Somali survival kit

About this kit

Somali is spoken by about 22 million people in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as in an active diaspora in London, Minneapolis, Stockholm and Toronto. The language of one of Africa's richest poetic traditions, it has been written in the Latin alphabet since 1972. With this kit, you have the essentials to greet, eat and handle an emergency.

Somali is spoken by about 22 million people, mainly in Somalia, Djibouti, the Somali region of Ethiopia and northeastern Kenya, plus a very active diaspora in London, Minneapolis, Stockholm, Toronto and the Gulf. It belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family, like Oromo, Afar and Saho, and is therefore not related to Bantu languages despite the geographical proximity.

Long essentially oral, Somali went through a historical written debate before the adoption in 1972 of an official Latin alphabet by President Siad Barre. The reform enabled massive literacy across the country and set a rigorous spelling where every long consonant is doubled. Before 1972, Somali was written in Arabic script or with alphabets devised in the 20th century, such as Osmanya invented by Osman Yusuf Kenadid.

The language is tonal and accentual: stress placement can change the meaning of a word. It distinguishes masculine and feminine gender on nouns and pronouns, which shows in greetings (Iska warran to a man, with different follow-up forms for a woman). Somali culture is deeply poetic: gabays are passed on by memory and heelo accompany celebrations. This oral tradition led Richard Burton in the 19th century to call the Somalis a nation of poets.

This kit gathers the bare essentials to get by in Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Djibouti or in the diaspora: greeting correctly, asking for directions, eating, handling an emergency and politely saying goodbye. A few words of Somali instantly open the door to legendary hospitality.