Table Of ContentSOMALI LEARNER'S
DICTIONARY
•
QAAMUUSKA BARASHADA
INGIRIIS-SOOMAALI
by Jawahir Abdulla Farah
Sprs
Copley
SOMALI LEARNER'S
DICTIONARY
QAAMUUSKA BARASHADA
INGIRIIS-SOOMAALI
Jawahir Abdulla Farah
Jawaahir Cabdala Faarax
Text©JA Farah 1992
©
Pronounciation Guide Anita Suleiman 1992
ISBN 1 874209 70 7
HAAN
Published by Associates
P.O. Box 607
LONDON SW16 lEB
Printed in Great Britain by
The Ipswich Book Company Ltd, Suffolk
Second Edition 1994
Reprinted 1997
All rights reserved. No part ofthis book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form, electronical or mechanical,
including photocopy or any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher
Ilustrations compiled from various non-copyright sources
Cover design: Traditional hand-woven Somali cloth,
called Benaadir orAliindi
DEDICATION
Formy children Hodo, Filsan, Warsame and War-
san, and forDeqa, who I hope will all be encouraged
to enrich their Somali.
HURMO
Waxaan qoraalkan u horayaa oo u hibaynayaa ubad-
kayga Hodo, Filsan, Warsame, Warsan iyo Deqa oo
aan ku rajo wee5mahay in buugani ku dhiiri-geliyo
korodhsiga iyo xoojinta afkooda hooyo.
JAWAAHIR CABDALA FAARAX waxay ku dhalatay mag-
aalada Burco. Waxay takhasus macaliraeed ku samaysay isla
magaalada Burco iyo Fishponds College, Bristol, oo ku yaal
wadanka Ingiriiska. Ka dib waxay Jaamacadda Mareykanka ee
Boston ku qaadatay 'dhigrii' iyadoo ku takhasustay Taariikhda
Afrika iyo Dhaqamadeeda. Waxay rauddo 14 sanadood u
shaqeynaysay Wasaaradda Waxbarashada ee Soomaaliya kana
ahaydmacaliniyoqoraa. Islamuddaddaa waxaywariyekaahayd
Raadio Muqdishu qaybta af-Iniriisiga. Muddo shan sanaaddood
ah waxay iyada iyo reerkeeduba degnaayeen Paris oo uu
ninkeedu ka shaqeynayey safaaradda Soomaaliyeed, 1986 iyo
wixii ka dambeeyey waxaa hooy u noqday wadanka Ingiriiska
magaaUo madaxda Landhan. Halkaa ayay hadda ka shaqeysaa
qeybta waxbarashadda Ealing, oo ay xubin ka tahay Kooxda
Kaabida Carruurta Caalamiga.
Waxayqaybv/eynkaqaadatayabaabulkii iyoabuuridiiururkii
uguhoreeyayeedadweynahaSoomaaliyeedee Ealingloofurayoo
ay ka noqotay xoghayaha guud iyo kan garahaaneed ee qaybta
haween]<:a. Intaa waxaa raaca iyad oo afIngiriisi ku turjumaysa
qoraalkeeda ku saabsanaa suugaanta af Soomaaliga iyo ciyaar-
aha carruurta. Waxay leedahay afar carruur ah.
