Hidri Publishers Launches a Book in Tigre
Demsas Tsegay, Nov 19, 2007

In November, 16, 2007 Hidri Publishers launched a book ‘Emenini’ (Trust me) in Tigre language that tells about the role of Eritrean women in the armed struggle and the cultural challenges that faced them.

Written by Mr. Mohammed Ali Ibrahim, the book narrates a story of a woman that joined the freedom fighters after seeing atrocities committed by the colonizers. In the fight for independence the woman was held captive and at last escapes from the enemy and joins the freedom fighters again.

Mr. Mohammed Ali, the author, said that we Eritrean have much unwritten histories. So we do not have to wonder what to write about, we have just to look at our rich history.

Mr. Adem Ali presented a short review of the book. He said that Tigre was first written in the 19th century but, almost no book was written in the language for the last 140 years (until 2005). “Mr. Mohammed’s initiative is an encouraging step for developing the language,” he added.

He further said that even though it has some problems in the flow of ideas and some characters are lost in the middle without the reader knowing their sufficient explanation. However, it has excellent usage of language and gives graphic explanation of the places in the struggle.

The ceremony was attended by people who have interest in the Tigre Language and invited guests from different walks of life.

Books on Tigre   

Tigre of Habab: Short grammar and texts from the Rigbat people (Eritrea)

by David Lyndon Elias (Paperback - Mar 18, 2006)

Motoring with Mohammed: Journeys to Yemen and the Red Sea '

by Eric Hansen (Paperback - Feb 4, 1992)

The Ethnic Origins of Nations

by Anthony D. Smith (Paperback - May 1, 1988) - Illustrated

The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary

by James S. Olson (Hardcover - May 30, 1996)

Excerpt - page 7: "... are one of the three subdivisions of the Bet Asgede people of Eritrea and Ethiopia. In the nineteenth century, they adopted the Mus- lim religion and the Tigre* language of the Tigre people, over whom they presided as feudal ..."

See more references to tigré language people eritrea in this book.

A Vocabulary of Beni Amer Dialect of Tigre

Aki'o Nakano and Yoichi Tsuge, 1982, African

Languages and Ethnography XVI, edited by Morimichi

Tomikawa, Institute for the Study of Languages and

Cultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA)

Tigre Grammar And Texts 

Shlomo Raz, 1983

Undena Publications

P.O. Box 97

Malibu, CA 90265 

The Morphology of The Tigre Noun

F.R. Palmer, 1962, 

London, Oxford University Press