SOMALI NICKNAMING

[Abtigiis]

Somali Nicknaming

 

Call a spade a spade seems to be the logic behind Somali nicknaming. When it comes to dubbing people with adjectives and pronouns, Somali’s must take the lead in the world. Nowadays, the prevalence of this practice might be on the decline, but that doesn’t mean it is abandoned all together. In fact, in a lot of small towns and villages nicknaming is as rampant as it ever was. I, for one, can not tell why and when this culture of sort has started. It is reasonable to assume that it has lived and evolved with the Somalis in their entire existence. Somalis are oral and informative society which might explain why it has continued for so long. The inception and pervasiveness of the tradition probably has to do with the necessity of distinguishing between persons, as few names are very widely used and there was little dissimilarity in their occupations.

 

As arbitrary as it appears from the surface, a closer examination reveals that Somali nicknaming, in general terms, follows a pattern. Here, I try to classify nicknames I encountered into different categories and to analyze why and how individuals assume labels in the form of epithets other than their names at birth.

 

One class of nicknames has its roots in the physiological look, strength and/or disability of the individual. Abdi Dheere (Abdi the Tall), Yusuf Badhi (Yusf with Buttocks), Dahir Tuur (Dahir the henchback), Hassen Xoogweyne (Hassen the strong) and the like describe the physical appearance of the individual. Some nicknames go as far as depicting the details of the looks of parts of the individual and can be offensive and impolite. Ali Ilka-Cadaawo (Ali with the teeth of the enemy), Ilmi san-foosto (Ilmi with the barrel nose), Hussen Indho-riyo (Hussen with the eyes of a goat), and Deek Kaneeco ( Deek the mosquito) certainly would not be passed with a shrug in other societies.

 

Even more embarrassing is the open use of words and phrases that describe the physical disability of the person. At a time when words like the blind, the handicapped, and the deaf are rightly discarded and replaced by visually impaired, people with disability and people with hearing disability respectively, Somalis cruelly make use of Langadhe (the lame), Dhagoole (the deaf), and Indhoole (the blind) for individuals with disability on a daily basis. While this can partially be explained by the limited vocabulary of the language with regard to physical disabilities, Somalis are resourceful and it should not have taken much for Somali linguists to find accurate substitutes. This is to say that the issue is not given due emphasis so far and it has not even been identified as a problem. In these cases, usually, the nicknames reflect the actual physical state of the individual.

 

The second classification of nicknames is based on personal behavior, attitude, and social relationship. These types of nicknames allow one to form an opinion, rightly or wrongly, on someone solely based on the name given to the person by his/her peers. And although not in all instances, the nicknames usually quite often shed light on the behaviour and personality of the individual. You can not expect Mahad Nag-Nagle (the one who bounces here and there) to be a calm and shy person; nor can Mohamed Raadhyoow (Mohamed the Radio) be a silent man. Geedi Caga-dable (Geedi the heel-footed) and Abullahi Masaa’ib (Abdullahi the disaster) surely are not saints. Expect a question of help or brace yourself for Shaxaad (to be begged) if you encounter Hassan wadno-qabad (Hassen the seizer of the heart), Ahmed Ma-qureecan (Ahmed-I had no breakfast) and Nuur gaajo (Nuur the hungry). Adan Qoys (Adan the family) is meant to describe an intolerably narrow person with clannish mentality. However, in rare instances at least, certain nicknames completely fail to characterize the behaviour of the individuals that subscribe to it. A number of years ago, when I met Abdi Tala-xun (Abdi the bad/ill-adviser), I was astonished to have received a very sound advice on an issue we discussed. In another instance, I found a man named Qaylo (the shouter) as the calmest of all passengers on a bus trip to Dire dawa. So, the nicknames could at times be misleading.

 

Sometimes, the legacy of childhood practices and labels could stick to a person and evolve as long as the individual is alive. A classic example of this can be provided. In 1990s, when a prominent Minster in Siyad Barre’s government died, the BBC Somali service read out condolences from friends and families, calling the deceased as Ahmed Mohammed Farah, a.k.a., Ina-lax- w-s (the son of the she-sheep F..ker). Obviously, this violates basic social etiquette and is abusive. Yet, the BBC went public with the name because few would have recognized the late Minster without the nickname.

 

These days two prominent somali’s who are alive and kicking are referred to as Suleiman Gaal (the unbeliever) and Matukate (the one who never prays). While this descriptions could have been valid at a period, there is no reason to believe the gentlemen are still behaving in the same way as when the name was given to them. A friend of mine, who recently came back from a trip to Hargeisa, told me that he prayed side by side with Sulieman Gaal in a mosque. It is common to hear people being called by nicknames that seem irrelevant at present but could have made sense at earlier time. A classmate of mine was called Jamac Biyoole (the water-boy), while the fact was that he was not doing any water-related works. Nicknames are most deceiving when they fall into this category.

 

On the positive side, while nicknames are widely used in Somali society irrespective of age, and sex, they are applied less so to women. Men view giving any offensive nicknames to women, or calling them by such a name even when it exists, as immoral. To a lesser degree, women make use of nicknames among themselves. If only the men could be sensitive among themselves and especially to the disabled as they are to women!

