Ethiopia
or ÆTHIOPIA, in ancient geography is the country lying to the south of Egypt, and comprehending the modern Nubia, Kordofan, Abyssinia, and other adjacent districts; but its limits were not clearly defined. It was vaguely spoken of in Greek and Roman accounts as the land of the Ichthyophagi or fisheaters, the Macrobii or long-livers, the Troglodytes or dwellers in caves, and of the Pygmies or dwarf races. In ancient times its history was closely connected with that of Egypt, and about the 8th century B. c. it imposed a dynasty on Lower Egypt, and acquired a predominant influence in the valley of the Nile. In sacred history Ethiopia is repeatedly mentioned as a powerful military kingdom (see particularly Isaiah xx: 5). In the 6th century B. C. the Persian Cambyses invaded Ethiopia; but the country maintained its independence till it became tributary to the Romans in the reign of Augustus. Subsequently Ethiopia came to be the designation of the country now known as Abyssinia, and the Abyssinian monarchs still call themselves rulers of Ethiopia. Language. The Ethiopian language, Underwood & Underwood AN AERIAL VIEW OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE, LONDON, ENGLAND Enc. Vol. 4-p. 52 Keystone View Company THE KING ON THE WAY TO OPEN PARLIAMENT International Film Service WINDSOR CASTLE, SUMMER RESIDENCE OF THE KING OF ENGLAND AN ESKIMO. THE HARPOONS HE USES HAVE DETACHABLE HEADS A GROUP OF ESKIMOS WITH A DOG SLEDGE A FOREST OF DOUGLAS FIR IN OREGON International Film Service RAILWAY ALONG A NORWEGIAN FJORD Photo, Ewing Galloway SAILING BOATS AT ANCHOR AT THE DISPUTED PORT OF FIUME, ON THE ADRIATIC ETHNOGRAPHY or more accurately the Geez language, is the old official and ecclesiastical language of Abyssinia, introduced into that kingdom by settlers from south Arabia.
In the 14th century is was supplanted as the language of the Christian Church of Abyssinia by the Amharic. It is a Semitic language resembling Aramaic and Hebrew as well as Arabic. It has a Christian literature of some importance.
The principal work is a translation of the Bible, including the Old and New Testaments and Apocrypha, to which are appended some non-canonical writings, such as the "Shepherd of Hermas" and the "Book of Enoch." The language is to some extent represented by the modern dialects of Tigre, and by that spoken by some nomadic tribes of the Sultan.