Habesha a long long time ago meant semetic language speaking africans (source: google new engdi) Some also say the arabs started calling ethiopia by it's queen's name, i.e sheba but arabic is written from right to left so they read her name as abesh. They also say it's an old arabic word meaning dark skinned people in the horn of africa (etymologically, this makes more sense to me as it's backed by lots of evidences) These days, it is used to refer to ethiopians and eritreans. u don't necessarily have to be from any language family (be it semetic, cushitic... ) if u an eritrean or ethiopian, u habesha.... But, I have heard gambellas and somalis say they are non- habesha ethiopians... maybe it's cuz gambellas consider themselves as originally south sudanese ena somalis demo yaw somalia wst yalut somaliwoch gar and aynet slehonu, somalia wst yalut somalewoch demo habesha slalhonu lihon ychlal bahun seat gn lela hager wst Ethiopians and Eritreans Habesha new yemibalut. Gn habesha is not a name of an ethnic group. Nor is it a race.