7 Interesting Facts About the Somali Language:
- The Somali language was the first African language to be used in all levels of government.
- The Somali language was the first Cushitic language and Sub-Saharan African language used for instruction in universities, high schools, and middle schools. (Note: Amharic was taught until the 8th grade)
- The Somali language was the first Cushitic language to be recognized as an official or national language by a government. It is the second Sub-Saharan African language to achieve this status after Amharic.
- The Somali language was the first Sub-Saharan African language to have math and science written in textbooks and taught in schools.
- It is predicted that all Macro-Somali languages, closely related to Somali, will become extinct by the middle of this century, making Somali the only living language in this group that is not threatened with extinction.
- The writing systems of many Cushitic languages are modeled after the Somali writing system.
- The Somali language was the first Sub-Saharan African language to be broadcasted on television and radio.