Is the Somali language a dialect continuum?

[JamalAddow]

Dialect continuum is defined "as a range of dialects spoken across some geographical area that differ only slightly between neighbouring areas, but as one travels in any direction, these differences accumulate in such a way that speakers from opposite ends of the continuum are no longer mutually intelligible".

You could see those small changes from Harsh Waqooyi to relaxed Waqooyi(might as well include Galbeed dialect n all Ogaden dialects) to Bari to Mudug to Xamari to Af-Marka to Af-Maymay to the various other languages/dialects spoken like Af-Jiduu to Af-Tunni etc.

A Waqooyi guy finds it hard to understand a Xamari(real Xamari, not a HG that came from Mudug 20 years ago), he can forget about understanding Maymay, same with a Xamari trying to understand Af-Jiduu.

Or are Af-Maymay, Af-Marka etc different languages that share similarity with Somali?

[Kareem99]

Regrettably, I don't know the ranges of Maay. Most of my interactions with speakers of Maay have been them speaking their dialect, and me speaking mine lol it was functional but not fluent.

But af Maxaa (for the lack of a better term) is not a dialect continuum walaakiis. If you can understand each other without inputting substantial effort to study the opposite language, then by the definition of most linguist, it is not a dialect continuum. Reer Waqooyi, Reer Galbeed, reer Mudug, Reer Xamar, Reer Mandhera, all the way down to Tana River: they all understand each other bro. I've met people from all these places, and the only thing the accents do is identify where you're from. It doesn't necessarily hinder communication (except for jokes and proverbs I guess).

[Itrah]

Af-Maay and other divergent Southern ''dialects'' are ex-Oromos who were conquered by Somalis and started speaking a pidgin version of Somali.

Waqooyi/Mudug Somali is solidly one language, not a dialect continuum.

[sahal80]

Af-Maay and other divergent Southern ''dialects'' are ex-Oromos who were conquered by Somalis and started speaking a pidgin version of Somali.

Waqooyi/Mudug Somali is solidly one language, not a dialect continuum.

from afrocentric version of races to the worst crap ever!

how can the conquered speak a more original dialect than the conqueror? They still call the man a harti, moring a hiraab, camal a gaal, friend wadaay etc.

"The conquered race will always emulate the conqueror"
Ibnu khaldun

Every old name be it city, clan, animal, trees...it still exists in maay dialect!

These people have just mixed with the imported slaves and the bantu expansion but they represent the old somali population of the south and not all of them r mixed

There's a gap between their dialect and the rest of somali dialects because of their different life styles

Its the same case of mahara and socotra who got isolated from the rest of himyari dialects due to the empty quarter and the mountains to the point that the habashi is more closer to the himyari and arabic than them

The same way maay have been isolated by the two rivers.

[libaaxyare]

Midka yiraa Waar dee Noow iyo Kan yiraa Boowe ma tageysaaniin maya waan iswasaynaaniin adigu arodoo bal car hal qol isugu gee

[libaaxyare]

Naaniin iyo Now iyo Dee Waxaasi ma Af-Soomaali baa. Nin walbaa jeebkiisa ayuu kala soo baxay wax aan jirin

[BlackVelvet]

You can't compare remote, colloquial dialects to prove such a point. Especially when "remote" in the Somali context means the possibility of never meeting or speaking to people outside of your region.

See this explanation:

Naaniin iyo Now iyo Dee Waxaasi ma Af-Soomaali baa. Nin walbaa jeebkiisa ayuu kala soo baxay wax aan jirin

Af-Maay and other divergent Southern ''dialects'' are ex-Oromos who were conquered by Somalis and started speaking a pidgin version of Somali.

Waqooyi/Mudug Somali is solidly one language, not a dialect continuum.

When people say "Mudug" Somali you do know they mean the original Mudug right?

ps