Eritrea/Ethiopia, the Habesha developed into a pento-lingual tribe.
Contrary to popular belief, the Habesha are not a "mixed" people or descendents of Sabeean migration to the Horn of Africa.
This outrageous theory was first spread by European "historians" in the 16th century who have done minimal research in order to maintan the Eurocentric view of the world at that (meaning, Africans could not be capable of great accomplishments or glorious history).
That false and outrageous theory became propelled worldwide by the Arab/Muslim world as they were grateful to receive credit for Habesha history freely.
Thankfully, historians of this last decade (2000-2010) have shown that the Habesha are not a "mixed" or Sabeean descendent people and that Semitic languages were spoken by ancient Habesha in modern day Eritrea/northern Ethiopia from at least 2000BC. Centuries before any Sabeean interaction/trade.
The many wars and conflicts of the last 120 years in Eritrea/Ethiopia led to minimal resources for study/research, but once peace has been restored...more of glorious Habesha history will be revealed to the world!
Are you Habesha?
-Yea
Which languages do you speak?
-I speak Harrari and Gurage. How about you?
I only speak Tigre
-Yea
Which languages do you speak?
-I speak Harrari and Gurage. How about you?
I only speak Tigre
by pages July 31, 2011