The confusion surrounding Garre languages

Apollo

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Many Somalis seem confused about the status of the Garre dialects.

This confusion largely stems from the fact that many Somalis believe there are only two Somali dialects (Af Maay and Maxa Tiri).

While it is true the Somali dialects can roughly be divided into a Northern Dialect line, there are a number of dialects in Southern Somalia which are divergent from Af Maay.

Af Garre or Af Maahaw is another dialect spoken in Southern Somalia. This is the original proper Somali dialect of Garre people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garre_language

There are also Garre speakers who live in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia speaking the various local dialects.

Some Garre also speak Af Maay.

Others speak Af Maxa Tiri.

A last group speaks a dialect of Booran which many Somalis incorrectly label as Af Garre. The Garre came into contact with the Oromo lost their original dialect and diverged to an Oromo one. Remnants of Garre are found in Sakuya, Gabbra and Rendille ethnic group as well as Rahanweyn in Somalia. Some Garre also made it the coastal areas; the Bajun have a clan named Karre.

Some linguistics believe that Wa Boni or Boni could have originally been Garre speakers who fled the Oromo into the bushes and picked up a hunter gatherer lifestyle from the Dahalo or South Cushitic groups. Over time, the Boni have mixed with Oromo, Bantu and maroon slaves.


This girl is speaking Af Booran in the Garre dialect. Most Somalis would not understand this.
 
How closely related are the Boran and Garreh languages? Before the Northern Somalis pushed the Gallas out of the land I'm sure the Garreh were also targeted due to them being from a different branch. The Borana and Wardei were cleansed from the South hundreds of years ago, but they had a presence.
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I.M. Lewis referred to the Garreh as "Not true Somalis" I'm sure the differences in dialect would lead him to that conclusion however he emphasizes their inferiority in intelligence when compared to "true somalis".

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How closely related are the Boran and Garreh languages? Before the Northern Somalis pushed the Gallas out of the land I'm sure the Garreh were also targeted due to them being from a different branch. The Borana and Wardei were cleansed from the South hundreds of years ago, but they had a presence.
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I.M. Lewis referred to the Garreh as "Not true Somalis" I'm sure the differences in dialect would lead him to that conclusion however he emphasizes their inferiority in intelligence when compared to "true somalis".

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The garre are definitely true somalis. There are some karanle hawiye who live in babille ethiopia who speak afaan oromo as well. And don’t take what the cadaan man who calls u a “savage” seriously sxb.
 

Som

VIP
Maay and Garre are separate languages.
Maxaa tiri somali is probably a more arabized form of Maay which is more cushitic.
Pure Garre and Maay are very difficult to undrestand.
Forget about modern af Maay, they use too many maxaa tiri words now
 

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