Description
Somali people speak quite a number of languages and dialects, Maay and Mahaa being the lingua franca of the majority. In 1972, the latter was put in a written format and became the national language of the country. This experiment alienated the other Somali languages and produced tremendous disenchantment, particularly on the part of the Maay speakers. In 2003, however, the Somali Peace and Reconciliation Conference at Mbegathi, Kenya, acknowledged that Maay will be another official language of the Somali Republic. This English-Maay Dictionary is the first experiment exploring the roots of Maay language and its relationship to the other Somali dialects as well the Kushitic family of languages in the Horn of Africa. The dictionary provides over 15,000 of the most frequently used words in Maay and their English translations, with numerous examples of their every day usage. The dictionary is a vital addition to reference collections supporting undergraduate and graduate programs on African and Middle Eastern Studies. It is also an essential tool for non-Somali case workers such as those in refugee camps, immigration and naturalization officials or lawyers dealing with Somali asylum seekers. It is equally a vital tool for interpreters and translators working on court cases, hospitals and legal papers as well as for public school teachers on ESL programs that teach Maay- speaking children in English- speaking countries.
Author: Mohamed Haji Mukhtar, Omar Moalim Ahmed
Publisher: Adonis & Abbey Publishers
Published: 08/20/2007
Pages: 216
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.08lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.63d
ISBN13: 9781905068890
ISBN10: 1905068891
BISAC Categories:
- Language Arts & Disciplines | Linguistics | Sociolinguistics
- Reference | Dictionaries
- Foreign Language Study | African Languages (see also Swahili)
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