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Somali language

Somali
Af-Soomaali   /   اف سومالى
Region Somalia, Djibouti, Somali Region, North Eastern Province
Native speakers
17 million (2015)
Somali Latin alphabet (Latin script; official)
Wadaad writing (Arabic script)
Osmanya alphabet
Borama alphabet
Kaddare alphabet
Official status
Official language in
 Somalia
Recognised minority
language in
 Djibouti
 Ethiopia
 Kenya((SML))
Regulated by Regional Somali Language Academy
Language codes
ISO 639-1 so
ISO 639-2
ISO 639-3
Glottolog soma1255
Linguasphere 14-GAG-a
Somali map.jpg
Primary Somali speech area
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters.

Somali /səˈmɑːli, s-/ (Af-Soomaali [æf sɔːmɑːli]) is an Afroasiatic language belonging to the Cushitic branch. It is spoken as a mother tongue by Somalis in Somalia and the Somaliland . Somali is an official language of Somalia and ], a national language in Djibouti, and a working language in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. It is used as an adoptive language by a few neighboring ethnic minority groups and individuals.

Somali is classified within the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic family; specifically, as Lowland East Cushitic along with Afar and Saho. Somali is the best-documented Cushitic language, with academic studies of the language dating back to the late 19th century.

Somali is spoken by Somalis in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Yemen and Kenya, and Somaliland . It is also spoken as an adoptive language by a few ethnic minority groups and individuals in these areas.


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