a modern Ethiopic language, the direct descendant of Geez (classical Ethiopic): it is spoken by the majority of the population of Eritrea and by many people in Tigré
Origin:
< Tigré + əñña, modern Ethiopic suffix for forming language names
See Tigrinya in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
A Semitic language of Eritrea, where it is the official language, and of northern Ethiopia.