Why Osmaniya Script (Somali historic script) hasn't been adopted as official?

[NASSIR]

Recently, i came across this interview with Micheal Everson who is expert in writing system. It was really interesting to learn such script existed in our history . In fact the script is so beautiful and intriguing that i initiated an effort to learn it personally.

 

 

Given your considerable expertise in extinct scripts, how would you characterize the foundations and the structure of the Osmania script?

 

Structurally, Osmanya is a simple left-to-right alphabet with 22 consonants and 8 vowels. Three of those vowels are long vowels; the consonants WAW and YA are used to represent the other two long vowels UU and II. The Osmanya alphabet is very well suited to represent the sounds of the Somali language, in just the same way as the new Latin orthography does. The alphabetical order of Osmanya shows the influence of the Arabic script. The shapes of its letters are simple, to recognize and easy to write. It is a marvellous invention.

 

 

To learn about Osmaniya script, please visit

 

http://std.dkuug.dk/JTC1/SC2/WG2/docs/n2361r.pdf

 

 

To read about the interview, visit here.

 

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

[Nationalist]

To answer your question Nassir:

 

1- It resembles the writing script of the Amhara.

 

2- It's associated by many tribalist Somalis as a script of a certain clan. Thus adopting it would be proof for them that this clan is more superior than others.

 

 

Personally, I'm deeply sorrowed that the Usmaniya script has not been adopted. It's a beautiful script, even though it resembles that of our Ethiopian brothers.

These days, a minority in Puntland can read and write Usmaniya and the newspaper Horseed stopped publishing after Siad Barre's coup.

Micheal Everson drastically enhanced the chance that the usmaniya alphabet might be of some importance in our lives in the future because of his effort. My clan always had good experiences with the Irish, in contrast with their British neighbours. First Gerald Hanley and now Micheal Everson?

[Som@li]

Osmaniya is our own script, but with the logistics availabe, it might have been difficult to teach and scholars at that time chose the latin script, when the current latin script was introduced in somalia in early 70s, the literacy rate rose very quickly in a short time,,,and also u can see how somalis may use of the internet these days..so i believe abondaning Osmaniya script was the right choise.

[NASSIR]

Originally posted by Nationalist:

To answer your question Nassir:

 

2- It's associated by many tribalist Somalis as a script of a certain clan. Thus adopting it would be proof for them that this clan is more superior than others.

thanks Nationalist for your response. I concur with your point but why do we seemed to be lenient with others demonstration of superiority by adopting their way of life, civilization, history and direction when we had our own?

 

What if Sultan Kenediid Osman was of an Arab. I am sure many of us would have considered his inventions sacred.

[NASSIR]

Originally posted by Farxan:

Osmaniya is our own script, but with the logistics availabe, it might have been difficult to teach and scholars at that time chose the latin script, when the current latin script was introduced in somalia in early 70s, the literacy rate rose very quickly in a short time,,,and also u can see how somalis may use of the internet these days..so i believe abondaning Osmaniya script was the right choise.

I believe most of our scholars or professors who thought the major institutions of education like Lafoole were product of 1960s before we have adopted the latin script and because of that we had high quality of literacy.

 

Thanks for Everson for designing Osmaniya scrip fonts and keyboard orthography

 

I designed an Osmanya font very quickly to prepare the script proposal. That's why the fonts in the proposal documents are -- in my own opinion -- very rough and crude. Recently I began to "clean up" my fonts, to give to them sharp and typographically professional shapes. I expect that some time next year I will release them to the general public. I can say one thing -- if I were able to get hold of an original printed source it would be easier to improve the font, because an original document would be superior to the photocopy which I have at present.

[Mutakalim]

Originally posted by Nationalist:

To answer your question Nassir:

 

1- It resembles the writing script of the Amhara.

 

2- It's associated by many tribalist Somalis as a script of a certain clan. Thus adopting it would be proof for them that this clan is more superior than others.

 

 

These days, a minority in Puntland can read and write Usmaniya and the newspaper Horseed stopped publishing after Siad Barre's coup.

I consistently use the Usmaniyyah script when I am reading and/or taking notes. Also, many of my collegues are also acquainted with the use of the Usmaniyyah script. It is not a script used by a single clan. In other words, the abandonment of this script by the majority of Somalis has nothing to do with what you refer to as "tribal associations".

 

First, the Usmaniyyah script does not resemble the Amxaro script at all. The similarities are so miniscule so as to be negligible. Second, to say that the afore-mentioned script, if adopted, would give a clan a form of "superiority" is simply foolish and ill-concieved. I suppose tribalists will, naturally, have qualms over everything and anything, but they had no bearing on the abandonment of the Usmaniyyah Script.

