The Geez Script (Fidel): Origin and How It Works

The Geez script, called fidel in Amharic, is an abugida: each character writes a consonant followed by a vowel. It is used to write Geez, the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, as well as Amharic and Tigrinya, among other languages of Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is one of the few indigenous African scripts still in everyday use.

An abugida, not an alphabet

In the Latin alphabet, consonants and vowels are written separately. In fidel, each base sign represents a consonant, and a change to its shape shows the vowel that goes with it. A single base sign therefore exists in seven variants, called orders, one per vowel. Text reads from left to right.

For historical Geez, there are 26 base consonants. Amharic added a few more: in all, the fidel used today for Amharic runs to over a hundred characters, giving several hundred forms once the variants are counted. We do not give a precise count here, as it varies by convention.

Where does it come from?

Ethiopian writing is ancient. It is related to Semitic writing systems from southern Arabia and developed in the kingdom of Aksum, in what is now northern Ethiopia. The oldest inscriptions go back to antiquity. Marking vowels by modifying the signs came later, and the system settled over time.

We stay with these broad lines: the precise history of the stages is the subject of scholarly work, to which readers should turn for detail.

Geez, a liturgical language

Geez is today a language of liturgy, as Latin was for the Catholic Church. It can be heard in Ethiopian Orthodox churches during festivals like Meskel or Timkat, and it appears in many ancient manuscripts. Spoken languages such as Amharic borrowed its script.

And the name ge'eza?

The spelling of ge'eza recalls Geez, the historic language and script of Ethiopia. We offer no specific explanation here for why the house took this name, beyond that closeness; ge'eza is a place of Ethiopian culture in Dakar, which makes the reference natural. The restaurant, at 656 avenue Birago Diop in Point E, offers an example: on the online menu, several dishes carry their name in Ethiopian characters, such as Doro Wot (ዶሮ ወጥ) or Misir Wot (ምስር ወጥ).

A visual heritage

Ethiopian script has an aesthetic of its own that inspires calligraphers, graphic designers and artists. It appears on posters, in artworks and on textiles. The ge'eza gallery shows artists from East and West Africa: see the gallery page for current hangs. For a wider view of Ethiopian culture, see our article on the Ethiopian calendar.