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When the Somali Republic received independence, its parliamentary government decided to adopt three official languages: English, Italian, and Arabic—all languages of foreign contact. Since the vast majority of the nation's citizens spoke a single language, Somali, which then had no written form, this decision made governing exceedingly difficult. Selecting any one language was equally problematic, however, because those who spoke the official language would automatically become the privileged class. Twelve years after independence, a military government was able to settle the acrimonious controversy by announcing that Somali would be the official language and Latin the basic script. It was...
A practical grammar and vocabulary, published in 1905, with appendices on Somali literature and the dialects of separate tribes.
Somali is spoken by more than nine million people in the Horn of Africa and by expatriate communities in the Middle East, Europe and North America. It is the official language of Somalia and an important regional language in Ethiopia and Kenya. As a Cushitic language Somali is part of the great Afroasiatic language family whose other branches include Semitic, Berber, Chadic and Ancient Egyptian. This book provides a comprehensive description of the grammar of the language that will be of interest to non-specialists and linguists interested in typology and language comparison. The author's accessible investigation of the phonology, morphology, syntax and discourse structure allows the reader a clear view of the linguistic character of Somali and, through Somali, of a Cushitic language. A further important feature of the book is its use of authentic data from a range of sources, including prose, poetry and proverbs.
Colloquial Somali: The Complete Course for Beginners has been carefully developed by an experienced teacher to provide a step-by-step course to Somali as it is written and spoken today. Combining a clear, practical and accessible style with a methodical and thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Somali in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required. Colloquial Somali is exceptional; each unit presents a wealth of grammatical points that are reinforced with a wide range of exercises for regular practice. A full answer key, a grammar summary, bilingual glossaries and E...
This book, written in Somali language, is intended for grade one. It is specifically designed to re-living the Somali language. Because the children who are born in the Diaspora are losing their mother tong, this book will help them revive their mother tong with a much degree of sufficiency. This book is also going to help adults, both Somalis and non-Somalis, to learn the basics of the language, such as reading and writing of the Somali language. The book carries pictures for the beginners to help them understand and to help them also remember the meanings of the words in the long run. And if the learner is non-Somali, these pictures will help them grasp the meaning the pictures convey. Same books for grade two and three are also coming up after this book.
Excerpt from A Grammar of the Somali Language: With Examples in Prose and Verse, and an Account of the Yibir and Midgan Dialects There are but few people who have any serious study of the many and interesting tongues of that part of the African Continent in which the Somali race has grown up. Our knowledge of the Somali language is due to the labours of Rigby, Hunter, and Larajasse and Sampont. As this is not a written language, great praise is due to those who first grappled with the difficulty of reducing the speech to writing. This has now been done so satisfactorily that I myself have lately carried on a successful correspondence with an educated Somali in his native tongue, using the sp...
This book offers a contemporary look at Somali from the standpoint of its major varieties and provides a comprehensive account of the language that is grounded in linguistic theory and the latest scholarship. The grammar includes an extensive array of examples drawn from online corpora and from fieldwork with native speakers of the language.
Somali Grammar Revision is intended for the intermediate or advanced level learners of Somali language. It covers the eleven Somali grammatical categories. The verb and the adjective, 20% of Somali grammatical categories, constitute more than 80% of written and spoken Somali because use of tenses affects both grammatical categories. Somali Grammar Revision: highlights differences in usage of many aspects of written and spoken Somali introduces variant past tense and key sentence structures used in spoken Somali discusses correct answers to what and who-questions contains verb, adjective, preposition and noun tables discusses verb-related structures and a variant imperative structure introduces type 3 potential sentences .adresses how to deal with tense-related ambiguity in negative and negative interrogative sentences. addresses how to use the reflexive word 'is' with verbs and pronouns
This book is very helpful for travelers to Somalia. Included in the book are vocabulary sections, a phrasebook, pronunciation, and a brief outline of the language's grammar rules and information on local culture.