Yibir and Midgaan and their own languages

[ZubeirAwal]

NOTE: Do not come in this thread and override it with emotional trajectory about your disappointment of how the Somalis of old discriminated these people, this thread is not for that.

This is an excerpt of a book that I will reference at the end of this post. It was written a little over 100 years ago, the writer himself met and spoke with the Midgaans and the Yibir who imparted their dialect unto him.

These two tribes called by the Somalis by Sab or outcast, being considered of lowly origin and not from Darud or Ishak , for this reason Somalis do not mix with them nor marry. The Yibirs are said to be sorcerers with powers to curse others. They live by begging, especially by the levy of a tax that they are paid by Somalis at the eve of a marriage or the birth of a child, according to a old story that I will give here in the Yibir dialect. The Midgans by nature are skilled hunters and trappers, and live largely by the meat of game in the countryside. They are employed by Somalis to work for them, in return for which they receive occasional payment, in food, or otherwise, and protection from their employer. This work consists of gathering fire wood, drawing water and digging and cleaning wells.

Both tribes also work in leather, tanning hides and making leather ornaments, saddles, shoes, etc.
They profess to be Mohammedans like pure Somalis, but the Midgans are very lax in their religion, being unclean in the type of meat that they eat. Many however today are comparatively civilized and are strict on this point. Neither Yibir nor Midgan have any definite tract of land, like the numerous tribes of Somali. They are scattered as wanderers over the whole country, the Midgans either attatching themselves to some Somali tribe as
'abban, or living upon them as robbers and thieves.

Each Somali clan has it's own dialect, so to the Yibir and the Midgan which has hitherto been kept as a solemn
secret from the rest of the world. They still insist upon secrecy from Somalis, and made me promise not to divulge to their hereditary enemies what they were quite willing to explain to the white man.

The construction of the Yibir and Midgaan languages I find, to be the same as that of the Somali tongue spoken all over the country and by all tribes; that is to say, they are identical in:
1. Syntax
2. Conjugation of Verbs
3. Inflexions of Nouns and and Adjectives
4. Methods of forming derivative verbs.

The Yibir vocabulary is fairly complete though poorer than Somali. The Midgan on the other hand is extremely deficient. A large number of words have there to do duty for several meanings each, according to the context.

Examples: Yibir language

Dalanga----- any animal or bird (an appropiate epithet or description being required for each individual kind).

Agar--------- thing, stuff, food etc.

awas----------- any vegetable, tree, grass, wood.

Iftin------------ light, sun, moon, star, rupee, silver, money

ilah(aggressive h as in xaa)-------------fire, gun

mid--------------- exist, be, stop, stand.

tuma'la--------- anything hard, hill, stone

lawo------------ water, rain river year

Midgan language example:

Hangaguri----------- any wild beast

nas-------------- thing, place, time, town, person, self

Qoribirro-------- wood, and anything made of wood, tree, bow, shaft of spear.

Gowsad---- Iron knife

Iftimowa----- sun, light day

Gomosimo------ water, ran, river.

Qan----- good, large, heavy, far, white, hot, full.

Neqatal------- bad, small, light, near, black, cold, empty.

Makabur--------- stone, hill, money, rupee



Where special definition is required, some paraphrase is used. Yibirs have no special names for animals, but use such expressions as the following:

Dalangihi khabarki qandidsan ---- Hyena (literally, the animal with plenty of noise)

Dalangihi walaxumo ku dashiya--- oryx (literally, the animal having spears)

Midgans describe the lion and leopard as:

hangaguri qan and hangaguri neqatal, respectively.

The following are good examples of other paraphrases required by the languages:

My father--- (Mid.) Alowihi i soo finfinshey
(Yib) Guriedki i jaqiicday, (literally, the man who begat me)

Yesterday------(Mid) Iftimowihi tegday
(Yib) Iftinti teday (literally, the light that has gone.)

Tomorrow------- (Mid.) Iftimowihi soo tegedaya (literally, the light that is coming.


I am hungry (Mid.) Guratada wa neqatal, literally my belly is small.

Look at (Mid.) Indhokhulaha ku yeef
(Yib) Cayntaa ku yeef
Pray (Mid.) Gomosimo isku dahdahbi, literally, buy yourself with water.


In an account given to me by a Midgan of the traditional origin of his tribe, it was suggested that this language was invented by the Midgan's ancesters in the wild country side as a secret code. This may possibly be the case, judging from following examples:

Midgan

Hand-------- farolahaato from Somali : Faro (finger) laho (possess)

Arrow------- Dhegoyar = Dhego (ears) yar (small)

Breast-------- Feedholahato= Feedho (ribs)



EXAMPLES OF SENTENCES AND CONVERSATION IN YIBIR AND MIDGAAN.

Midgan

Xigge ka so cidibtay?= Where have you come from?

