Somalia Languages

Somalia Wiki Topics

Somalia Beginning Research

Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies Finding Town of Origin

Record Types

Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Compiled Genealogies Emigration & Immigration Online Genealogy Records Religious Records Tribes and Clans

Somalia Background

Gazetteers History Languages Maps Naming Customs Social Life & Customs

Somalia Genealogical Word Lists

Arabic

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

In other languages: اللغة الصومالية, Af-Soomaali

Somalia

Languages

Description

The official languages of Somalia are Somali and Arabic.

• Somali is spoken as a mother tongue by Somalis in Greater Somalia and the Somali diaspora.
  
• Somali is an official language in Somalia and Ethiopia.
  
• The Somali language is written officially with the Latin alphabet although the Arabic alphabet and several Somali scripts like Osmanya, Kaddare, and the Borama script are informally used.

Somali linguistic varieties are broadly divided into three main groups: Northern, Benadir, and Maay. Northern Somali (or Nsom) forms the basis for Standard Somali. It is spoken by more than 85% of the entire Somali population.

Word List(s)

Somali

• Useful Phrases in Somali (Omniglot)
• Top 20 Translated Phrases In Somali Language (AML-Global)
• Somali Phrases (ilanguages)
• Somali phrasebook (Wikitravel)

Arabic

• Arabic Genealogical Word List
• Common phrases (Wikipedia)
• Useful Arabic phrases (Omniglot)
• Basic Arabic Phrases and Expressions (ArabicPod101)

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Somali

• Somali Alphabet and Pronuciation (Omniglot)
• Somali phonology (Wikipedia)

Arabic

• Arabic Phonology (Wikipedia)
• Modern Standard Arabic Alphabet (Wikipedia)
• Arabic grammar (Wikipedia)
• Arabic Alphabet and Pronunciation (Omniglot)
• Arabic Pronunciation Dictionary (Forvo)

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Somali

• Somali basics and grammar (Learn 101)
• Somali grammar (Polymath)
• Dictionary Somali to English (Glosbe)
• Somali dictionary (Lexilogos)

Arabic

• Arabic dictionary (Lexilogos)
• Dictionary English to Arabic Dictionary (Glosbe)
• Learn Arabic (duolingo)

Additional Resources

• Somali language overview (Mustgo)
• Somalia Language (Country Studies)
• Somalia (Britannica)
• Spanier, Kristine. Somalia. Minneapolis, MN: Pogo Books, 2021. Available at: WorldCat.