Af maay maay

[Prince of Lasanod]

Numbers 1-10 in lowland Eastern Cushitic languages:

asenech tákac naama seddi ?affur cen li tiyya síét saal tommon
Elmolo t'óko l'ááma séépe láfur kên yíi tíípa fúe sáákal t'ómon
Arbore tokkó laamá seezzé ?afúr čénn ĝih tuzba suyé saagald tommon:d
Bayso 'ko: 'lama 'sele '?afar 'ken 'le todo'ba si'd:e 'sa:gar 'tomo
Rendille kôw l'áma s'éyyaħ 'áfar cán liħ teeb'á sitt'êt saag'ál tom'ón
Aweer (Boni) kôw lôw síddè áfar shâŋ líh didd'óú siyy'êd s'áágal tam'án

You see how close these languages resemble Somali? Most of East Africa were populated by people who looked like us and spoke very similar languages.

 

[Hassan Garguute Buldanana]

af maay


i wish we had different languages

 

[anonymous34]

Ive never heard anyone in real life speak af may.

 

[Shangani]

Its a different language with varying degrees of understandability speakers in Xamar and the surrounding area are more easier to understand but the deeper you go the harder it gets.

 

[jugjugwacwac]

Generally speaking, for two linguistic varieties to be considered dialects of the same language they must be mutually intelligible. Since Af-Maay Maay and Af-Maxaa Tiri are not mutually intelligible they aren't dialects of Af-Soomaali, but are each languages in their own right. Af-Soomaali then would be the macro-language family, under which Af-Maay Maay, Af-Maxaa Tiri, Af-Rendiile, Af-Tunni, Af-Dabarre, Af-Jiidu and Af-Garre would fall under as separate languages. It's nothing but linguistic chauvanism for af-Maxaa Tiri speakers to consider their language to be af-Soomaali and the other varieties to be something else. Af-maxaa tiri isn't anymore Somali than af-maay maay or af-Rendille for example and in some ways is less so, since the latter languages have preserved archaic linguistic forms that have been lost in af-maxaa tiri.

Like others have already mentioned af-Maay Maay is primarily spoken by the Raxanwayn clans who reside in much of the south and are the majorities in Bay and Bakool.

 

[Lord Flacko]

Is it me or Rahanweyn have absorbed a lot of bantus? Everytime I see a picture of Rahanweyn, they look very Bantu. Is that a correct assumption?

Some subclans I believe. I can't really comment on which or to what extent.



But Jawari f.ex is Rahanweyn and he doesn't look to have an ounce of Bantu blood.

In my opinion the Rahanweyn are a very noble and intelligent people.

 

[jugjugwacwac]

Is it me or Rahanweyn have absorbed a lot of bantus? Everytime I see a picture of Rahanweyn, they look very Bantu. Is that a correct assumption?

They are purely Cushitic and as Somali as the rest of us. People mistakenly think they've absorbed Bantu because many Bantu speak af-Maay Maay as a result of living alongside the Raxanwayn.

 

[Bahal]

Why is it called Maay and what does that mean?

Maxaa tiri vs Maay tiri

 

[SultanuuFicaan]

Some subclans I believe. I can't really comment on which or to what extent.



But Jawari f.ex is Rahanweyn and he doesn't look to have an ounce of Bantu blood. View attachment 17701View attachment 17702
In my opinion the Rahanweyn are a very noble and intelligent people.

Did you know that the interim leader of the Somali republic following the assassination of the 2nd president aun was a Raxanweyn?

he was the speaker of the parliament prior to the assassination which eventually led to the dreaded coup.

I believe it is key that we preserve our wide variety of languages such as those @jugjugwacwac has mentioned above me. Add in the missing consonants/vowels in our current alphabet.

Georgian alphabet is used to write many georgian native languages (kartvelian family) for example.

 

[Prince Abubu]

Generally speaking, for two linguistic varieties to be considered dialects of the same language they must be mutually intelligible. Since Af-Maay Maay and Af-Maxaa Tiri are not mutually intelligible they aren't dialects of Af-Soomaali, but are each languages in their own right. Af-Soomaali then would be the macro-language family, under which Af-Maay Maay, Af-Maxaa Tiri, Af-Rendiile, Af-Tunni, Af-Dabarre, Af-Jiidu and Af-Garre would fall under as separate languages. It's nothing but linguistic chauvanism for af-Maxaa Tiri speakers to consider their language to be af-Soomaali and the other varieties to be something else. Af-maxaa tiri isn't anymore Somali than af-maay maay or af-Rendille for example and in some ways is less so, since the latter languages have preserved archaic linguistic forms that have been lost in af-maxaa tiri.

Like others have already mentioned af-Maay Maay is primarily spoken by the Raxanwayn clans who reside in much of the south and are the majorities in Bay and Bakool.

I've always believed Af maay to be a separate language much like Dutch is to German. It's very stupid to believe it is a dialect of Af Soomaali because outside of a few words here or there, it is virtually gibberish to my ears.

Btw, what happened to your proposed Rendille thread?

 

[fox]

A reason why maay speakers were skeptical over the union of the south and north.

What was skeptical?

 

[Bahal]

I've always believed Af maay to be a separate language much like Dutch is to German. It's very stupid to believe it is a dialect of Af Soomaali because outside of a few words here or there, it is virtually gibberish to my ears.

Btw, what happened to your proposed Rendille thread?

Strangely enough, Maay speakers apparently understand Maxaa perfectly.

There's a theory that it's a pure form of Somali without foreign influences.

iirc they don't have X or C in their alphabet

 

[fox]

Strangely enough, Maay speakers apparently understand Maxaa perfectly.

There's a theory that it's a pure form of Somali without foreign influences.

iirc they don't have X or C in their alphabet

Wait wasnt the somali language made in the north?

 

[jugjugwacwac]

Strangely enough, Maay speakers apparently understand Maxaa perfectly.

This is true for the most part, but it's because of the hegemonic status of af-maxaa tiri in Somalia. The Maay Maay speakers hear it on the radio when listening to the BBC, in songs, in school, in most of the Somali cities if they ever venture out. If a Maay MAay speaker never left their village and never had any exposure to af-maxaa tiri he/she would have just as much difficulty in understanding us as we do them.

 

[jugjugwacwac]

Wait wasnt the somali language made in the north?

No. In fact the north is the last region where a Somaloid language made its appearance. Af-Maay Maay and the other Somaloid/macro-Somali languages are older than af-maxaa tiri.

 

[Prince Abubu]

Maxaa tiri vs Maay tiri

Somalis have a strange sense of humour. The name for our language is basically "What did you just say to me?"

 

[Bahal]

This is true for the most part, but it's because of the hegemonic status of af-maxaa tiri in Somalia. The Maay Maay speakers hear it on the radio when listening to the BBC, in songs, in school, in most of the Somali cities if they ever venture out. If a Maay MAay speaker never left their village and never had any exposure to af-maxaa tiri he/she would have just as much difficulty in understanding us as we do them.

you're probably right.

 

[jugjugwacwac]

Btw, what happened to your proposed Rendille thread?

My bad fam, I've been busy.

 

[jugjugwacwac]

you're probably right.

You're right in that my theory is probable, I can't say that it's the case for sure.

 

[ethan bradberry]

My bad fam, I've been busy.

Make one soon bruv. Also make a thread about if isaaq is dir.