Why aren't we using this alphabet?

[James Dahl]

In terms of simplicity, I think the Borama alphabet is a very good one



There are no complicated symbols and the letters are all easily distinguishable. There is a problem with the Borama alphabet though because there is no letter for Cayn.

Despite a lot of enthusiasm in here for Arabic, there is a problem with Arabic as well, the Arabic language only really has 3 vowels, and whether they are long or short vowels is irrelevant to the word meanings.

In Arabic script, Tol, Tool, Tuul and Tul are all the same word, unless you use vowel markers, but in Arabic script almost noone uses vowel markers except in the Qu'ran. The Arabic script for Somali gets around this with clever use of vowel marks and extra alephs (which are not exactly vowels in Arabic, they imply vowels), but it's a bit of a kludge, especially since Arabic often ignores vowels completely in words and the reader is supposed to know how to pronounce words.

[Hyperactive]

james, in arabic language never had marks , such fatha, kasra, thuma that we see today in quran or in arabic grammar. cause arabs were like somalis were mostly oral and native arabic speaker didnt need it. but after islam and many none arab muslim converted. they figured people, none arabs mis pronounce quran verses. that is when arabic grammar created.

still arabic is the hearing and sentences you make sense and differ between ًتل تول تل. i can understand how none native easily can make mistakes.

[James Dahl]

This is true, and I think quite a few Somalis are bilingual and can speak Arabic anyways. The reason why it took so long for Somali to become a written language was anyone who knew how to read and write knew how to speak Arabic anyways, so why bother when you can just write in Arabic

The same thing happened in Europe, everyone who was literate wrote in Latin until the 1700s.

[Hyperactive]

lol you right james, my grandfather, was one of the people who was against to write somali language, when debate started in early 60s. he was happy with arabic and that was the only language he could write and read and i guess was not ready to learn otherwise. he hated latin so much.lol

[Arabman]

I don't think it's possible for Somalis to adopt those Chinese looking scripts. For one, each of the Kaddare, Osmanya, Borama, etc scripts were devised by a rival clan. There's already an established script that Somalis have used since the early days of Islam. All the Somali letters naturally exist in that script. It has been used by the various Somali sultanates/empires throughout history. Almost all Somalis learn it at dugsi before they learn the flawed Latin script. Speaking of the Latin script, certain Somali letters still do not exist. Example:
-Dadaal.
The two d's aren't read the same, and are totally different. In Arabic, it would be easy and clear;دذال. The x and c letters naturally exist in Arabic; not so with the Latin. When the Islamic Caliphate is re-established insha'Allah, the colonial script, Latin, will be purged from the Muslim world.

[James Dahl]

There are a few Arabic based scripts that had ideas that a Somali Arabic script could make use of, for instance the Sorani script has introduced an E and O character and vowel-doubling, as Sorani is an alphabet, not an abjad and all vowels are written.

The only problem is this would be very confusing if an Arabic speaker was reading it, thinking it was an abjad

[Shirib]

The Latin script will remain as much as I hate it. IT is our punishment for only learning to read and write in the 1970s. You can have your script if you have history. Somalis clearly had no history apart from the clan nomadic life and Islam reaching their shores.

The illiterate cannot be beggars and choosers.

Lol @ Arabic Script. Have some dignity and self worth. You should be spitting on Arabs and not begging for their script. I feel so sad that I am able to read their language. Going every Saturday morning was child abuse. I wish i was Djiboutian, the only proud Somalis left who never butt lick Arabs. They are so cultured and proud. The Somalis from everywhere else are xoolo.

I am,

Abdi "I rather be illiterate than take the shawarma script" Johnson

Arabic is one of the official languages of Djibouti. Somali is not

[ASMtimacade]

Araab has a point we should all just keep what we have and move on buh the most beautiful is the Osmanya one 1

Dhaaal the former peace corp thinkin he iz a linguist u are not get that straight.









prior 2 picking a script dis report was done - no sign of Boorama just the beautiful one and the nice Kaadaria one.

[LiquidHYDROGEN]

So it's out of osmanya, a knock-off xabashi script, borama which just looks like the latin script backwards and upside-down or Kaddare, which looks like an acid trip.

Arabman you still here? Give a fck about your Arabic script, like I said we're Somali.

[Yohannes]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it?

[ASMtimacade]

nothing wrong with arabic script its the script of Islam.........why so many somali niggas so scared of anything arab....

osmanya, a knock-off xabashi script

most of english is french latin and others say something

"the reality is that there was no widespread use of the scripts in Somalia beyond high level communications. In the book called "Why Nations Fail", the example of Somalia vs Ethiopia is highlighted. In Ethiopia there was a centralized form of government which needed scripts to record affairs of state, managing the government, recording land deeds, taxes etc. In Somalia, there were no strong central institutions so no need for script writing"

this is for ppl who have self esteem issues

[LiquidHYDROGEN]

Arabic is the language of Islam but using the script has no religious significance. If Somalis wrote in Arabic script instead of latin, that wouldn't make them closer to Allah swt would it? That's a moot argument.

Yes I understand why xabashis have one central script and why Somalis don't, but that has nothing to do with this topic. This topic is about replacing latin, a completely foreign system, with an indigenous Somali one. Kaddare is the best because not only is it good to look at, it is actually an upgraded version of Osmanya, according to it's author.

[ASMtimacade]

Daa whole world uses latin, nothing wrong with dat either stop being afraid of euro stuff...........maths came from da arabs and orientals aint no biggy
now nigga do a poll c which takes da vote.

Cant discuss stuff wid haters

[LiquidHYDROGEN]

Dis nigga be trippin' dude. Naa man, da whole world don't yuz latin. Wat about da chinks c and da Indians and da Ayrabs?

[ASMtimacade]

come on buddy dey had theres before even their wz a europe. Latin o.k we can get buy in da world now, easy integration