Gallamadow?

[Fabregas]

SOL ancient historians, the floor is yours. Who and what were these people?

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Gaalo madoow can be any gaal that is "madoow."

 

Since the ereyga 'gaal' has the same roots and meaning with geel and was referred, by Soomaalida, to Oromadda, who have had plenty of geel/gaal in those days. Or probably Oromo called themselves gaalo then, but some disapprove and dislike this word now since some groups use it as a derogatory word.

 

It is a pre-Islaamic term, applied to any shisheeye Soomaalida encountered. In those eras, the most furthest shisheeye Soomaalis had encountered were Oromadda and Oromadda were called gaala, as some still call them.

 

When the Soomaalis embraced diinta Islaamka, they have kept the term, giving a new twist -- non-believers of Islaamka.

 

When the caddaankii colonials arrived at our land, the term, yet again, acquired a new meaning. It mostly and almost solely became associated with those white colonial non-believers and infidels, particularly with those with Masiixi beliefs. Then Soomaalis further encountered other Africans claiming to be followers of Masiixi as well.

 

Soomaalis now didn't know what to call them since gaal as an adjective has solely became a one associated with caddaanka. Marka hence the new term gaalo madoow, siiba madoowga Kenya degan, sida Kiikuuyada.

 

What is interesting is that Soomaalida had never applied or called this term to Xabashadda; however, then again, like Soomaalida themselves, some Soomaalis do not consider Xabashadda as a "black" group as other Africans, though they are still Xabashi.

 

That is why Soomaalida say markee arkaan Afrikaan kale "madoowgaas fiiri/war madoowgaan muxuu rabaa," though practically themselves ayaa ka madowsan. In the flawed Soomaali terminology, 'madoow' does not only refer to how one's skin appears to be, but the overall physical differences of one's ethnicity, since Tamils of Sri Lanka too are as madoow as some Soomaalis, but you never witness a Soomaali calling them madoow.