Similarities between Somali & other languages

[InaSamaale]

Learning a language can be a lot easier with fluency in another language. What are some commonalities you have encountered with languages that you know or spent time learning and Somali. Maybe it is grammar rules or some similar words.

Here are some commonalities I have come across between Somali and Mandarin. To those who can speak multiple languages, are there any you can think of?

1. Ma, ba and na/ne as question particles.
Mandarin:

Ni hao, ma? (Hi, how are you?)
Women hao, ni ne? (We are good and you?)

Somali:

Waa tu, ma?
Fiican. Adiga, na?
Ma saas baa?

2. Let's go!
Mandarin: zuo ba
Somali: Soo bax

Pronunciation of these two are very similar.

3. Tones
Mandarin: occurs as first, second, third and fourth tones.
Somali: only seen in certain words
Examples: distinction between beer (liver) and beer (farm)
Inan (boy), first tone and Inan (girl) would be second tone.

[HooBariiska]

mate what are you smoking? u saying we are chinese ?

[Rockstar]

That's interesting. Are you doing Mandarin? I never bothered to compare languages, but I will now. Dhalinyarada oo qurbaha lugu dhalay tend to translate English into Somali in their heads, and then speak it. So their Somali follows English grammar rules. That's one thing I have noticed.

[BlackVelvet]

I noticed a while back that Somali nouns have gender, it had never occurred to me before.

Example:

Kursigan
Buuggan

But

Shanladan
Waraaqdan


And
Kabtaan
Sariirtan

[InaSamaale]

HooBariiska, no I was not suggesting that at all. There are bound to be overlapping words and grammar rules cross languages. I just wanted to compare the variety of languages people are fluent in with Somali.

Rockstar no, I had in the past briefly studied Mandarin as a subject. Forgot most of what I've learnt though I do want to be fluent some day.

Jasmine, great observation. I would presume many languages to employ gender association with nouns. Though I can't give any examples. Am I correct in stating that even our adjectives can be gender specific?

Examples:
Fiican (f) = fiican tahay
Fiican (m)= fiican yahay
Aqli badan (f)= aqli leeyad
Aqli badan (m)= aliloo

[HooBariiska]

Examples:
Fiican (f) = fiican tahay
Fiican (m)= fiican yahay
Aqli badan (f)= aqli leeyad
Aqli badan (m)= aliloo

loooooooooooooool omg u serious? ??


so if I say ma fiicantahay that means I am asking a gurl ?

[BlackVelvet]

The gender there is in reference to the subject. So in the case of aqli, InaSamaale is aqlileey but Rockstar is aqliloow.

I can't think of other examples

[BlackVelvet]

Examples:
Fiican (f) = fiican tahay
Fiican (m)= fiican yahay
Aqli badan (f)= aqli leeyad
Aqli badan (m)= aliloo

loooooooooooooool omg u serious? ??


so if I say ma fiicantahay that means I am asking a gurl ?

Actually you could be asking about a girl

How is he: ma fiicanyahay

How is she: ma fiicantahay
How are you: ma fiicantahay


Did he eat: ma cunay

Did she eat: ma cuntey
Did you eat: ma cuntey


It's the same with every verb

[InaSamaale]

HooBariiska, I think Jasmine's right. I hadn't realised the feminine/ male suffixes is descriptive of the noun and not part and parcel of the actual adjective. Hope the multi-lingual folks here will contribute.

[LiquidHYDROGEN]

I believe Somali is a language isolate. One thing I've noticed is that in most, if not all, languages, the word for mother begins with an M/Ma/Mama sound except Somali where it's Hooyo.

[Lillaahiya]

^ Umi..

[HooBariiska]

Examples:
Fiican (f) = fiican tahay
Fiican (m)= fiican yahay
Aqli badan (f)= aqli leeyad
Aqli badan (m)= aliloo

loooooooooooooool omg u serious? ??


so if I say ma fiicantahay that means I am asking a gurl ?

Actually you could be asking about a girl

How is he: ma fiicanyahay

How is she: ma fiicantahay
How are you: ma fiicantahay


Did he eat: ma cunay

Did she eat: ma cuntey
Did you eat: ma cuntey


It's the same with every verb

mate its not that straight forward. the Somali language is very reach.

ma fiicantahay could mean how are you (male / female)

ma fiicantihiin means are you guys good (males and femes)

[BigBreak]

mate what are you smoking? u saying we are chinese ?

[InaSamaale]

Just thought of another. Although 'bu/ bu shi' would translated as 'no'.

'Mei you', can be used as a negating phrase, particularly the absence of a subject.
Wo you mei you qian ( I have no money)
You mei you liu xia (there is none left)

Somali.
Maya.

[Lillaahiya]

Na waad isku dhufatay