 

If you consult authortative sources on the history of the Somali written language, then you shall find that the rationale for not adopting the usmaniyyah script was due to the influence of colonial masters. In fact, Somalis intially wanted to espouse either Arabic or the Usmaniyyah scripts as the formal written script of communication. The hegemony of colonilal rulers discouraged the use of an original somali script. Hence, the adoption of the Latin alphabets and orthography.

 

With Salaams

PK

[NASSIR]

Thanks Mutakalim for your clarification. You are truly well-educated brother we turn to for important subjects.

[Yusufaddie]

i totally agree that the osmaniyyah script should be used as it increases the somali civilization and quiet frankly under an islamic banner it would not be deemed a clan script. I have made it into a font on my PC thanx to a kufr friend and am trying to make a somali-english english-somali translator program using the script, what makes it hard is that i am still learning somali and only reache "iska warran"

[General Duke]

Osman Yusuf;s script should be taught to all Somali's who want to learn it. However the latin script will remain as the main method of writting the Somali language.

 

Its important that many of us learn as much of our heritage as possible. We need to also learn the Af May Somali langauge. Diversity is quite important aspect of strengthening a culture and enriching a civilisation.

[Yusufaddie]

i have been searching to find the actual MAay Maay script but did not find anything. anyone knows where to find it?

[Nationalist]

Try buurhakaba.com

[Warmoog]

Brother Mutakalim,

I don’t think the “influence of colonial masters†to which you attributed the adoption of a national orthography based on the Latin script had significance of that magnitude.

[NASSIR]

Yasmin, Explain why do you object to the effect that colonial rulers had on the adoption of the script?

 

I completely agree with Mutakalim and Nationalist. Both arguments are valid. If you have different one, feel free to put forward.

[Warmoog]

Well, I think the colonial influence factor was minimal for several reasons. Firstly, the script debate came into focus during a period in Somali history when the regime was widely associated with a rejection of colonialism, having initiated a cultural revival as an assertion of Somali identity and nationalism (or what could be described as an amalgamation of the two things). The script issue and its resolution are historically linked to the October Revolution for this reason, but these events came into fruition well after colonial administrators left the region.

 

Although I can't comment on the nature of Somalia's relationship with Italy during the 1960s (because I know nothing of it), we know its relationship with Britain was strained for a number of years as a result of the border dispute with Kenya. Strained might actually be an understatement because diplomatic ties were at one point severed for about 5 years so, considering the period was one whose events could be seen as precursors to the developments of 1972, I highly doubt Britain had enough room in which to exercise its influence and dictate or even sway decisive ruling in the script debate.

 

Nationalist said that the Osmaniya script was rejected because of its tribal association and, although I think the suggestion served little purpose beyond the attempted inflation of a marginal issue (and so can understand why it was quickly deflated), it's still valid... and because it was valid, I really don't understand the grounds upon which Mutakallim found it worth contesting. In reality, the tribal factor was given some consideration, but it was a rather superficial concern when the more serious issues brought forth in the deliberation process were taken into account.

 

I believe the primary concern governing the final decision was one of practicality more than anything else. Printers used throughout the nation for instance (by newspapers, publishers, educational institutions, etc.), all remnants of the colonial presence, would need to be replaced if one of the native scripts were to be utilized. That would not only entail costly replacements of machinery, but would also require a reasonably lengthy period of time for those changes to take effect. The regime was aware of those potential setbacks and, opting for a solution that could be implemented quickly and with minimal expense, the Latin script was chosen for largely practical reasons... with a few modifications here and there to fully accommodate the Somali language.

[Mohamed nuur]

I personally think we should had something, something that would say somali when you see it, like thr chinnese writing or the japanasse(although i cant tell them between them).

 

Usamiya, i believe thought more about national identity than practicality and if we used all the money we use now or the money we use in one year, to my knowlodge, we would have pulled off of this language without a hitch.

 

although they are some limits, i think cost or replacing had little to do with it, think the expiriance a somali metal man would have gained in replacing old colonial machines, think about the boost in economy and think about what it would have started., instead of men with guns, i believe we would had men iwth knowlodge and business practiciality.

 

and for me, if you could giveme more site, think would focis largely on learning this letters and deciphring the letters, i will also try to teach this language(the letters) if i ever learn it.

 

and may be who now, we can start something me and Nassir.

 

If you are as interested as me in this conatct me at Scabdirisaq@yahoo.com