Somali

Somali may refer to:

See also

Somali language

Somali /səˈmɑːli, soʊ-/ (Af-Soomaali [æf sɔːmɑːli]) is an Afroasiatic language, belonging to that family's Cushitic branch. It is spoken as a mother tongue by ethnic Somalis in Greater Somalia and the Somali diaspora. Somali is an official language of the Federal Republic of Somalia, a national language in Djibouti, and a working language in the Somali region of Ethiopia. It is used as an adoptive language by a few neighboring ethnic minority groups and individuals.

Classification

Somali is classified within the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic family, specifically as Lowland East Cushitic along with Afar and Saho. Somali is the best-documented Cushitic language, with academic studies of it dating back to the late 19th century.

Geographic distribution

The Somali language is spoken by ethnic Somalis in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen and Kenya, and by the Somali diaspora. It is also spoken as an adoptive language by a few ethnic minority groups and individuals in these areas.

Somalis

Somalis (Somali: Soomaali, Arabic: صومال‎) are an ethnic group inhabiting the Horn of Africa (Somali Peninsula). The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. They are predominantly Sunni Muslim. Ethnic Somalis number around 16-20 million and are principally concentrated in Somalia (around 12.3 million),Ethiopia (4.6 million),Kenya (2.4 million), and Djibouti (464,600), with many also residing in parts of the Middle East, North America and Europe.

Etymology

Irir Samaale, the oldest common ancestor of several Somali clans, is generally regarded as the source of the ethnonym Somali. The name "Somali" is, in turn, held to be derived from the words soo and maal, which together mean "go and milk" — a reference to the ubiquitous pastoralism of the Somali people. Another plausible etymology proposes that the term Somali is derived from the Arabic for "wealthy" (dhawamaal), again referring to Somali riches in livestock.