Tigrinya, often written as
Tigrigna is a member of the
Semitic branch of the
Afroasiatic languages. It is spoken by ethnic
Tigray-Tigrinya people in the
Horn of Africa. Tigrigna speakers primarily inhabit the
Tigray Region in northern
Ethiopia (57%), where its speakers are called
Tigrawot (feminine
Tigraweyti, male
Tigraway, plural
Tegaru), as well as the contiguous borders of southern and central
Eritrea (43%), where speakers are known as the Tigrigna. Tigrigna is also spoken by groups of emigrants from these regions, including some
Beta Israel.