 

To conclude, Somalis are not alone in assigning more explanatory names to one another. However, they are perhaps the only society which still uses openly inflammatory descriptions and phrases that can harm the feeling of individuals. In light of civilization of the Somalis and increasing realization of the right for privacy, it is reasonable to expect Somalis to be self-protective and to refuse to accept nicknames that they perceive as ostracizing, in the future. Even these days, the use of nicknames is largely confined to small towns, and older generations.

 

Nicknames are the least of the troubles that befall on this nation, but it would be good to see civility is exercised and offensive ones are discarded in no time.

[Buuxo]

Good read, thanks for the clarification Mahad

 

I never knew somali nicknames could be misleading, til i met a person with 3-4 nicknames as his abtiris . I can't remember it but it was a description about his nose ,something about footsteps etc odd, only the dude was nothing like the nicknames but was happy to be know as that.

[N.O.R.F]

LooL

 

Good stuff A&T

[NGONGE]

I would love to know what you had for dinner last night, xaaji tusbax. Like a lady that struggled for nine months with pain and kkkicking ( ) you finally gave birth to two great threads.

 

Still, you may need to check some of the new names around these days. Adan-ipod, Seceed-Security and Libaan-late.

[Ibtisam]

^^^^Looool Are you kidding?? I know a guy called Digis (pan) I always feel embarrassed to call him that, but everyone shouts it out like it is caadi. I don't even know his real name, so I just wait till I catch his eye if I need to speak/ask him anything.

 

A&T I like this thread.

[SayidSomal]

Couple weeks in london i heard man being Call "Sac Magal" meaning "City Bull" and funny think is how i heard was; he was seating on bus, which wouldn't move untill he got off. The guy was huge, a towering figure and whilst passangers complained and moaned about him not getting off the bus, no one dared to go to him to tell him that.

 

Another somali man who knew him called "warya Sac Magal, ka soo deg baska" and that was when he got off the bus to everyone's relief. The man who knew him started to question 'sac magal' and he explained that the people and driver were rude to him, because he didn't have bus pass, so he just on the bus to annoy them. I later learned they guy had learning difficulty.

[Abtigiis]

Thanks Ibti. beleive it or not, Dr. cabdullahi Disti is a close friend of mine. Could it be him you are talking about; or another Disti? They are plenty.

 

Waryaa Ngonge, kuwaas ii soo uruuri dee. I mean kuwa casriga ah. Mida kale, when fire rages, dhuumashada iska daa. Anigu badow baan ahay laakiin adigu fulay baad tahay.

 

Edit- looooooooool@sac-magaalo.

[N.O.R.F]

A&T here

 

Do you want to know Ngonge's nickname?

[NGONGE]

^^^ A&T (no comment).

 

North,

I have no nickname. I'm like those tefal pans, nothing sticks. But my old man got a killer nickname.

[Abtigiis]

I knew someone must have covered this topic. I apogise for the redundency.

 

heleleleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (Lool inaga daaya saaxibayaal. let us use something we own)

 

Al Haasimii, waxaan ka helay kuwan. kaadidaa iga dhamaatay qosol!

 

KIISH BUUR

DIINNAARI

XAARAAN KU NAAX

XABAAL MARI WAA

BAAS ABUUR

HAAMAAN

DABA GEED

ISMA LURE

JINNI BOQOR

SHIDDO

DUULANE

DUULLAAN JECEL

KALIGII DUUL

COL U JOOG

COL LA KULAN

COLAAD

BUUBAA

GALEYR

KIISH BUUR

KIIMIKO

ILKO XANAF

KADARE

 

If I may add few in my areas

 

KOR-U-DHUUS

KABBAA-I-QABATAY

JINI-MAANUU

ISMAQIIQ

YAA II BIXI

 

I presume Ngonge's must be something Al-fulaan!

[SayidSomal]

I thin Rer Bari have the most sarcastic and misleading nicknames in the Somali peninsula,

 

They name the darks amongst them Cade or Carab

And the lightest among them Dhuxul or Madobe

[Malika]

^Waa loo qarineeya nooh!

 

Somali's are mean though,calling a spade a spade is something else but using someones physical features as means of identifying them is just mean..We had hebeel foosto,heblayo lugha xuun,Heblayo tuuro..bisinka! how mean that was, and those nick names are stuck on the individuals for the rest of their lives..Lol.

 

Okay..mine was, Kaligeed soqoo[i was such a loner]..Heh

[Blessed]

LOL@ Ngonge. I love your dads nick too. It rocks.

[MZanzi]

the funniest nick name that i ever heard was "CANDHO CARIIRI "

 

kaaga daran seedigis baa ninka ugu yeerayo nick name kiisa .....wale saan uqoslaayayba oohin iga imaatay maalinkas

[Geel_jire]

In downtown Muqdisho there is a building owned by a man called 'Maalin taajir' (Rich in one day).

 

I cant remember the exact details of how he got the name but I was told that he robbed someone/organization alot of money and thus became maalin taajir