I have not posted my recent vocabulary list of Amharic words in quite some time. I have been taking Amharic lessons twice per week from my Amharic teacher, Ato Brahan at the Ethiopian Bar Association. He is such a great teacher and I am learning so much! I am so sorry the list of words is so long. In the future, I will try and split it up over the course of several posts. Thank you so much Ato Brahan. The list of new words is as follows:
Amharic –> English
Endenet Hai-laa-nuu – Unity is Power
Nasainet Mudanow – What is Freedom?
Dir – thread
Ambassa hailaynya oreyno – Strength in Numbers (literally: Much thread will tie a lion)
Shai – tea
Yeshai Servi – tea cup
Sooka – sugar
Manka – teaspoon
Yey – hee – saab maachin – calculator
Yey – worokat membsha – hole punch
Misa – lunch
Erat – dinner
Courz – breakfast
Maxus – snack
Colo – Ethiopian trail mix (a mix of grains, dried chic peas, sunflower seeds etc)
Simbara colo – peas
Messhayt – magazine
Guz – page
Moucha – table of contents
Maasater – abbreviation
Unkus – part
Derasai – receipt
Kulf - key
Zir zir – to exchange / exchange rate
Postab – envelope
Mataf – to fold
Carbon – carbon
Table/chart – centery
Seraa – prepare it/do it
Eu-ko-yin – stop it / enough
Eylip Godenya – best friend
Sow – wun – be a human being (be a thinking person)
Bezoo asin – think about it
Leetch aatooroo – don’t be childish
Yelij asaab – childish thinking
Kebruhein tabik – keep your dignity/calm down
Sow naatehun tabik – keep you personality/image
Huggu akibhir – follow/honour the law
Enatinna akbaten akbhar – you must honour your father and mother
Lensoosaa dekhoon – be kind to animals
Wooh-dam sow kebri – yellam – a greedy man has no honour
Memmar – Raasin – Leymegzatnow – as a learner, you control your mind
Heed-woah – get out
Na – come on
Ahm – taa – give me
Hoe – denna jerbaa – they do not agree (opposites) (Literal meaning – they are back and stomach)
Lam – cow
Berree – ox
Berwetch – oxen
Aiya – ass/donkey (also used to describe a careless, lazy person)
Ferez – horse
Bekrow – mule
Wund fiel – male goat
Sayt fiel – female goat
Tijja – calf
Tankara – strong
Sheeva – lamb
Dekama – weak
Azmara – harvest time
Marriat – earth
Alem – world
Semai – sky
Middiawooyee – earthly
Semaiyawooyee – heavenly
Xavier – God
Tawot – god/idol
Mamlek – worship
Menfass – spirit
Menfass-sawee-hiwot – spiritual
Cigurellem – no problem
Dinn-hut – poverty
Legginnut – being young
Akmah-ahdem – human state/maturity (man)
Akmah-hiwan – young woman – human state/maturity
Shimaagiri – old
Woah-taat – young
Too goor – working like a dog or bee (hard worker – no rest)
Sohm – fasting
Sohm-a-Jesus – fasting for Jesus
Genna – Christmas
Timkat – Epiphany/Baptism
Fasika – Easter
Ba-alle hamsa - Pentecost
Rigut – go to heaven
Dawit – my Lord
Takli – church wedding
Seyt ayt – grandmother
Wund ayt – grandfather
Akist – aunt
Ashkur – servant
Agoat – uncle
Ehud – sister
Wundum – brother
Farree – afraid/fear
Wassan – border
Habt - property
Nebrat habt – mobile property
Yemain kessakuss – fixed property (land/real property)
Sow serrash – artificial, man made things
Nedatch – fuel
Terrabezza – table
Doulla – walking stick
Seyill – picture/photo
Yesow seyill – portrait/picture of a person
Ensessa seyill – animal picture
Geooze – gender – inanimate object
Sillitanni – civilization
Ye-sillitanni zenmen – age of civilization
Wollokar – backwardness
Aynasalwoor – blind
Aynasalwoor-net – blindness
Dinkurinnaa – ignorance
Donkor – adjective – ignorant man
Seruff – dull
Gobez – good, brave
Nebir – tiger
Ambassa – lion
Sayt ambassa – lioness
Debboll ambassa/gill gill ambassa – lion cub
Frudde biyette – court of law
Kafatenya frudde biyette – high court
Tekillai fudde biyette – supreme court
Woreda – district
Mezzagajja – municipality
Kebele – neighbourhood
Balle – husband
Miste – wife
Yekkusail sim – nickname
Metatt – alcohol
Wotaff – milk
Taiyikk – ai – ask me
Wodih-hallo – I Love You
Atti – Tayikk – Don’t ask
Yemar-tuch – honey
Gongo – beautiful/handsome
Gonjinna - beauty
