Somali inhabited Cities/Towns?

[Navy9]

Let's share if we know the meanings of Somali cities/towns...


Hargeisa: they say it became a popular city after it was previously known as a camel market place and hence its names is derived from it. They say Harag-geeysa is harag which the skin of animals and geeysa meaning taking. So, in all the place where they took animal skin!!!

Moqadishu: they say its from two words, first one is Maq'ad (arabic word for seat) and the second part is supposedly the word Shah (Persian word for king). So, in all the name of the city means the Seat of the King!

Bosaso: (have read unconfirmed source) which says that the city's old name was Banadar Qasim which was named after Mr Qasim (a rich merchant camel trader). Qasim's camel was called Bosa/Bosas and hence where the name of the city was later named.


Please do share if you have different meanings of the above mentioned places and inform us about the other city/town names

[Navy9]

Galkayco: they say the Gaala tribe used to live there and Somali clans chased them out of it and hence the name!



Arabsiyo: according to Mr SahanG, the name of the city means given to Arabs.


Berbera: Berber was a term used by Europeans in ancients times to the people of Africa, which I think, they meant with to give a negative connotation reflecting in their eyes africans being more savage; however, later on it became a term used by many to reflect a certain unknown tribe or clan!!!

[Navy9]

Caabudwaaq: which translates to worshiping Waaq and Waaq is/was considered either a name meaning God or the name of a religion of the Oromo and other groups!!

A side note, in ancient times, people used to use the term" Waqwaq Islands" referring either that person came from a very far place and even at times would be used on people who might be regarded as a bit delusional!!! And in ancient folkore, waqwaq is a name of a tree with a human face!!!!


Hamar (Xamar): which they say a term for red (red sands of Mogadishu) and some say it's a very old Arabic term for gold!!!

[VybzKartel]

Cabudwaq was actually named after a Somali guy by that name as it was his his burial site. His descendants form a branch of the Ogaden clan today. Beled Xaawo means city of Xaawo after a female by the name of Xaawo Cismaan Gurey who built the first house there when her husband, a soldier, was stationed in Mandera town just few miles away.

[IRONm@N]

Gaalkacyo, doesn't mean "gaal as in infidel", in classical somali language geel is known as gaal,
otherwise it will be an insult to some of these Somali tribes such as, the Somali tribe Gaal jecel, doesn't mean that they love infidels, it means they love camels
Abgaal, doesn't mean the father of infidels, it means the father of camels.

[Navy9]

Thanks Iron.

But do you agree that certain terms evolve throughout time and thus its original meanings stretch or change. If the origin of the word Gaal is obtained from the name of the tribe of Gaala, two things come to my mind: (1) anything that has in it the word Gaal could simply reflect just the name without adding to it any political or religious connotations; (2) since we believed that the Gaala did have a different religion than the Somalis at that time, then, now the underlying religious significance of the term surfaces! And nowadays the term is abused by many to reflect not only the religious difference!!!


And now if we looked at the name Abgaal (I am just taking it as an example to reflect what I have in mind): if i dissect it into two words of "ab" and "gaal", i would say "ab" reflects meaning of forefather and "Gaal" could simply reflect to the ancestral name of the Gaala tribe (ofcourse with agreeing on the fact that not all Gaalas remained to their old religion).


But now if you say the word "Gaal" means "Camels" then that calls for a change of all cards on the table!!

[2ndtoNone]

Let's share if we know the meanings of Somali cities/towns...

Hargeisa: they say it became a popular city after it was previously known as a camel market place and hence its names is derived from it. They say Harag-geeysa is harag which the skin of animals and geeysa meaning taking. So, in all the place where they took animal skin!!!

Hargeisa is a word in Affaan Oromo meaning the aloe (plant) and apparently this plant is in abundance in and around Hargeisa and surrounding areas.
Some say that the city got its name after shiekh Madar had arrived there from Harar, where majority of people spoke in oromo as did sheikh madar and his followers.

[AbdiWahab252]

What about Buuryoqab ?

[Navy9]

Thanks second to none, have not seen that explanation before and I do not speak oromo language.


Abdiwahab,
Dee explain it (even though the name does not need explanation but rather one question comes to my mind which is why was it named as such, thats if ofcourse if the name really exists

[ibrahimcw]

Navy since your good with names, can you tell me the meaning of Dalal, its a Mareexaan name the son of Ugaas Diini was named Dalal, the name was given by the Ogadeen mother who renamed her son after her tribe, the Rer Dalal Magan Ugaas of Ogaden.

the town my father was born, Dhuusomareeb, the meaning is obvious but what the reason was i never got to the end of it actually.

[Navy9]

Navy since your good with names, can you tell me the meaning of Dalal, its a Mareexaan name the son of Ugaas Diini was named Dalal, the name was given by the Ogadeen mother who renamed her son after her tribe, the Rer Dalal Magan Ugaas of Ogaden.

I do not know that but give us your take on it and see if anyone will agree/disagree with it. And it would be nice if we only stick to names of the cities/towns.

[The_Patriot]

Kismayu is a bajuni swahili name
from Kisima mayu

Kisima = Well
Mayu=Moya=Mai= Water

Meaning the town with fresh water wells as it was close to the ocean.

[Navy9]

Fresh water wells, thanks Patriot.

[ToughGong]

Allaheybaddey(SL) means I got no choice

Here to the east of Jigjiga
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... x=61&ty=62

[Navy9]

Allaheybaddey(SL) means I got no choice

Why was it called as such? And while you are on it since you are a diehard Zeili, tell us what Zeila means?