Why the somali waddad is a unqiue term

[Midas]

This is something that just occurred to me as I was thinking of islamic terminology. Somalis use the word waddad to refer to an Islamic scholar/sheikh. This is actually an extremly strange and unique thing when you think about. There is virtually no other islamic society when i looked into it which uses a non Arabic descended word to refer to an islamic scholar. This is also a clearly preislamic word for the priestly class. It seems like this is another sign of our pre-Islamic civilization which survived.

@Idilinaa @Shimbiris @NidarNidar

 

[Heavy Mountains]

There's also no similar word with the same meaning in nearby Cushitic languages

 

[Bursalah]

Garaad, Wadaad, any connection? The one who gives directions?

 

[Midas]

There's also no similar word with the same meaning in nearby Cushitic languages

Maybe its spefically related to whatever preislamic somalis practiced then

 

[Midas]

Garaad, Wadaad, any connection? The one who gives directions?

Intresting connection. I'm not sure but it definitely sounds plausible.

 

[Arabsiyawi]

There's also no similar word with the same meaning in nearby Cushitic languages

How do you know

 

[Heavy Mountains]

How do you know

I might be wrong, but I tried searching on the internet and couldn't find any clear cognates in other Cushitic languages

 

[Idilinaa]

These posts i made some time ago might be relevant. Although i am not sure if it might be the same or related but because how Wadaad and Waddado are spelled/pronounced differently. I might have to ask around

Likewise the term Wadaad , more correctly spelled Waddad, plural Waddado is linked to the same pagan religious cult more specifically with spirits called ''Wad'' in Somali culture and these spirits were associated with illness, curses and sickness

A Waddado was a nicknamer given to men/priests who's job was to give healing and medical treatment to cure various diseases and ailments.

Whats interesting as well is that there is a hierarchy of Wad spirits as well. Like the one mention above called Wadbooye and you see this reflected in the northern Mingis (Spirit possession) rituals.

 

[Coolpirate69]

The term Wadaad is pre Islamic Wad(death) Aad(goes towards death or has an abundance knowledge about the afterlife).

 

[Barkhadle1520]

Isn't wadaad just a wandering sheikh

 

[Idilinaa]

Isn't wadaad just a wandering sheikh

Found this explanation:

This next part kinda relates to the posts i copied before that spoke about Folk medicine:

 

[The alchemist]

Wadaad was a pre-Islamic hocus pocus spiritual handler; the term changed meaning, although the use of it was inspired by how a wadaad was a spiritual leader in a pre-Islamic context. As a sheikh is a religious leader in Islam, they used the term they knew was closest in their historic vernacular. It is a Somali term.

The Japanese used the word kami for god, but the word comes specifically from their local religion, Shintoism. Swahili-speaking people use the word mungu for god. I think that is from before Christians and Muslims influence. It's like when Somalis used Eebe for God.

As an example, Volkswagen has a similar linguistic transition. That term is archaic because it means "peoples carriage/wagon" from the time of horse and buggy. That term is used for a modern car brand, and the old Germans used that as a transitional word despite cars having nothing to do with horse and buggy. Yet people took the closest thing they associated with industrial cars, which was a carriage.

Ancient hunter-gatherers used archaic terms for cattle they used to purely hunt into domestic context. Semantics shifts occur all the time when lifestyle changes, although old terms are often reused in new but often related meanings.

 

[Midas]

Wadaad was a pre-Islamic hocus pocus spiritual handler; the term changed meaning, although the use of it was inspired by how a wadaad was a spiritual leader in a pre-Islamic context. As a sheikh is a religious leader in Islam, they used the term they knew was closest in their historic vernacular. It is a Somali term.

The Japanese used the word kami for god, but the word comes specifically from their local religion, Shintoism. Swahili-speaking people use the word mungu for god. I think that is from before Christians and Muslims influence. It's like when Somalis used Eebe for God.

As an example, Volkswagen has a similar linguistic transition. That term is archaic because it means "peoples carriage/wagon" from the time of horse and buggy. That term is used for a modern car brand, and the old Germans used that as a transitional word despite cars having nothing to do with horse and buggy. Yet people took the closest thing they associated with industrial cars, which was a carriage.

Ancient hunter-gatherers used archaic terms for cattle they used to purely hunt into domestic context. Semantics shifts occur all the time when lifestyle changes, although old terms are often reused in new but often related meanings.

That's what I meant. the term for the preislamic priestly class somehow transferred over in the somali context. But in all the other Islamic societies turkish/persian/malay/Pakistani/ berber/sahelian. None of them use terms that use to exist to denote the priestly class before islam . They use some Arabic derived word . Like sheikh,mullah, maalim, etc

 

[The alchemist]

That's what I meant. the term for the preislamic priestly class somehow transferred over in the somali context. But in all the other Islamic societies turkish/persian/malay/Pakistani/ berber/sahelian. None of them use terms that use to exist to denote the priestly class before islam . They use some Arabic derived word . Like sheikh,mullah, maalim, etc

It's a Somali term... why would you find it in any other language? That linguistic function is very common, although you might find it in different ways across different languages. You will find the same concept if you look hard enough. There is a language barrier since you don't speak those languages. I guarantee you can find an endemic transition despite the word priest or sheikh used universally in random cultures. Usually people stop using them because of religous purifications and/or linguistic influence and they rather use the direct terms.

 

[Medeea]

Cause It’s a pre-Islamic word for a priestly class.

They got rid of all the pre-Islamic waaq stuff but I guess this one(&few others) stuck around.

Any theory why?

 

[Bursalah]

The Wadad had a good grasp on astrology and herd movement around grazing ground not to mention seasonal phenomena’s like the monsoon. One of the most important constellations was the Southern Cross/Crux an important station/mansion in relation to the East and North Africa geography. Since some parts of Somalia Ethiopia Sudan and Egypt get two seasonal rains, the Southern Cross predates the normal spring rain in June while the Big dipper predates the late October rain

https://ww.dirzon.com/file/telegram/Somali%20Books/Astronomy_Galaal.pdf

The Iconography of the Southern Cross predates Christianities use of the cross. Even in Egypt and Ethiopia there’s a debate on where it’s originated. Was it the Ankh? Maybe we were using a cross more often like in Said Mires research. Maybe it conflicted with Islam? Best guess would be we focused heavily on astrology and sky worship to help inform our seasonal patterns and one of those was the ancient Crux that simply conflicted with the sweat crescent of Islam.