Somali language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Somali |
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| Af-Soomaali اللغة الصومالية |
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| Native to | Somalia (and Somaliland), Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya | |||
| Region | Horn of Africa | |||
| Native speakers | 16.6 million (2006) | |||
| Language family |
Afro-Asiatic
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| Writing system |
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| Official status | ||||
| Official language in |  Somalia |
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| Regulated by | Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education | |||
Somali-speaking region
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Somali (Arabic: الصوماليه) is a language spoken by millions of people, mainly in the Horn of Africa. It belongs to a group of languages called Cushitic, which are part of the larger Afro-Asiatic language family.
Most people who speak Somali are ethnic Somalis. You'll find them in countries like Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen, and Kenya. Many Somalis also live in other parts of the world, forming what is known as the Somali diaspora. Experts believe there are between 10 and 16 million Somali speakers globally.
Contents
Understanding the Somali Language
The Somali language is a fascinating part of the culture of the Somali people. It has a rich history and unique features that make it stand out.
Where Somali is Spoken Today
Somali is the official language of Somalia. It is also widely spoken in neighboring countries. In Djibouti, it is a national language. Large Somali-speaking communities also live in the eastern parts of Ethiopia and northern Kenya. You can even find Somali speakers in parts of Yemen.
How Somali is Written
For a long time, Somali was mostly a spoken language. People used different ways to write it down. However, since 1960, the main writing system for Somali has been the Latin alphabet. This is the same alphabet used for English.
Before the Latin alphabet became official, other scripts were used. The Arabic alphabet was also common, especially for religious texts. Some unique scripts were also created specifically for Somali, like the Osmanya alphabet and the Borama alphabet. These show how creative people were in trying to write down their language.
Images for kids
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This map shows where different Somali dialects are spoken across the Horn of Africa.
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Here you can see the areas where Northern Somali dialects are used.
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These are books written in the Somali language, on display.
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This image shows the unique Osmanya alphabet, one of the scripts used to write Somali.
See also
In Spanish: Idioma somalí para niños
