THE SOMALI ALPHABETS

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

I'm curious, how long have somalians been using 'ENGLISH' letters for their writings.

I would assume that this is a new phenomena due to Colonialism.

Does anyone know?

I know that before the Fall of the Ottomon Empire, Turkish people used to writing in arabic. But it was changed to Latin by Kamal At-Turk.

 

This is very interesting and really is something to reflect on. How self defeatist a nation can become intrying to imitate its conquerers and modenity!!!

[Baashi]

Khayr, Somalia adopted Latin alphapet in 1972. before that learned people had used Arabic, Osmaniya, and Latin alphapet for correspondence and other uses. Here is a Osmaniya alphapet and its history.

[miles-militis]

Could not agree with you more on this one Khayr - “How self defeatist a nation can become in trying to imitate its conquerers and modernity”. Are you familiar with the human condition and phenomenon termed as “Stockholm syndrome” where victims begin not only sympathising with their captors but also literally fighting and dying in many cases in the advancement of the cause and legacy of the colonisers, as is the case in many instances including why we are communicating in English when we could do so it Somali.

 

Now to answer your question, yes I trust there were two forms of language used in pre-colonial Somalia: one was local, the other Arabic. The former known as Uthmania was commonly used in NorthEastern regions of Somalia (what is Puntland of the present day) in writing letters, poetry, keeping journals, publishing bulletins, and books as late as just before the 1972 when it was agreed that the Latin alphabet was going to be the national manuscripts for economic and ignorant reasons on the part of the men and women with whom the role of determining the national handwriting was entrusted. Arabic and Uthmania were decided against both for reasons of association: the former for not being identified with the Arabisation that was taking shape in the North Africa and Arabian Peninsula against which the colonies argued, and the other for it was identified with a region rather than the whole country. For further research and what the Uthmania manuscripts look like, please refer to this link. http://somalinet.com/library/osmanya/. Just a sample of how it is written in the name of the proponent of the Uthmania manuscripts – the late Cisman Yussuf Keenadiid, a poet, a playwright, and the author of the first Somali dictionary.

 

I understand there is a movement to revitalise this handwriting in some intellectual corners.

 

There you have it.

So long!

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

The Usmaniya writing was only started in the 20th century to combat Arabic and the qadriyya tariqa.

Before the 20th century, what alphabets did we use?

I am trying to find about this information b/c I believe that it is important to know your history.

 

Let me know, inshallah!

Thanks for the response

[miles-militis]

It actually had been in use for a lot longer than that, but was only commissioned in the early 1900so as to break from the traditional oral methods of sharing information and passing on the rich heritage in its various formats. Lack of technical expertise and wherewithal were the main reasons for not having the Uthmania manuscript in place before that.

 

And by the way in case you are interested very soon you will be able to actually type on your keyboard in Uthmania the same way that you do with Arabic. I understand the project is in its final stages, keyboards have been tested and approved, surviving authors of the manuscripts have been working with language and technical experts for a number of years now to have the first newsletter in Uthmania published in many years – I trust Horseed which used to be the newsletter in publication in the 60s and early seventies will remain the name of the new publication. So after all an indigenous manuscript of our own on the news stand!

 

Would be interested to know what you find out. Best of luck with your research!

 

So long!

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

I spoke to my parents and I have never heard of this Usmaniyya writing. What I have heard is the Somali Language was an oral language and that it wasn't written but rather transmitted orally i.e. Through Speech

For writing, somalis used arabic.

 

Judging by the number of responses to this topic,

I don't think too many people really can relate to this 'Usmaniyya' writting. I know for one I can't and it looks very Alien to me. But inshallah, I am keen to learn new things.

What are the alphabets for this Usmaniyya?

[BN]

Originally posted by Khayr:

I know for one I can't and it looks very Alien to me.

Of course something that you have never heard of or seen will seem strange at first-that's natural. In 1961 both the Latin and Osmanya scripts were adopted for use in Somalia, but in 1969 there was a coup, with one of its stated aims the resolution of the debate over the country’s writing system. Latin orthography was adopted finally in 1973(Yet another 'gift' from Siyaad)

 

What is 'Alien' is that Somalis have to use a foreign(Colonizer's) alphabet to write their own language. :mad: Have we been brainwashed into to thinking that we have to use western 'civilized' Latin script? :confused: I would rather use our own script--but it does not have to be Osmanya script. Any Somali script is better then a foreign one.

 

The alphabet's are simple enough and are specialized to the Somali language. Osmanya is a simple alphabetic script, read from left to right in horizontal lines running from top to bottom. It has 22 consonants and 8 vowels. Unique long vowels are written for AA, EE, and OO; long UU and II are written with the consonants WAW and YA.

 

There is a PDF file called 'Afkeenna iyo fartiisa', which is written in Osmanya/latin with some English translation.

 

http://www.evertype.com/standards/iso10646/pdf/afkeenna-iyo-fartiisa.pdf

 

 

For more info:

http://somalinet.com/library/osmaniya/?show=micheal_int

 

P.S. It also says that they are creating a computer font.

[BN]

Originally posted by OG_Girl:

Bari_Nomad : Did u say another Gift from "Seyad Bare"!!!! can u tell me what other gifts!

OG_Girl,

I was being sarcastic. Meaning he hasn't given anything good to Somalis. Other 'gifts' include the animosity created btw different tribes, the destructive war of 1977/78, the lack of development outside Xamar, the militaristic society he create, his bombing of hargeisa and Xamar on his way out, etc. Next time I'll make sure to break it down for ya

 

P.S. the quotation was on the word "gift" not Siyaad