Do you think African languages have hard grammar and are hard to learn?

[ሕጊ።።]

There isn't a lot of good content in African languages besides the big ones (Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba etc). Learning one of the smaller ones like Afar is next to impossible if you don't actually live there.

I saw some video of some white lady that learnt Somali through one textbook, a dictionary and talking to Somali's she works with

To my ears it sounded fluent

 

[embarassing]

For an english speaker, do you think its very hard or moderate?

I'm not sure tbh, some of the sounds might be difficult but it's probably not the hardest in the world. I'm not really knowledgeable about this subject.

Do you want to learn Somali?

 

[embarassing]

I saw some video of some white lady that learnt Somali through one textbook, a dictionary and talking to Somali's she works with

To my ears it sounded fluent

Best and quickest way to learn a language is to be among its speakers.

 

[SOMALI GENERAL]

We already have Bantu urban names

Shangaani

Chisimayu

Make Somalia Cushitic Again :siilaanyolaugh:

Are you sure they're bantu place names? Never heard of "Chisimayu" btw...

 

[ሕጊ።።]

Best and quickest way to learn a language is to be among its speakers.

It's always good to have a book though because there are some people that hate speaking and making mistakes lol

 

[adaharari]

I'm not sure tbh, some of the sounds might be difficult but it's probably not the hardest in the world. I'm not really knowledgeable about this subject.

Do you want to learn Somali?

I have thought about it once, but not many resources

 

[GeKo]

Swahili doesn't have as many rules as Somali does. It's grammar is easy to apply and doesn't have masculine/feminine version of words.
And Is really easy on the tongue (pronounciation) and a fairly new language.
I believe the older the language the more complex it becomes

 

[adaharari]

Swahili doesn't have as many rules as Somali does. It's grammar is easy to apply and doesn't have masculine/feminine version of words.
And Is really easy on the tongue (pronounciation) and a fairly new language.
I believe the older the language the more complex it becomes

Interesting
Do you speak it? What are the verb conjugations like?

 

[GeKo]

Interesting
Do you speak it? What are the verb conjugations like?

Yes but not fluent.
Usually the root verb doesn't change eg.
The main verb soma meaning read hasn't changed
Ninasoma- I am reading
Unasoma- You are reading
Anasoma- He/She is reading (Ana- is gender neutral)
Tunasoma- We are reading
Wanasoma- They are reading
The conjugates can be used with almost all verbs without the verb having to change (eg. sema=say would be ninasema,unasema etc..

While somali the verb changes, masculine/feminine, many other grammar rules.

 

[Ferrari]

Everything develops. Our culture, language and cuisine stagnated for over the last 500 years

fixed

 

[adaharari]

Yes but not fluent.
Usually the root verb doesn't change eg.
The main verb soma meaning read hasn't changed
Ninasoma- I am reading
Unasoma- You are reading
Anasoma- He/She is reading (Ana- is gender neutral)
Tunasoma- We are reading
Wanasoma- They are reading
The conjugates can be used with almost all verbs without the verb having to change (eg. sema=say would be ninasema,unasema etc..

While somali the verb changes, masculine/feminine, many other grammar rules.

Seems simple. What about if you change the tense?
How does it change in Somali?

 

[embarassing]

I have thought about it once, but not many resources

Why?

 

[adaharari]

Why?

Its interesting and big community here
But it will probably take years as its really different to harari

 

[embarassing]

Its interesting and big community here
But it will probably take years as its really different to harari

Oh alright. Depends on how dedicated you are to it.

 

[GeKo]

Seems simple. What about if you change the tense?
How does it change in Somali?

The main verb fiiri= look in Somali would be
Waan fiirinaya-I am looking
Wuu fiirinaya- He is looking
Way fiirinaysaa-She is looking
Way fiirinayaan- They are looking
Waan fiirinaynaa- We are looking

Check out this guy Sam of Somalia>> on Youtube. He makes Somali language videos.


The tenses in Swahili
rudi= return
Wamerudi- They have returned
Amerudi- He/She returned
Tumerudi- We have returned
Nimerudi-I have returned
The Nina- present tense becomes Nime past while the main verb is untouched.

 

[adaharari]

The main verb fiiri= look in Somali would be
Waan fiirinaya-I am looking
Wuu fiirinaya- He is looking
Way fiirinaysaa-She is looking
Way fiirinayaan- They are looking
Waan fiirinaynaa- We are looking

Check out this guy Sam of Somalia>> on Youtube. He makes Somali language videos.


The tenses in Swahili
rudi= return
Wamerudi- They have returned
Amerudi- He/She returned
Tumerudi- We have returned
Nimerudi-I have returned
The Nina- present tense becomes Nime past while the main verb is untouched.

So waan is techniclaly the 'I' part or not really?

Swahili seems very easy

 

[madamelioness]

Why would there be a Somali word for ice-cream? Sorry, I should've mentioned this, this doesn't include things that obviously didn't exist until recently among Somalis. Like gelato, fargeto, rejabeto, etc. I mean things like albab, waji, labis.

That's true but albaab itself is af carabi, we use irid for door.

 

[GeKo]

So waan is techniclaly the 'I' part or not really?

Swahili seems very easy

No waan is more of a proposition. The -naya part of fiirinaya indicates your taking about yourself. "Aniga meaning I", can be used but is kinda redundant so aniga waan fiirinaya= I am looking, can be said as well.

 

[embarassing]

That's true but albaab itself is af carabi, we use irid for door.

I know sis that's why I mentioned the word. My family uses both but I always say albab, it's what always first comes to mind.

 

[adaharari]

No waan is more of a proposition. The -naya part of fiirinaya indicates your taking about yourself. "Aniga meaning I", can be used but is kinda redundant so aniga waan fiirinaya= I am looking, can be said as well.

I see! Are the rest of the tenses easy with patterns, or hard?

Does the man in the video speak it properly