Abba Daniel Assefa

It is interesting to compare Ge’ez Grammar with those of traditional Ethiopian Grammars lexica. Similarities or differences deserve due attention as far as the structure and the content of the grammars are concerned. Besides, a search of the reasons for the differences may be enlightening. The historical and literary context, the purpose and the addressee of the lexicon and the grammar should thus be taken into consideration.

The research focuses mainly on the Ge'ez Grammar written in Latin by Hiob Ludolf, with slight observations on his Ge’ez-Latin Lexicon. Both works are milestones in the study of Ge’ez or classical Ethiopic in the Western world. Their importance as pioneering works and as standard research tools or references remained for 150 years until August Dillmann published the Ge'ez-Latin Lexicon and the Ge'ez Grammar in German. What is the legacy of Job Ludolf for the study of the Ge'ez language? The influence of the Ge’ez-Latin Lexicon reaches the 20th century Ge’ez-Amharic Dictionary of Kidane Wold Kefle via August Dillmann and Aleqa Kefle Giorgis (19th Century). Can one see a similar phenomenon between the Ge’ez Grammar of Ludolf and the Ethiopian traditional works of grammar and lexicography? Regarding lexicography, one should underline the distinctive Ethiopian alphabetical order based on the last syllable of words quite different from Ludolf, Dillmann and Kidane Wold Kifle. And this practice is not just ancient but rather still extant in modern and recent publications. As far as grammars are concerned, can one detect the traces of traditional Ethiopian grammars in the work of Ludolf due to the formation he received from Abba Gorgoryos, the Ethiopian scholar who worked with Ludolf. Would one find insights from epistolary correspondences between the two persons? What would explain major differences of terminology, approach, and structure between Ludolf’s and Ethiopian Grammars? This study will address these questions by comparing Ludolf's grammar with those of traditional Ethiopian grammars.

Results so far

Workshops had been organized at the Goethe-Institut Äthiopien to explore the significance of Hiob Ludolf’s Grammar of Ge’ez and Ge’ez-Latin Lexicon.  

The first workshop took place on 25 February 2023. It was focused on the structure, the content, and the terminology of Ludof’s grammar in comparison with those of traditional Ethiopian grammars. Besides, it was shown how the alphabetical order of words in Ludolf’s Ge’ez-Latin Lexicon does not match with many traditional Ethiopian grammars or dictionaries that describe verbs following a totally different order. In other words, instead of looking for the first letter to find a given word (like Ludof’s lexicon) one needs to search, based on the Ethiopian alphabetical order, for the last letter of a given word. This approach facilitates in a remarkable manner the possibility of gathering verbs and nouns that rhyme. The traditional scholar and student have thus a repertoire for their improvisation of poems either in the schools of poetry, or in liturgical or social events. Here it is however important to notice Ludolf’s influence via August Dillmann on the Ge’ez-Amharic Dictionary which differs from these traditional grammars and dictionaries.  

The Second workshop took place on Saturday 22 April 2023. Attention was given to Ludolf’s approach in his presentation of the conjugation of Ge’ez verbs. It was indeed interesting to see Ludolf proposes models and paradigms quite different from those of August Dillmann and from traditional Ethiopian Grammars. The discussion in the workshop was fascinating. Ludolf’s approach besides being intriguing, invites the scholar and the student to further research on verb patterns and conjugations. 

The third lecture took place on 24 June 2023. The topic was "the syntax of Ge'ez" by Ludolf compared to the traditional Ethiopian grammars of Ge'ez. Regarding terminology, one for instance the significance of the term አገባብ which has been used to refer to syntax. Here the first meaning is «what must be» (cf. Teklemariam Semharay). According to Ignazio Guide, it is the highest part of literary (grammar) studies and concerns the syntax... (Guidi; 503) although outside grammar the term means Convenience, debt, dignity, decency, (741-742) 2).

Another interesting term in the traditional Ethiopian vocabulary of syntax is “Mushazer” which is absent from Ludolf’s and other western grammars of Ge’ez. The first meaning, according to Guidi (80), is an element used for welding metals (elemento impiegato per la saldatura dei metalli). Yet this noun is also used to mean "circumlocution". For Kessate Berhan (133) the term means a continuous reading or a connected adjective. According to Desta Teklelwold (818), Mushazar is a noun to explain a form of the Qene.

Under his section on Syntax, Ludolf (128ff) discusses the relation between two consecutive verbs, the composition of a verb with a proper name or a noun (which is not in construct form), the concordance or lack of concordance between verbs and subjects as far as number is concerned (singular versus plural), Pleonasm of verbs and Hendiadys. One can surely gain significant insights by comparing these items with the syntactic issues that catches the attention of traditional Ethiopian grammarians.

The legacy of Hiob Ludolf

One may speak of Ludolf’s legacy when one takes into consideration his Ge’ez – Latin Lexicon, which had an impact on the Lexicon of August Dillmann as well as indirectly on the Ge’ez – Amharic Dictionary of Kidane Wold Kifle.  

Nevertheless, just as Dillmann’s Lexicon has its peculiarities, many more entries, many more references and explanations, Kidane Wold Kifle’s Dictionary also has its distinctive features in the choice of literary references and in the explanations, taking particular attention to the Ethiopian context. Besides, there are two interesting elements that characterize Kidane Wold Kifle’s Dictionary. The first has to do with the alphabetical order which, unlike Ludolf and Dillmann, follows the “A, Bu, Gi, Da, He, Wǝ, Zo…”.

Ludolf and Dillmann have used the “Ha, La, Ha, Ma…” order.  The second important distinctive element concerns the grammatical form in which a given Ge’ez word appears in the entry. For instance, in the Lexica of Ludolf and Dillmann a verb is at first presented in perfect tense or conjugation, third person masculine singular, as one often finds in a Hebrew or Arabic Lexica. In the Dictionary of Kidane Wold Kifle, it is the infinitive of a given verb that is first provided to the reader. Then, the perfect, the imperfect, and the Jussive are mentioned followed by cognates in Arabic, Hebrew, or other similar languages.

400th anniversary of Hiob Ludolf
Abba Gorgoryos (1595 - 1658)
Hiob Ludolf (1624 - 1704)
Research area
Abba Daniel Assefa
Prof. Shiferaw Bekele
Prof. Sebsebe Demissew
Short Bio of the researchers
A glimpse into the symposium
Introduction to exhibition