Welcome to the:
Somali Language
Basic Grammar
Field Guide
An Oral Tradition in a Modern
Setting
Bartamaha Somali Media. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.bartamaha.com/?p=33037
A Somali Proverb
Nin aan waxa jooga garani
He (who) does not understand what is going
on
waxa soo socda ma garto
will not understand what is going to happen
Objectives
●
●
●
●
Look up Somali words in a Somali-English
dictionary.
Translate Somali words into English using a
Somali-English dictionary.
Identify the parts of speech for specific words in a
Somali sentence.
Rearrange words that have been translated into
English to form a proper sentence.
Dictionary Usage
recusant
the
placate
bombast
tomorrow
portend
Dictionary Usage
recusant
the
placate
bombast
tomorrow
portend
noun
Dictionary Usage
recusant
the
placate
verb
bombast
noun
tomorrow
portend
verb
recusant
Dictionary Usage
adjective
the
placate
verb
bombast
noun
tomorrow
portend
verb
recusant
Dictionary Usage
adjective
the
placate
verb
bombast
noun
tomorrow
adverb
portend
verb
recusant
Dictionary Usage
adjective
the
article
placate
verb
bombast
noun
tomorrow
adverb
Sample Text
Ku saabsan VOA
Idaacadda Voice of America (VOA) waxay markii ugu
horreysay hawada soo gashay sanadkii 1942-dii, waana
idaacad caalami ah, oo aalado kala duwan u isticmaasha
tabinta wararka. VOA waxaa maal-galisa dowladda
Mareykanka, iyadoo usoo mareysa Golaha Warbaahinta.
VOA-du waxay toddobaad walba baahisaa ku dhawaad
15,000 oo saacadood oo isugu jira warar, warbixinno,
barnaamijyo aqooneed iyo kuwa dhaqamaeed. Dad lagu
qiyaasay 125 milyan oo qof oo dacallada caalamka ku
kala nool ayaa qubanahaas la socda.
Vowels
●
a
●
e
●
i
●
o
●
u
Sample Text
Ku saabsan VOA
Idaacadda Voice of America (VOA) waxay markii ugu
horreysay hawada soo gashay sanadkii 1942-dii, waana
idaacad caalami ah, oo aalado kala duwan u isticmaasha
tabinta wararka. VOA waxaa maal-galisa dowladda
Mareykanka, iyadoo usoo mareysa Golaha Warbaahinta.
VOA-du waxay toddobaad walba baahisaa ku dhawaad
15,000 oo saacadood oo isugu jira warar, warbixinno,
barnaamijyo aqooneed iyo kuwa dhaqamaeed. Dad lagu
qiyaasay 125 milyan oo qof oo dacallada caalamka ku
kala nool ayaa qubanahaas la socda.
Consonants
●
b
●
m
●
c
●
n
●
d
●
q
●
f
●
r
●
g
●
s
●
h
●
t
●
j
●
w
●
k
●
x
●
l
●
y
Consonants cont.
●
b
●
m
●
c
●
n
●
●
d
●
q
●
v
●
f
●
r
●
z
●
g
●
s
●
h
●
t
●
j
●
w
●
k
●
x
●
l
●
y
Not Used
p
Sample Text
Ku saabsan VOA
Idaacadda Voice of America (VOA) waxay markii ugu
horreysay hawada soo gashay sanadkii 1942-dii, waana
idaacad caalami ah, oo aalado kala duwan u isticmaasha
tabinta wararka. VOA waxaa maal-galisa dowladda
Mareykanka, iyadoo usoo mareysa Golaha Warbaahinta.
VOA-du waxay toddobaad walba baahisaa ku dhawaad
15,000 oo saacadood oo isugu jira warar, warbixinno,
barnaamijyo aqooneed iyo kuwa dhaqamaeed. Dad lagu
qiyaasay 125 milyan oo qof oo dacallada caalamka ku
kala nool ayaa qubanahaas la socda.
