Abstract
The classification of nouns in Ge'ez and English reveals both striking parallels and profound divergences. While both languages recognize common, proper, collective, and abstract nouns, Ge'ez extends its system into categories that English does not possess — most notably Anointed Names (Seme Tekeb'o, ስመ ተቀብዖ)፣ given during sacred rites, and the cosmological distinction between Speaking (Nebabi) and Non-Speaking (I-Nebabi) nouns. Conversely, English categorizes gender, definiteness, and possession through mechanisms that Ge'ez treats very differently. This article offers a comparative study of the two noun systems, demonstrating that each language encodes a distinct worldview: English prioritizes functional description, while Ge'ez preserves metaphysical and theological depth. The article concludes with a study of how Ge'ez preserved Semitic sounds in biblical names — Iyesus, Maryam, Eliyas, Yordanos, and Galila — that the Latin and English traditions lost through their Greek-only intermediary.
Keywords: ge'ez, english nouns, comparative linguistics, seme tekeb'o, egziabher trinity, iyasus, semitic recension