The Somali Language

[snoop12]

if we look at East Africa, the Somali language is the most powerful one spoken by approx 20 mil across borders, an within Somalia it is the only significant ethnic language.



Ethiopia has dozen laguages, so does Kenya, so we actually have an immense natural impact on our neighbours by being more homogeneous

imagine if we facilitate our language in both Kenyan and Ethiopian as a response to NDF and Ogaden ? also if we take our literature serious, it could do wonders

did you know dozen African presidents and high figures in politics, business etc studied in Somalia? and we were the most developed commercial center of the Horn, so people were flocking and learning our Language also Oromo, Eriterians etc refugees know Somali and are completely Somalilized,, Mashallah daha


we were the future for Africa, we need to reestablish this status, inshallah in my life time

[dawwa9]

Virtually everybody will be speaking English in 50 years time.

Waste of time and resources to promote Somali to foreigners

Just look at this forum, because it is Anglophone it attracts a lot more people than it otherwise in Af-Somali would

[lali99]

^^waar niiyo why you got to be self hater..walle i've been amazed to notice how many times you spoke fondly of the english language..could make one wonder if thats ur mother's tongue

[union]

English should become the state language of Somalia.

[Amethyst]

^ um..English isnt even the National language of the US.

There are powers in numbers, they say. Numbers are however, pretty useless unless they are used for something. Honestly, the Somali language has a ton of potential. its situated in the best place ever. Despite the setsbacks of civil strife, they teach it today in countries that before the war never even knew about Somalia and Somalis. In someways a good thing. In other ways, the fact that we as somalis dont even speak it when we're with other Somalis (Me typing in English, a case in point here ) or that Somali lady draggin those 3 kids in the bus says "hooyo, inoo pushe'garee stopka, we're at home hadeer ee" is the reason why our language is on the endangered list today.

[zingii]

^^^ Ship few reer mudugs and problem solved.

[snoop12]

Amethyst

im starting to recognize how important Somali is and how valuable it can be in the future, i realize English is a universal language and the best medium for education. but on a regional bases people need something more closer to home, and at the sametime significant to their productivity, this is where Af Soomaali comes in

im not just talking pride here, our Language is really important for business and it can get MUCH MUCH more important if we(diaspora) indulge in it just a tat more then we do.

imagine a whole nation speaking one language and having such a strategic location, its not insane to think in the future many AFricans and Asians will be learning Af Soomaali just because it is a homogeneous medium for great business and posibly for education, this in return will open many new doors for us

i pray, the East AFrican second Language should be Af Soomaali by 2020, Aamin

[sheekh-Farax-zero]

English should become the state language of Somalia.

No thanks.. we are not orphans of the English queen

god bless

[zingii]

^^^^

that's cold one.

[2ndtoNone]

Amethyst
imagine a whole nation speaking one language and having such a strategic location,

i pray, the East AFrican second Language should be Af Soomaali by 2020, Aamin

I thought somalia was a whole nation speaking one language and have such a trategic location. and despite this look at the state our beloved somalia is in today

i believe language is just a communication tool, which humans use to let each other know of their thoughts, opinions and feelings, experiences and educate each other.
what language you use to communicate is not really that important as long as you are able to get your point across (whether wrong or right) and you're understood by other humans whome you're engaged with.

BTW why settle for second why not be the first?
if second is the best we can hope for somali

[LiquidHYDROGEN]

Why is this even a debate? I would give up english right now if it meant I could be perfectly fluent in somali to the point of writing poetry. One of may aims in life is to learn somali poetry and oratory. Look at these idiots saying lets make english a first language. Somali may be too hard for you brain-dead fiish, but for me it is a cultural identity with my country, and I wouldn't give it up even for arabic.

[dawwa9]

There aren’t even academic books written in Somali, how could such a language ever become a regional lingua franca. If you study how other lingua francas developed it was all through scientific and societal advantages over the neighbors, Somali has neither.

Also, languages spread through media, nobody will ever watch lame ass Somali television.

You guys must be smoking something….

Let's just keep it to English as the lingua franca of East Africa.

[Amethyst]

There aren’t even academic books written in Somali, how could such a language ever become a regional lingua franca. If you study how other lingua francas developed it was all through scientific and societal advantages over the neighbors, Somali has neither.

You guys must be smoking something….

Let's just keep it to English as the lingua franca of East Africa.

*Lays down the Pipe and realises that Dawwa is actually right.*








(pssh...Not really! )

[Hyperactive]

Arabic and sawahili would make sense for somalis.
even geeljire can write and read quran hince arabic.
learning it would be easier for tehm.

[dawwa9]

Arabic and sawahili would make sense for somalis.
even geeljire can write and read quran hince arabic.
learning it would be easier for tehm.

Most Somalis sound like shit in Arabic, they should better just study English. This would give them more global freedom to travel anywhere in the world. With Arabic you are confined to a dozen Arab countries who don't even speak the same dialects.

Swahili is overrated, most Kenyans and Tanzanians who speak it also speak English. So no need to study it. That is like studying Hindi in order to communicate with Indians but 75% of them already speak English (with a funny accent though).