Saho
/ˈsɑːhoʊ/noun
Saho is a Cushitic language and the name of the ethnic group that traditionally speaks it in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia.
Did you know?Unlike many famous ethnonyms, the historical meaning of “Saho” is not securely established; scholars generally treat it as a traditional self-designation rather than a proven mystical or Arabic phrase.
Etymological Timeline
Modern linguistic classification
English
Saho
“Name for a Cushitic language and its speakers in the Horn of Africa.”
20th Century
Italian/English scholarship
Saho
“Form used in colonial-era linguistic and ethnographic descriptions of Eritrea.”
20th Century
Saho
Saho
“Traditional self-designation of the Saho people; the internal historical meaning is uncertain.”
Present
English
Saho
“Established proper noun referring to the language, ethnic group, and associated cultural identity.”