JAWAfflRABDULLAFARAHwasborn in Burao,Somalia. She
trained as ateacherinBurao, was awarded a scholarship to Fish-
ponds Teacher Tr-aining College, Bristol, where she studied from
1963 to 1966, and followed this with a degree course in African
Studies and History at Boston University. USA. She worked as a
teacher and text book writer in the Somali Ministry ofEducation
for 14 years, duringwhich time she alsodid regularbroadcasting
fornationalradio. ForfiveyearssheHvedwith herfamilyinParis,
whereher husband was a diplomat at the Somali Embassy. Since
1987 she has made her home in London, where she is currently
working for Ealing Education Department as a member of the
Support Team for International Children. She is active in local
community affairs, and helped establish the first Somali com-
munityactiongroupinEaling. Inhersparetimesheisworkingon
translations intoEnghshofherextensive collectionofSomali folk
hterature and children's games. She is the motherof four
CONTENTS/TUSMO
Author's Preface
vii
Introduction and Pronunciation x
Guide
Dictionary 1
Appendix: SOMALI-ENGLISH 95
Vocabulary Supple ments
115
Digitized by the Internet Archive
2015
in
https://archive.org/details/somalilearnersdiOOfara
Author's Preface
This learner's dictionary is intended for both gener^il
andpractical use. Withinthelimits ofitsbrevity, ithasbeen
compiled with three groups in mind:
1 Somah children who are beginners ofEnghsh
2 Somali adults who are beginners ofEnghsh
3 English adults beginning Somali
I hope it will be useful in the following ways: by showing
howto spell words;bygivingclearand accurate definitions;
and where a word has more than one meaning, by giving
numbered sentences to provide a better understanding of
its meanings and usage. Where a word is easily understood
in translation I have not always felt it necessary to include
an explanatory sentence. For a number ofreasons, includ-
ing cultural experience, it is not always possible to find
exact equivalents in one language for words and meanings
in another language; it has sometimes been necessary,
therefore, to translate an English word with a Somali
phrase. Easy words such as and, but, at, etc. have been
omitted,
The wordshavebeenselectedwith reference to arangeof
learners'dictionaries and basic word lists, and draw on my
own experience of teaching Somali children and adults in
both Somali and Enghsh. The words are ones which
—
everyone should know in either of the two languages or
will very soon come across. Care has been taken to provide
explanatory sentences which use simple and clear lan-
guage, and which avoid givingthe meaning ofone word by
using even more difficult words.
The Somah language is spoken nationally and universal-
lybySomalis,with fewregionalvariations. However, where
particular regional alternatives have equal currency in the
language,thevariationshavebeenincluded. Greatcarehas
been take to balance the regional differences ofwords and
meanings. I have also consulted extensively with Somali
elders on the best words to use.
vii
I should like to mention that although the Somali lan-
gxiage is the keeper ofa rich orad literature and history, and
that facilitywith language is greatly admired and prized by
Somali people, it was not until 1972 that a standard script
was adopted for writing down the language. This being the
case, the conventions ofa written language are still being
established, and meanings and form are oftenthe subjectof
lively debate.
I have been helped during the writing ofthis Dictionary
by the support, encouragement and constructive sugges-
tions ofmy children, my extended family and friends, and
my colleagues at Wolf Fields Middle School, Southall. My
thanks to all of them, and to my Pubhsher for helping to
bring it to print. Tlie responsibility for any shortcomings in
the selection and explanation ofwords, however, is entirely
mine.
Finally, I should like to encourage users ofthe dictionary
to pass on their comments or suggestions for improvement.
Qaamuuskan waxaa loogu tallo galay saddexdan kooxood:
1 Caruurta heer dugsiyeedka ah ee Af-Ingriisigu
bilawga u yahay
2 Dadka waaweyn ee Af-Ingriisigu bilawga u yahay
3 Dadka waaweynee Af-Soomaaligu bilawga uyahay.
Saddexdaada kooxoodba qaamuuska waxuu ku kal-
meeynayaa: sida loo barto yeedhiska oo ah xarfaha eray
walba ka koobmo; barashada micnaha ama micnayaashe
eray walba leeyahay; in micne walba lagu muujiyo tiro u
gaar ah side 1, 2, 3 oo lagu kala qeexo weero gaagaabaan oo
micnahood kala duduwan muujinaya.
Hadi eray yahay mid aad u sahlan oo badi lays ka fahmi
karo wax weero ah laguma sii micnaynayo.
Erayada qaamuusku ka kooban yahay waa kuwa la
filayo in qof walba labada af midkood hore ugu soo maro
ama uu ku baran karo muddo yar ka dib. Waa erayada qof
waba 00 afbarad ah uu adeegsado ee ugu soo noqnoqodka
m
badan. Si aan eravna loogu icnayn eraykaleookasii adag
waxaa la adeegsaday weerro gaagaaban, sahlan, saxan oo
sii sharaxaya.
Mil
