Arabic loanwords in the Somali language thread

[Azirah Anonymous]

aqli, caadi, cajeeb, saxib, miskeen, qaali

The only thing I don't like is the fact that ayrabs like to eavesdrop whenever they hear Somalis speak. Makes me wish I could speak swahili with my friends.

 

[Rocca Littorio]

At my university, I live with some Arabs and it honestly confusing how much I can pick up on similar words.

I usually just sit and just silently take note.

 

[.279]

That's Northern Somali dialect Djibouti / Sonalilland and a bit of North East Somalia

The more South you go the language changes and is completely different when you reach Kenya.

But good and bad news our superior Northern dialect is being spread by their government in the South by their State TV. I kinda hate this because our differences make us stronger and more fun to laugh at each other using certain words

Yo they speak the northern dialect when they're trying to sound fancy. Says it all lool, we win

 

[Rocca Littorio]

aqli, caadi, cajeeb, saxib, miskeen, qaali

The only thing I don't like is the fact that ayrabs like to eavesdrop whenever they hear Somalis speak. Makes me wish I could speak swahili with my friends.

Swahili is more Arab like than Somali.

Somalis at least changed the words a bit, Kenyans just copy and pasted Arab words and use it.

 

[Dalmoor]

One somali region with more arabic loan words doesn't make Somali language full of loan words, there are other places with almost all the things said in somali language

 

[Rocca Littorio]

No 1. for my SL Friends.

ICTIRAAF.

 

[Azirah Anonymous]

Swahili is more Arab like than Somali.

Somalis at least changed the words a bit, Kenyans just copy and pasted Arab words and use it.

really? Didn't know this, the swahili I've heard sounded so foreign

 

[Azirah Anonymous]

does anyone know if xabxab (watermelon) is arabic? Someone once said it was amharic. Yemenis say xabxab too though I believe.

 

[Rocca Littorio]

One somali region with more arabic loan words doesn't make Somali language full of loan words, there are other places with almost all the things said in somali language

This is a stupid premise.

Somalis have been using Arab loan words for centuries, as with Kenyans and Tanzanians.

Maybe SL uses Arabic a lot more but that does not mean that Arabic isn't a major part of the Somali language.

 

[Rocca Littorio]

does anyone know if xabxab (watermelon) is arabic? Someone once said it was amharic. Yemenis say xabxab too though I believe.

Xab Xab is slang arabic.

Baatiix is conventional arabic.

 

[Rocca Littorio]

really? Didn't know this, the swahili I've heard sounded so foreign

The name Swahili itself comes from Sawahil (Coasts).

 

[Dalmoor]

Guys I created this thread so we could list all
Arabic loanwords we have in our Somali language.

Such as

Milx
Muwaadiin
etc.etc. there are many

Add more to the list let's go.

Milix Cusbo

kursi (chair)

Kursi fadhi ama gambar= even tho it's three legged chair

caadi
albaab

Albaab heard there's another word for this, Irid

Caadi fcn lol

so
These were good ones. Never heared the other ones much.

NacAllah - لعنة الله
Dariiq - طريق

Dariiq jid ama wadda... There's also dhabo

Digaag
Maraq
Sacad
Farxad
Xaaqin
Macaliin
And many more here is a PDF that includes 300 Arabic loan words
http://www.academia.edu/4874976/300_Arabic_Loan_Verbs_in_Somali

I'll only try the ones Ik.. I'm not expert on this, so bear with me, lol
Digaag there are some people who use doorey.. idk
Maraq suugo
Macalin wadaad... it seems to be macalin, cause of Islam influence

 

[Dalmoor]

This is a stupid premise.

Somalis have been using Arab loan words for centuries, as with Kenyans and Tanzanians.

Maybe SL uses Arabic a lot more but that does not mean that Arabic isn't a major part of the Somali language.

Do all the Somalis speak Arabised Somali? don't jump to conclusion... what about the miyi/baadiyo people.... they use their own words, c'mon don't be a foolish some I'd seen even had oromo-like words and not arabic..

 

[Defendant]

looool

loooool how we change arabic names is funny to me

Abu Bakr, - Obokor
Musse - Musa
Adam - adan
Hawa Xawo

I love it though, we make it our own

They even call the Imam who leads Prayers:

Iman?!!?!!?

That's when I gave up.

 

[Dalmoor]

They even call the Imam who leads Prayers:

Iman?!!?!!?

That's when I gave up.

Those are the ones who can't pronounce much, hence they say it like that.. However the word Iman can be used like Imaan.. like Imaanka alla kaa qaad

Those who know say it right which is Imaam/imam..

 

[Dalmoor]

Swahili is more Arab like than Somali.

Somalis at least changed the words a bit, Kenyans just copy and pasted Arab words and use it.

You're right with this one.. I speak swahili too, so I know what you mean by that.. however tanzanian swahili is more accurate than the one in Kenya..

 

[Rocca Littorio]

Do all the Somalis speak Arabised Somali? don't jump to conclusion... what about the miyi/baadiyo people.... they use their own words, c'mon don't be a foolish some I'd seen even had oromo-like words and not arabic..

I am from Mudug, the heartland of traditional Somali.

My parents sent me to Mudug at 6 for 2 weeks and for 3 months when I was 15 to learn Soomali rasmi.

I noticed that there are 4 ways of speaking Somali:

1. Arabic based Somali: Spoken by most Somalis (Either knowingly or unknowningly)

2. English based Somali: The future of Somali (diaspora are already mixing English w Somali)

3. Italian based Somali: The language of the kacaan generation and Xamar residents (almost dead)

4. Oromo based Somali: What reer baadiyo are starting to speak (worst case scenario)


Out of all of these options, I would prefer Somali with Arabic loan words.

 

[Lamiis]

Xab Xab is slang arabic.

Baatiix is conventional arabic.

What is baatiix?

 

[Azirah Anonymous]

They even call the Imam who leads Prayers:

Iman?!!?!!?

That's when I gave up.

And I still don't get how some somalis say manshaAllah instead of mashaAllah, where the 'n' come from

 

[Rocca Littorio]

What is baatiix?

Watermelon: البطيخ