⁂ A Semitic dialect sprung from the ancient Ethiopic, which has gradually become the dominant language of Abyssinia. Its vocabulary and grammar still closely resemble the Ethiopic, but it has adopted a barbarous pronunciation, and the gutturals, which form so important a part of the Semitic alphabet, are no longer pronounced. The best memoir upon it is that by Gesenius in the Encyclopædia of Ersch and Grüber, under the heading “Amharische Sprache.” Other Abyssinian dialects are the Adari, the Afar, the Somauli, the Saho, the languages of Tigré, Danakil, Adaiel, and of Harar. R. P. S.
Amour or Amur.
Dialects of Tungus, vernacular in E. Asia on the R. Amúr. See Latham, pp. 75, 76.
Amyrgii.
An ancient Scythic people, called “Humawarga,” by the Achæmenian Persians, and “Amyrgians” (Ἀμύργιοι) by the Greeks. They seem to have inhabited the high plateau between the Thian-Chan and the Hindu-Kush ranges. Most probably they were Turanians. G. R.
Anadeer or Anadyr.
The upper and central parts of the R. Anadyr, on the north-eastern extremity of Asia, are occupied by the Tshuktshi, an Asiatic tribe. On the lower Anadyr, however, there is an Eskimo settlement. See [Namollo]. R. G. L.
Anamite or Annamite.
A monosyllabic tongue, closely allied to Chinese. It is the dialect of Tonquin and Cochin-China, extensive tracts of land in S.E. Asia. Also called Annamese. See Dictionaries, A-Latin and Latin-A, by Taberd and Pigneaux, 2 vols., 1838; Marshman, Serampore; and Brown’s “Comparative Table,” vol. vii., Trans. As. Soc. of Bengal.