Why do they call it Somaliland?

juba · December 31, 2005

somalia is italian??

i thought SOO MAALIA meant "to milk" = soo maal ofcourse meaning to milk the camel. The camel is so much a part of our life that it became a part of our countries name!

thats what i've been told :confused:

Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar · December 31, 2005

Originally posted by juba:

somalia is italian??

i thought SOO MAALIA meant "to milk" = soo maal ofcourse meaning to milk the camel. The camel is so much a part of our life that it became a part of our countries name!

thats what i've been told :confused:

What they are talking about isn't the whole word, e.i Soomaali, but the added suffix xaraf [letter] of "a" at the end.

Since we called ourselves Soomaali time immemorial, however when Talyaanis arrived, they added a suffix letter "a" at the end, to call their carved part of the country "Soomaalia Italiana." It isn't proven that much, though some Soomaalis assume. It is possible we Soomaalis might have used Soomaaliya before they arrived, too.

Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar · December 31, 2005

Originally posted by juba:

somalia is italian??

i thought SOO MAALIA meant "to milk" = soo maal ofcourse meaning to milk the camel. The camel is so much a part of our life that it became a part of our countries name!

thats what i've been told :confused:

What they are talking about isn't the whole word, e.i Soomaali, but the added suffix xaraf [letter] of "a" at the end.

Since we called ourselves Soomaali time immemorial, however when Talyaanis arrived, they added a suffix letter "a" at the end, to call their carved part of the country "Soomaalia Italiana." It isn't proven that much, though some Soomaalis assume. It is possible we Soomaalis might have used Soomaaliya before they arrived, too.

Maf Kees · December 31, 2005

Its unfair and degrading to say that Somalia with the a-suffix stems from the colonial period. Former British, French and Dutch colonies from India and Nigeria to Cambodia and Indonesia end with the a-suffix. Its the international way to describe the land of a people by adding the a-suffix. Had we not been colonised, our name would have been Somalia as well. Just like our ever-independant neighbour Ethiopia or before that Abbysinia.

Maf Kees · December 31, 2005

Its unfair and degrading to say that Somalia with the a-suffix stems from the colonial period. Former British, French and Dutch colonies from India and Nigeria to Cambodia and Indonesia end with the a-suffix. Its the international way to describe the land of a people by adding the a-suffix. Had we not been colonised, our name would have been Somalia as well. Just like our ever-independant neighbour Ethiopia or before that Abbysinia.

Suldaanka · December 31, 2005

It is possible we Soomaalis might have used Soomaaliya before they arrived, too

The Arabs used to refer to the Somali inhabited lands as "Ardul-Soo-maal", hence where the British got "Somaliland" from.

There was no such thing as a land that was officially refered to as Somalia prior to the Italian colonisers. That is just a fact. Yes, the name conforms to the universal latin naming convention, but there is just no way that Somalis ever refered to their land as Somalia.

Only in Italy and other latino speaking areas would one find more "ia" in country names like "Norwegia" instead of "Norway" or "Germania" instead of "Germany". They even add the "a" into "New Zealand" which becomes "New Zealanda", and "Finland" becomes "Finlandia". In theory, the Italians refer Somaliland to "Somalilanda" or "Somalilandia"

I think that is that...

I have a question which is remotely somewhat related to the topic at hand. If the origin of "Somali" is said to be from the word "Soo maal", then I was wondering where the "i" in "Somali" came from? It sounds like an import to me. Any idea?

Suldaanka · December 31, 2005

It is possible we Soomaalis might have used Soomaaliya before they arrived, too

The Arabs used to refer to the Somali inhabited lands as "Ardul-Soo-maal", hence where the British got "Somaliland" from.

There was no such thing as a land that was officially refered to as Somalia prior to the Italian colonisers. That is just a fact. Yes, the name conforms to the universal latin naming convention, but there is just no way that Somalis ever refered to their land as Somalia.

Only in Italy and other latino speaking areas would one find more "ia" in country names like "Norwegia" instead of "Norway" or "Germania" instead of "Germany". They even add the "a" into "New Zealand" which becomes "New Zealanda", and "Finland" becomes "Finlandia". In theory, the Italians refer Somaliland to "Somalilanda" or "Somalilandia"

I think that is that...

I have a question which is remotely somewhat related to the topic at hand. If the origin of "Somali" is said to be from the word "Soo maal", then I was wondering where the "i" in "Somali" came from? It sounds like an import to me. Any idea?

Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar · January 1, 2006

Salaan...

The Arabs used to refer to the Somali inhabited lands as "Ardul-Soo-maal", hence where the British got "Somaliland" from.

Carabta dhulka Soomaalida dhan dagan ayee "Ardu Soomaal," wax, oo gobolo maku ekeyn. This itself attests the partial independence and nationhood of Soomaalis before gumeysi came.

There was no such thing as a land that was officially refered to as Somalia prior to the Italian colonisers.

There was such a land called Soomaali intee gumeysidoon imaan. Kii Gaarisa joogay iyo kii maanta meesha Jabuuti la dhaho joogay knew one another inay Soomaali yihiin oo qof iskaga xigo jirin.This is what the gumeysidoon recognized as well, indeed each calling their own carved land "Soomaali" something. If Europeans meeting in Germany in late 19th century can in fact recognize those lands were inhabited by Soomaalis. That speaks volumes. Soomaali history certainly didn't start with gumeysidoon. The important thing, even if the gumeysidoon hadn't recognized that fact, is Soomaalis recognized themselves and knew where each inhabited. They may not had had a centrally organized government, but there certainly was an imagined border. Lest ee duulaan qolo kale shisheeye ku qaadaan and thus expand some land ma'ahee, inta kale wee ogaayeen where their land was. Today looks the same, only with more weapons and more so-called adminstrations. Those nomads freely go to and fro Soomaali Galbeed or NFD even today.

I have a question which is remotely somewhat related to the topic at hand. If the origin of "Somali" is said to be from the word "Soo maal", then I was wondering where the "i" in "Somali" came from? It sounds like an import to me. Any idea?

Soomaali language follows the common pattern of some Cushitic/Semitic speakers adding commonly an "i" suffix at the end of some nouns, particularly when it comes to nationality. Examples: Ciraaqi, Masri, Sacuudi, Yemeni, Suudaani, Kuwaiti, Israeli, Armeni, Cumaani, Turki, Baxreyni, Falastiini, Iirani, Qadari, Jabuuti, Hindi, et cetera, et cetera.

I firmly believe gumeysi has nothing to do with our name Soomaaliya. And I firmly as well believe it was there before the Talyaaniga called the South "Somalia Italiana." Soomaaliya can possibly be found in Soomaali language, and it cannot be compared a downright foreign name like "Soomaaliland." I would rather take Soomaalistan anyday than that blatant colonial name.

And keep in mind, lest we forgot, about a region called "Oromia" or as Oromos call "Oromiya." Since they have the closest sister language to Soomaali, and the "Oromiya" finely fits the pattern of Soomaaliya, what about it? Was it as well named by Talyaaniga in their brief control of the most Horn? Methinks not.

Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar · January 1, 2006