Mainstream theory:
Samaale, the oldest common ancestor of several Somali clans, is generally regarded as the source of the ethnonym Somali. The name "Somali" is, in turn, held to be derived from the words soo and maal, which together mean "go and milk" — a reference to the ubiquitous pastoralism of the Somali people.[49] Another plausible etymology proposes that the term Somali is derived from the Arabic for "wealthy" (dhawamaal), again referring to Somali riches in livestock.[50]
Alternatively, the ethnonym Somali is believed to have been derived from the Automoli (Asmach), a group of warriors from ancient Egypt described by Herodotus, who were likely of Meshwesh origin according to Flinders Petrie. Asmach is thought to have been their Egyptian name, with Automoli being a Greek derivative of the Hebrew word Semoli (meaning "on the left hand side").[51]
An Ancient Chinese document from the 9th century CE referred to the northern Somalia coast — which was then part of a broader region in Northeast Africa known as Barbara, in reference to the area's Berber (Cushitic) inhabitants[52] — as Po-pa-li.[53][54] The first clear written reference of the sobriquet Somali, however, dates back to the 15th century. During the conflict between the Sultanate of Ifat based at Zeila and the Solomonic Dynasty, the Abyssinian emperor had one of his court officials compose a hymn celebrating a military victory over the Sultan of Ifat's eponymous troops.[55] Simur was also an ancient Harari alias for the Somali people.[56]
Libaaxseendheer's interpretations:
The people of the horn africa have been known indiscriminately as berbers since the 1st century AD .Theyve been referred to as such by a greek traveller and author of the book Periplus of the Erythrean Sea. And since then the region was known as bilad albarbar. The last mention or designation of the people of the horn of africa as berber was by Moroccan explorer Ibn Batuta, when he arrived at zeilac in 1330 AD.
The first mention of the name somali in any text was in the Futuh Al Habesh written in the early 1500s and ever since, it has replaced the one thousand three hundred and 30 year standing( possibly even longer) name of berber:From the Periplus to Ibn Batuta.What took place in that span of time, between 1330 and 1500? What took place in that period of 200 years that has completely changed the name of the region? Who was born at that time?
Isma'il Al Jabarti the sufi saint known to the entire islamic world was born 722 hijri/1322 AD and passed the 15th of Rajab 806 hijri/1406 AD. He fathered Dawud bin Isma'il who immigrated to northern somalia. He there married Dombira from the the Eisa Dir. His lineage was called Isma'ili and his host/supporter tribes adopted his name. In essence a caliphate was born. In a caliphate the royal family's name is taken on by the subject people, like the Abbasids. The royal blood have lineal claims to the Abbas Ibn Abdul-Muttalib, while the supporters were only politically Abbasid.
In the book Futuh Al Habesh. The majority of the High Ranking Generals called somali were all Darood(Mataan, Nur, Hirabu etc). The second most involved somali tribe were the Dir. This Explains the old somali saying "somali is dir and daarood". The somali identity started from the dir and daarood and spread, engulfing the other berber tribes and it is noteworthy that even today more and more cushite/berbers are being incorporated(rahanweyn). It would seem that in the future many more cushites shall be absorbed into the somali identity.
Theres need to to mention a most heinous fabrication that has begun to circulate in the somali community, one that has not even a complete century of existence. That is the samaal hiil abroon nonesense that is being concocted in broad daylight. There are several faults in this 20th century legend. I shall list them as follows.
soomaali or samaale was not a people encountered in the horn of africa prior to 1500. The arabs dont record a somali nor do the romans and certainly the greeks have not either. The hawiye(one of the the supposed descendants of samaale) were not consider to be part of the somali identity(because as we've stated before, it was a political caliphate similar to the Abbasids and others) although they were considered to be part of the berber identity by Ibn batuta. i cannot stress enough: Every somali was a berber but not every berber was part of the somali caliphate . The somali caliphate is a growing identity that absorbed many cushites of the region and it is still growing as rahanweyn have now become part of the caliphate and many oromos that live amongst the somali are adopting the somali identity). Lastly, samaale could not have been the one born in that window of change period of 1330-1500 because zeila and berbera were booming ports thousands of years prior and we both agree ghosts weren't working the docks. It was the Dir, the supposed grandson of samaale ,who lived in those cities. Now tell me how a grandson could be alive before his grandfather?
In conclusion, the strongest theory of the origin of the name somali is Isma'il bin Ibrahim Aljabarti.
