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''This volume is the first of a two-volume Basic Course in Amharic, and contains Units 1-50 of the course. The second volume includes Units 51-60, an introduction to the writing system, a Reader, and a Glossary.''

''Amharic, the official language of the Ethiopian Empire, is spoken natively by perhaps six million people in a small but populous area of the country which includes the capital, Addis Ababa. A member of the Southern Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages, Amharic is steadily gaining importance as it picks up additional speakers through the spread of communications and education within Ethiopia.''

''The linguist in charge of the entire project has been Serge Obolensky, with the assistance of Mr. Debebow SelelieZelelie [sic] and Mr. Mulugeta Andualem. The Amharic script in the second volume is the work of Mr. Zelelie. Valuable suggestions received from Professor Wolf Leslau during the beginning stages of the work are gratefully acknowledged.''