Dictionary of the Amharic Language in Two Parts, Amharic and English, and English and Amharic, Vol. 1 of 2 (Classic Reprint)

The appearance of a new Dictionary of the Amharic Language needs no apology. The only work of this kind hitherto published, is Ludolf s Lexicon A mharico-L atinum, Frankfort, 1698. That distingtdshed scholar, eminent for his piety as well as for his learning, from a confused mass of materials produced a History of A byssinia, which forms the basis of all that has been said by subsequent writers on the affairs of that country. He also composed an excellent Ethiopic Grammar and Lexicon. He subsequently availed himself of the assistance of Abba Gregorius, a native of M al:ana-S elasse, in Shoa who for a short time resided with him at the Court of Duke Ernest, surnamed the Pious, of Saxe Gotha to prepare a Grammar and a Lexicon of the Amharic Language. The object of this last vork was, to prepare the way for the civil and religious improvement of A byssinia. Considering the scanty means which he had for acquiring a knowledge of the Amharic Language, it is surprising how much Ludolf accomplished in his two Amharic works. It is Jiot surprising that they are far inferior to his Ethiopic works, for which he had ampler materials. The Amharic Translation of the whole Bible, executed in Egypt by an Abyssinian monk, A bu Rvmii, or as the author of this Dictionary received his name from a personal acquaintance of his, Dabtera Matteos -A bi Ruhli, a native of Godjam, which was revised and published by the British and Foreign Bible Society, furnished a more valuable source for the study of the Amharic Language. His Teacher was the before-mentioned monk, Abba Gregorius, who had no idea of any ammatical rules of a langiiap:c; and who possessed, as the only literary source for Ludolf s Lexicon, a small Vocabulary of the most necessary words and expressions for daily intercourse, in Italian and A mharic.
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)

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