@Crow @Farm @Abdalla @DR OSMAN @Reiko @PuntiteQueen @MSGA @Reer-Bari @Shaolin23 @Teeri-Alpha @diaby @Manzana @Ferrari
Samaale, the oldest common ancestor of several Somali clans, is generally regarded as the source of the ethnonym Somali. The name "Somali" is, in turn, held to be derived from the words soo and maal, which together mean "go and milk" — a reference to the ubiquitous pastoralism of the Somali people.[49] Another plausible etymology proposes that the term Somali is derived from the Arabic for "wealthy" (dhawamaal), again referring to Somali riches in livestock.[50]
Alternatively, the ethnonym Somali is believed to have been derived from the Automoli (Asmach), a group of warriors from ancient Egypt described by Herodotus, who were likely of Meshwesh origin according to Flinders Petrie. Asmach is thought to have been their Egyptian name, with Automoli being a Greek derivative of the Hebrew word Semoli (meaning "on the left hand side").[51]
An Ancient Chinese document from the 9th century CE referred to the northern Somalia coast — which was then part of a broader region in Northeast Africa known as Barbara, in reference to the area's Berber (Cushitic) inhabitants[52] — as Po-pa-li.[53][54] The first clear written reference of the sobriquet Somali, however, dates back to the 15th century. During the conflict between the Sultanate of Ifat based at Zeila and the Solomonic Dynasty, the Abyssinian emperor had one of his court officials compose a hymn celebrating a military victory over the Sultan of Ifat's eponymous troops.[55] Simur was also an ancient Harari alias for the Somali people.[56]
Libaaxseendheer's interpretations:
The people of the horn africa have been known indiscriminately as berbers since the 1st century AD .Theyve been referred to as such by a greek traveller and author of the book Periplus of the Erythrean Sea. And since then the region was known as bilad albarbar. The last mention or designation of the people of the horn of africa as berber was by Moroccan explorer Ibn Batuta, when he arrived at zeilac in 1330 AD.
The first mention of the name somali in any text was in the Futuh Al Habesh written in the early 1500s and ever since, it has replaced the one thousand three hundred and 30 year standing( possibly even longer) name of berber:From the Periplus to Ibn Batuta.What took place in that span of time, between 1330 and 1500? What took place in that period of 200 years that has completely changed the name of the region? Who was born at that time?
Isma'il Al Jabarti the sufi saint known to the entire islamic world was born 722 hijri/1322 AD and passed the 15th of Rajab 806 hijri/1406 AD. He fathered Dawud bin Isma'il who immigrated to northern somalia. He there married Dombira from the the Eisa Dir. His lineage was called Isma'ili and his host/supporter tribes adopted his name. In essence a caliphate was born. In a caliphate the royal family's name is taken on by the subject people, like the Abbasids. The royal blood have lineal claims to the Abbas Ibn Abdul-Muttalib, while the supporters were only politically Abbasid.
In the book Futuh Al Habesh. The majority of the High Ranking Generals called somali were all Darood(Mataan, Nur, Hirabu etc). The second most involved somali tribe were the Dir. This Explains the old somali saying "somali is dir and daarood". The somali identity started from the dir and daarood and spread, engulfing the other berber tribes and it is noteworthy that even today more and more cushite/berbers are being incorporated(rahanweyn). It would seem that in the future many more cushites shall be absorbed into the somali identity.
Theres need to to mention a most heinous fabrication that has begun to circulate in the somali community, one that has not even a complete century of existence. That is the samaal hiil abroon nonesense that is being concocted in broad daylight. There are several faults in this 20th century legend. I shall list them as follows.
soomaali or samaale was not a people encountered in the horn of africa prior to 1500. The arabs dont record a somali nor do the romans and certainly the greeks have not either. The hawiye(one of the the supposed descendants of samaale) were not consider to be part of the somali identity(because as we've stated before, it was a political caliphate similar to the Abbasids and others) although they were considered to be part of the berber identity by Ibn batuta. i cannot stress enough: Every somali was a berber but not every berber was part of the somali caliphate . The somali caliphate is a growing identity that absorbed many cushites of the region and it is still growing as rahanweyn have now become part of the caliphate and many oromos that live amongst the somali are adopting the somali identity). Lastly, samaale could not have been the one born in that window of change period of 1330-1500 because zeila and berbera were booming ports thousands of years prior and we both agree ghosts weren't working the docks. It was the Dir, the supposed grandson of samaale ,who lived in those cities. Now tell me how a grandson could be alive before his grandfather?
In conclusion, the strongest theory of the origin of the name somali is Isma'il bin Ibrahim Aljabarti.
@Crow @Farm @Abdalla @DR OSMAN @Reiko @PuntiteQueen @MSGA @Reer-Bari @Shaolin23 @Teeri-Alpha @diaby @Manzana @Ferrari