Ethnologue 14 report for language code:SOM

SOMALI: a language of Somalia

The following is the entry for this language as it appeared in the 14th edition (2000).
It was superseded by the corresponding entry in the 15th edition (2005). See also the corresponding entry in the current edition of Ethnologue.

SIL code: SOM

ISO 639-1: so

ISO 639-2: som

Population

5,400,000 to 6,700,000 in Somalia (1991). Population total all countries 9,472,000 to 10,770,000.

Region

Throughout the country. Also spoken in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Finland, Italy, Kenya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, UAE, United Kingdom, Yemen.

Alternate names

AF-SOOMAALI, AF-MAXAAD TIRI, COMMON SOMALI, STANDARD SOMALI

Dialects

NORTHERN SOMALI, BENAADIR, AF-ASHRAAF (ASHRAAF).

Classification

Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Somali.

Comments

Northern Somali is the basis for Standard Somali. It is readily intelligible to speakers of Benaadir Somali, but difficult or unintelligible to Maay and Digil speakers, except for those who have learned it through mass communications, urbanization, and internal movement. The Rahanwiin (Rahanweyn) are a large clan confederacy in southern Somalia, speaking various Maay dialects or languages (Central Somali). The Digil are a clan confederacy speaking Central Somali varieties. Daarood is a large clan family in northeast Somalia and the Ogaadeen region of Ethiopia, extreme southern Somalia and northeast Kenya which speaks several different dialects. Dir is a clan family with various clans in Djibouti, Ethiopia, throughout Somalia and northeast Kenya. The Gadabuursi are a section of the Dir living in northwest Somalia and adjoining parts of Djibouti and Ethiopia, and speaking Northern Common Somali. The Isxaaq are a major clan grouping in northeast Somalia, some in Djibouti and Ethiopia, speaking Northern Common Somali. The Hawiye are a major clan family living in central southern Somalia, parts of Ethiopia, and extreme northeast Kenya. Hawiye northern clans (Habar Gidir) speak a dialect of Common Somali similar to the adjacent Daarood clans, while Hawiye southern clans (especially Abgaal and Gaaljaal) speak the Benaadir dialect of Common Somali. Ogaadeen is the largest clan within the Daarood clan family, living in eastern Ethiopia, extreme southern Somalia and northeast Kenya, speaking various forms of Northern Common Somali. 'Sab' is an ambiguous term used by some scholars to refer to various lower caste clans. 'Medibaan' is a low caste clan within the Hawiye. 'Benaadir' as an ethnic group refers to the residents of the coastal cities. Those in Merka and Muqdisho speak Af-Ashraaf, a distinct variety which may have limited inherent intelligibility to speakers of Standard Somali. Most of these fled to Kenya during the recent fighting. Bilingualism in Arabic, Italian. The language of most of the people of the country. Investigation needed: intelligibility with Af-Ashraaf. National language. Dictionary. Grammar. Literacy rate in second language: 25% in cities, 10% rural. The government adopted the Roman script in 1972. The Osmania script no longer used. Standard Somali used. Pastoralists; agriculturalists: sugar, bananas, sorghum, corn, gum, incense; miners: iron, tin, gypsum, bauxite, uranium. Muslim, Christian. Bible 1979.

Also spoken in:

Djibouti

Language name	SOMALI
Population	181,420 in Djibouti, 33.4% of the population (1996).
Comments	Various dialects. Nomadic. 3 clans: Issa, Gadaboursi, Issaq. Radio programs. Pastoralists. Muslim. Bible 1979. See main entry under Somalia.

Ethiopia

Language name	SOMALI
Population	3,187,053 mother tongue speakers, 95,572 second language speakers, 3,160,540 in the ethnic group, 2,878,371 monolinguals in Ethiopia (1998 census).
Alternate names	STANDARD SOMALI, COMMON SOMALI
Comments	10% use Amharic or Arabic as second language. Daarood, Ogaadeen, Dir, Gadabuursi, Hawiye, and Isxaaq are major clan families in Ethiopia. SOV. Literacy rate in second language: 7.3%. Agriculturalists. Muslim, Christian. Bible 1979. See main entry under Somalia.

Kenya

Language name	SOMALI
Population	312,339 in Kenya (1989 census), including 45,098 Somali, 27,244 Hawiyah, 100,400 Degodia,139,597 Ogaden (1989 census).
Alternate names	STANDARD SOMALI
Dialects	DEGODIA, OGADEN.
Comments	Dialect differences cut across clan differences. Daarood, Dir, Hawiye, Ogaadeen are clan families in Kenya. The people are nomadic. Investigation needed: intelligibility with dialects. Literacy rate in first language: Below 1%. Literacy rate in second language: Somali: 15% to 25%, Ogaadeen: 1%. Pastoralists: camel, sheep, goats. Muslim. Bible 1979. See main entry under Somalia.