Vowels part II
Short
Long
●
a
●
aa
●
e
●
ee
●
i
●
ii
●
o
●
oo
●
u
●
uu
Sample Text
Ku saabsan VOA
Idaacadda Voice of America (VOA) waxay markii ugu
horreysay hawada soo gashay sanadkii 1942-dii, waana
idaacad caalami ah, oo aalado kala duwan u isticmaasha
tabinta wararka. VOA waxaa maal-galisa dowladda
Mareykanka, iyadoo usoo mareysa Golaha Warbaahinta.
VOA-du waxay toddobaad walba baahisaa ku dhawaad
15,000 oo saacadood oo isugu jira warar, warbixinno,
barnaamijyo aqooneed iyo kuwa dhaqamaeed. Dad lagu
qiyaasay 125 milyan oo qof oo dacallada caalamka ku
kala nool ayaa qubanahaas la socda.
Consonants part II
●
b
●
m
●
dh
●
c
●
n
●
kh
●
d
●
q
●
sh
●
f
●
r
●
'
●
g
●
s
●
h
●
t
●
j
●
w
●
k
●
x
●
l
●
y
Somali Alphabet
Official:
', B, T, J, X, KH, D, R, S, SH, DH, C, G,
F, Q, K, L, M, N, W, H, Y, A, E, I, O, U
Often used:
', A, AA, B, C, D, DH, E, EE, F, G, H, I, II, J, K, KH,
L, M, N, O, OO, Q, R, S, SH, T, U, UU, W, X, Y
Dictionary Look-up
Look up the following words:
●
warar
●
gal
●
dowlad
●
oo
●
ka
●
cad
Dictionary Look-up
Look up the following words:
●
warar — news, information (noun)
●
gal
●
dowlad
●
oo
●
ka
●
cad
Dictionary Look-up
Look up the following words:
●
warar — news, information (noun)
●
gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)
●
dowlad
●
oo
●
ka
●
cad
Dictionary Look-up
Look up the following words:
●
warar — news, information (noun)
●
gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)
●
dowlad — country, government (noun)
●
oo
●
ka
●
cad
Dictionary Look-up
Look up the following words:
●
warar — news, information (noun)
●
gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)
●
dowlad — country, government (noun)
●
oo — which, who, while (conjunction)
●
ka
●
cad
Dictionary Look-up
Look up the following words:
●
warar — news, information (noun)
●
gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)
●
dowlad — country, government (noun)
●
oo — which, who, while (conjunction)
●
ka — at, from, about (preposition)
●
cad
Dictionary Look-up
Look up the following words:
●
warar — news, information (noun)
●
gal — enter, go in, commit (verb)
●
dowlad — country, government (noun)
●
oo — which, who, while (conjunction)
●
ka — at, from, about (preposition)
●
cad — white, clear (adjective)
Dictionary Look-up part II
With a partner, look up the following words:
●
maqal
●
sheeg
●
waa
●
ceeb
Proverb I
Maqal sheeg waa ceeb sheeg
Rumor – tell – is – shame – tell
Proverb I
Maqal sheeg waa ceeb sheeg
Hearing – tell – is – shame – tell
Telling rumors is shameful
Dictionary Look-up part III
On your own, look up the following words:
●
aqoon
●
la'aan
●
waa
●
iftiin
Proverb II
Aqoon la'aan waa iftiin la'aan
Wisdom—lack—is—light—lack
Proverb II
Aqoon la'aan waa iftiin la'aan
Wisdom—lack—is—light—lack
There is no darkness but ignorance.
-William Shakespere
Skill Review
1. Maalin wanaagsan.
2. Nabad waa nolol.
3. Hadda, aqoon ayaad haysaa.
4. Af soomaali ayaad tarjumi kartaa.
5. Mahadsanid inaad fasal-kaan timid.
6. Nabaday.
a) The content was clear...
Please rate...
b) The information was interesting...
c) The work became easy to do...
1
2
3
4
5
Not!
Barely
So-so
Objectives
●
●
●
●
Look up Somali words in a Somali-English
dictionary.
Translate Somali words into English using a
Somali-English dictionary.
Identify the parts of speech for specific words in a
Somali sentence.
Rearrange words that have been translated into
English to form a proper sentence.
Mahadsanid — Thank you
Our next session will be at the same time
and location.
Nabaday — Go in peace!