Westernizing Somali names as part of a new integration effort

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

I have met plenty of maryooleey joining the foray. The society is under attack.

 

Kennedyd - Keenadiid

Gmahl - Jamaal

Abbedy - Cabdi

Timmarh - Timiro

Rhammann - Raxmaan

Aways - Awees

Joseph - Yuusuf

Mymoon - Maymuun

Casey - Kayse

[Chimera]

i remember an SOL member once said they called him Max because he wrote maxamed(mohamed) looooooooool

[Miriam1]

I can't blame them, many recruiting firms look for the "Correct fit" most of the time a "Maxamed or Awees" isn't the correct fit...

[Geel_jire]

the worst one is

moh : Mohammed

[LayZie G.]

my name is ******, but my white peers call me sammy or sam, go figure.(wax magaceyga runta iyo waxa ay igu wacaan iskaga jira malahan, mar mar aniga aaba isla yaabo)

 

The most frightening thing about all of this is that I actually respond to sam or sammy now more than ever, magacii runta ah aaba ii gooye.

[Caano Geel]

i don't really see the problem, we give each other nicknames, and we are different people in different circumstances anyhow. SO there is something to being comfortable enough with your self to feel ok and not be lost by an adaptable personality

[Kool_Kat]

^Sam or Sammy? NFW!!!

 

Waxaaba isoo xasuusisay this lady that used to call my work (waagaa shaqeynjiray) 'May I speak to Ganna'...Mind you, every time we exchanged emails, she would type my name correctly, yet still called me Ganna...

 

But yours Layzie, it is waaaaaay waaaaaaaaaaay waaaaaaaaaaaaay off...Adaaba uugu siidaran...

 

I guess some 'Somalis' are just too westernized for me nowadayz...

[LayZie G.]

LOL, ma fahmin miyaA? sam iyo sammy waa alias dee, far waaweyn maa rabtaa inaan wax kugu qoro.

 

That reminds me, magacaaga waan ilooway, KK this and KK that waa hadda kadib.

[Malika]

What is in a name? "A rose called by any other name would smell just as sweet" -- wrote Shakespeare in his immortal play Romeo-Juliet. How ever some of us are aware of our identity, hence the importance of our names.

 

I disagree with this new phenomenal to change ones name because Jane cant pronounce it, its time Jane learned every one in the world isn’t called Jane, Tom or Dick.

 

In general, names mean a lot. They define our identity; our place in the social order within the family; the community and even the circumstances of our birth. For example my mother was missing her elder sister during her pregnancy with me, she promised if the baby was a girl then she would call her ,by her sisters name. I was born and was given my Habo’s name. I couldn’t remember any other name after 32hrs of labour but only of my mothers, so it felt right to call her [my daughter] after the woman I love and respect.

 

So if a Ms Jones cant pronounce my name tough! Colonialism is over, changing peoples name just because they cant pronounce is purely ignorance. What about those pious names that makes us remember God Almight[Allah] every time we call our brothers/sisters through day and night. Wasn’t that the aim behind names like AbdiMalik,AbdiQadir etc? So to be called Mo instead of Mohamed one should be offended rather than feel accepted.

[- Femme -]

How about:

Sam --- Samatar

A.J --- Abdijabar

Mo ---- Mohamed

Sarah ---- Zahra

 

After years of repeatedly correcting the same people over and over again for misprononching my very SIMPLE name...I just got into the habit of going along with whatever they call me. Now there are 4 or 5 different ways people say my name.

 

Arabic version, english version, somali version and some other weird versions.

 

However, don't see why people have such a hard time correctly prononcing a name --- it really isn't that hard. Or maybe they just don't care enough to take the effort.

 

I know of some people who look for easy names that sound close to western names or are popular to name their children i.e Sophia, Adam, Imaan, etc. I say name your child whatever you want without worrying if Jim or Jennifer can prononce it. Their parents weren't taking of whether Farax and Halimo can prononce their child's name.

[Baluug]

Somali people are the ones who westernized my name, they always call me Lee.

[Jacaylbaro]

Yeah , they call you Lee coz you write Leebaan instead of Liibaan ,,

[Lois Lane]

I think sometimes people have a wrong sense of pride. By that I mean, instead of being proud of our culture, our traditions our country and so on..we get stuck in trivial things like being proud of a tribe. Thus important matters like Somali names and culture pass us by in our quest to adapt or integrate in a society that isnt ours.

 

I see this specially in youth and younger parents trying their hardest to find names for their children that can be easily pronounced by others. Whatever!

 

So to all those that correct whomever (boss, teacher,) that tries to shortened their name or ask for the "english version" (yes i heard that) I salute you. Our name is our identity

[Fabregas]

mo fara

[Blessed]

Is this an American thing, can't say I've come across any adults who do this in the UK.

 

I asked hooyo for a new name the other day... I've an Arabic name that has been seriously made over by Somalis and I'm constantly being told that is wrong by Arabs and other Muslims. It deson't help that every Arab clerk that I deal with shares my name which forces to have the same boring discussion over and over again. Magacii waaban sanifay.