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Habesha, is frequently used to refer to all Ethiopians and Eritreans, refers more specifically to the Semitic-speaking peoples of those countries. It is sometimes used to refer to just the two politically dominant Semitic-speaking Amhara and Tigray-Tigrinya ethnic groups of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Habesha speak Semitic languages, but they intermarried and absorbed the surrounding indigenous Cushitic-speaking peoples to a great extent. While Habeshas,are often though to be "Semitic," this term (as well as the term Cushitic) is merely a linguistic one, and has no bearing on ethnicity. However, according to some Ethiopian sources,the name "Habesha," is a synonym for dibilliq ("mixed"), referring to the hybrid mixture of Semites from Yemen with the indigenous "Hamitic" (ie, Cushitic) peoples, and is thus explained as Ham "-be-" (with) Shem.  Both the Amharic and Tigrinya languages are descended from the ancient Ge'ez.  According to tradition, the Habesha, people also trace their roots back to Menelik I who was the son of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, whose lineage historically gave kings a divine right to rule.

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