Somali twitter vs Spanish archaeologist

[Midas]

There is a sort of direct term for nomad that I know of. It's "Reer Guuraa", "the people of the move". But what I find interesting about it is that it sounds like any other societal strata or occupation like Reer Magaal, the people of the city, or the more generalized Reer Miyi, the people of the countryside.

It's kinda of funny how reed badiye ( an arabic word)has a negative connotation but reer miyi ( a somali word doesn't

 

[Idilinaa]

@Idilinaa he claims other African groups were in the Somali coast. I'm 100% certain he made that up because there is zero proof of any other group besides proto-Somalis operating in the coast during that time.

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This is terrible way to frame things, the exchange of goods doesn't mean that it was multi-ethnic. Also i can understand the trade with Eritrea, Adulis to be exact but not Axumites, they were semi-landlocked. Southern Ethiopia is absolutely nonsensical, does he need a map? to see how were Bandar Khor is located.

There is so much wrong with this, but let us break this down, yall can copy and reply this to him since i don't have a twitter.

There is no concrete historical evidence that other African groups, particularly from southern Ethiopia, were directly operating as maritime traders along the Somali coast in antiquity. Here’s why:

The Somali Coast Was Dominated by Proto-Somalis, as you said .The Somali coast has been continuously occupied by the same Cushitic-speaking Somali peoples, who were the primary traders, sailors, and merchants.

Archaeological and historical records, such as those from Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st century AD), describe trade activity along the Somali coast but do not mention Axumites or other inland African groups directly controlling or engaging in maritime trade.

Aksumites Were Not a Maritime Empire. While the Aksumite Kingdom (100 AD–940 AD) had influence over the port of Adulis (Eritrea) and some coastal areas of modern-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia, they were not a seafaring people. Aksum was heavily reliant on intermediaries, like the Somalis, to access Indian Ocean trade. The Axumites never controlled Somali ports like Bandar Khor, Berbera, or Zeila.

In contrast, the Somali coast had its own indigenous maritime culture and shipbuilding traditions. You have direct mentions by various classic writers about this. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st century AD) explicitly describes the Somali coast as being controlled by native inhabitants who operated their own ports and engaged in maritime trade using their own boats.

Southern Ethiopia’s Geography Makes This Claim Absurd. The idea that people from southern Ethiopia (who were mostly highland farmers or pastoralists) were maritime traders is completely baseless. These groups had no historical or geographical connection to the sea. The Ethiopian highlands are landlocked, and their societies historically relied on intermediary trade caravans(usually by Somalis or Afar/Beja), not direct maritime engagement.

Trade does not mean ethnic presence on the coast. Just because goods from other African regions reached the Somali coast doesn’t mean people from those regions were physically there.

For example, Somali traders were active in Zanzibar, but that doesn’t mean Zanzibar was ethnically Somali. Similarly, goods from Ethiopia may have reached the Somali coast, even through caravan trade, but there is no evidence of Ethiopian traders living or operating ports there.

In conclusion: The Somali coast was not some "multi-ethnic trading zone"

 

[Idilinaa]

There is a sort of direct term for nomad that I know of. It's "Reer Guuraa", "the people of the move". But what I find interesting about it is that it sounds like any other societal strata or occupation like Reer Magaal, the people of the city, or the more generalized Reer Miyi, the people of the countryside.

I think Reer Guuraa could even broadly refer to caravan transporters than the term ''nomads'', it actually meant to capture mobility. It translate to those who migrate or leave on a journey.

You are right, i remember linguist Abdalla Mansur mentioned it while explaining the symbiotic dualism that Somalis carry, how the binary system of Somali culture represent an organization where two different elements combine to make a single whole.

Such as:

Miyi iyo Magaalo (countryside and city)

Cad iyo Caano(meat and milk)

Biy iyo Baad(Water and pasture)

Sab iyo Samaale (the two mythical ancestors of nearly all Somalis)

May iyo Maxaatiri(dividing Somali society according to the names of the two main dialects)

Culmo iyo Caamo(Islamic scholars and the layman)

So the town and city life just represents a complimentary extensions of country side life, and vice versa. Not something distinct or seperate.