The Development Process of the Somali National Language and Script

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12700/jceeas.2025.5.3.397

Keywords:

Language and Script; Somalia; Development Process.

Abstract

Somalia is a country with a single language and a single ethnicity. Through immigration, religious dissemination, and colonial invasions, various foreign languages and scripts have successively integrated into the lives of the Somali people. These influences have enriched and contributed to the development of the Somali native language and script to some extent. However, the dominant position of the Somali national language in Somali social life has remained unchanged. The development and evolution of the Somali national language and script are important reflections of Somalia's history, culture, and social transformations. This paper traces the process from the origins of the Somali language and script—beginning with the era of oral transmission without written form, through the introduction of the Arabic script, the adoption of the Latin script, the creation of indigenous scripts, and finally the establishment of the modern Somali language and script. It summarizes the challenges encountered during this development and offers prospects for the future of the Somali language and script.

References

1.Long Yaling, Wang Hui. The evolution and characteristics of Somalia's language policy[J]. Journal of Liaoning University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2019 (6): 16-21.

2.Gu Zhangyi, An Chunying (eds.). Somalia in the Chronicles of Nations[M]. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2022

3.Osman Yusuf Keenadiid.Our language and its script. [M] Xamar: Industririe Grafiche Della Somali.1971

4.Leo Reinisch. Die Somali-Sprache [M] vienna: Alfred Hoelder.1900

5.De Larajasse. Somali-English and English-SomaliDictionary [M] London: KEGAN PAU,TRENCH,TRUBNER $ CO.,LTD. 1897

6.De Larajasse. Practiacal Grammar of the Somali Language with a Manual of the Centences [M] London: K EGAN PAU,TRENCH,TRUBNER $ CO.,LTD. 1897

7.Maria von Til. Somali-Texte ‒ Und Untersuchungen Zur Somali-Lautlehre [M] Berlin:VERAG YON DIETRICH REIMER.1925

8.Center for Somali Studies of Subjects Linguistics. In Proceedings of the Second International Congress of Somali Studies[C]. Somali: Helmut Buske Verlag, 1984.JOHN S. Somali Language [M]. London: Oriental and Language Library, 1999.

9.SMATAR AI Somali Studies: Towards Alternative Epistemology[J]. Northeast African Studies, 1995, (1): 7-30.

10.Landinfo..Report Somalia: Language situation and dialects [R-OL]. (2011-07-22) [2022-12-26].

11.LEE C, FARAH H A. Somalia: Education in Transition [M]. Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies, 2008.

12.Andrzejewski, BW (1983) 'Language Reform in Somalia and the Modernization of the Somali Vocabulary' in: Language Reform, History and Future, by István Fodor – Claude Hagège, 1, Buske Verlag Hamburg, p. 69-84.

13.Andrzejewski, BW (2011) 'The Role of Poetic Tradition in the Modernization of the Somali Language', Journal of African Cultural Studies, 23(1), p. 81-84.

14.Cerulli, E. (1964) Somalia: scritti vari editi ed inedita. Rome: Ministero degli Affari esteri Labahn, T. (1983) 'Staatliche Identitätsfindung Und Sprache – Das Beispiel Somalia' in: Verfassung Und Recht in Übersee, 16(3) , p. 267-278.

15.Laitin, DD (1977) Politics, Language, and Thought: The Somali Experience. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

16.Lamberti, M. (1984) 'The linguistic situation in the Somali Democratic Republic' in: Labahn, T. (ed.) Proceedings of the second international congress of Somali studies. I. Linguistics and literature. Hamburg: Helmut Buske Publishing, p . 155-200.

17.Ministry of Education, Mogadishu (1977) Profile of Education in Somalia

18.Ministry of Education, Mogadishu (1987) Profile of Education in Somalia

19.Norway: LandInfo - Country of Origin Information Center (2011) Report: Somalia: Language situation and dialects, July 22.

Downloads

Published

2025-11-12

How to Cite

Ismail, A. (2025). The Development Process of the Somali National Language and Script. Journal of Central and Eastern European African Studies, 5(3), 210–225. https://doi.org/10.12700/jceeas.2025.5.3.397

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 3 (2025): JCEEAS - Vol 5. Number 3 2025

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 ABDILAHI ISMAIL

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Licensing and Copyright Policy
 
JCEEAS strives to ensure that all materials on this website represent the original work of the listed author(s). However, the Journal provides no warranty regarding the accuracy or completeness of the material and disclaims any responsibility for it. Users should not rely solely on the information presented and are encouraged to verify details with the authors directly.
 
All articles published in JCEEAS are open access and licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 BY standards. Upon publication, articles are immediately accessible for free reading, downloading, copying, and distribution. This license is permanent and irrevocable.
 
Authors retain their intellectual property rights, including research data, and are entitled to proper credit and attribution for their published work.
 
This copyright policy grants users the right to: distribute and copy the article; create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations, or derivative works (including translations); include the article in a collective work (e.g., an anthology); and text or data mine the article. These uses are permitted for commercial purposes, provided the user: credits the author(s) appropriately (including a link to the formal publication via the DOI); includes a link to the license; indicates if changes were made; and refrains from representing the author(s) as endorsing any adaptation of the article or modifying the article in a way that could harm the authors' honor or reputation.