Alowa ba soo cidbeya= A Midgan is coming

Naskaas ii kul = Give me that

Guriedkii qansana= The good man

Cawintii qansaneed= The good woman.

Xiggan soo duhur= come here

Iska sir= Go away

Xagga iska raqaxsano= stay there

garartii shar bannu dagnay= we saw many horses

Raqaxi mayo.= I will not do it.

Jalmihii gomosimodii u cidbi= take the camels to water

Ma dukhanta?= Are you sick?

Iftimowaha baan caji sukhodin ku dukhay= Today I shot a somali with a bow and arrow.

Cawintayda yagolka raqaxsanta = my wife is at home


Yibir


Ma yafcantahay? = Are you well?

Ma yacafnaan baa? = Is it peace?

Xagge u bidbidinaysa= Where are you going?

Humaggi mahad cidatan? = What do you eat at night?

Gudibki ma cidatan? = Do you drink milk?

Dugagaagu weli ma cawilaysatay? = Are you married yet?

Weli maa cawilisaan= I'm not married yet.

Khabar qandid ba lagu bida = You are good at lanugage

Maxa bakhrineeya? ma lawo? = What is that noise? rain?

Cagarma aymaysay?= what do you see?

Khabarma maqaleedanasay= what did you hear

derigas ma ku duhureesa? = do you understand that?

Ku ma duhuro= I do not understand.

Deriihii yabar yifno oo Anaysuda cidin jirta, Xanfili ka soo godisa= Hanifi leaves alone people who give plenty to the Yibir

Khabarma u laqay? = What did he say?



MOHAMMED HANIF (ancestors of the Yibirs) (Preserved oral tale)

Kulhidi horimad anagahaag ba lagu biday. Xig bu midsha, goriyeed la ma midin jirin. Derihinii horimad iyo dirihi
angaxogsaday dhexdoodi u midshay, limihi ya yiftimeyee. Deri yabar qandiidsan ya la biday. Derihiini horimad ya uu soo qodisay. Cawas noo cidbi yey laqen, " Kharbarke ku fedheysan?" Kulhidas yuu laqay, " Deriahan angaxoogsado yaannu ku rufinaynaa>" Kulhidas yuu laqay, " Waa iftimo qandidah, idinku cidi mahay, awaskayga idin cidin maay." Kulhidas yu goderowi, iftimo iyo goderowi jalmo inhidas awayski yay kaga doyodeen.

Kulhidas yu awaski uu saara cidi. Kulhidas yaa derihi anngaxoogsanay alman soo fedhteen. Kulhidasa yay deerihini horimad yay alman u soo fedhten. Kulhidas limihii goderowi oo lawod, yay xig midhsay oo xiggu tegday ya imen weeyen. Kulhidasa derihi angaxoogsanay xigga ku ruffeen. Kulhidas yay angahaagi yabar yifmayeen anghaagi bu rufeey. Cadisii yaa la alman. Walad yahanyahh uu jaqiicday, yaa xiggi ka so godisay, weledkii iyo aferi kalimaad xig midin jiray. Weledki Maxamed Xaniid ba laa biday. Weledkuu kulhidas yuu anghag nokhday. Asuwano yuu
difaacdin jiray.

Dugagisuu xigga midhsa oo asuwano difacdashaa angahaagi yifna yaa u soo shamey. Aw barakhaadli bu noqday. Kulhidas yaa u laqay " Khabarma xiggi u midaysa, oo angahag lagugu bida?"
Kulihidas bu Laqey " Dugagagu maa iga angxaksantahay?"
Kulhidasu laqay " Ka angxaksanahay" Kulhidas yu uu laqey " Khabarka aad iga angxaksantahay igu imidsii" Kulhidasu laqey, " Xiggas aan ku goodisaya, ka fodis dugagagu".

Kulhidasu tomaalaha aniga yu xidisii ka goodisay. Kulhidas ka godisay, oo xiggo uguu goodisay, yu uu laqaey aw barkhaadle " Toomalaha oo ganicid". Kulhidas tomaalihi isku godisay, kulhidas yuu xig u ka soo godieysoo imin waayee. Tomaalaha dhexdiisi yuu ku rufei. Angaxaagi xaggas uu ku ruffei. Kulhidas yaa waladihi uu jaqiicday yuu u laqay, " Ageeyo ada rufiyeey!", agar nooga. Angaxaagi ba ku laqey khabarkan kulxidaasu u laqay " Ma wataxahadan guderowwi jalmi idin, cida mise weledkii goried uu jaqcido yan ilbir idin ka sara idaa? Sara dooshi miyaan iftin idin ka sara cidaa?"

Kulhidaas yaa walidihi laqeen, " Weledka ilbir noga sara cid, saradooshiiska iftin, weldahana ilbir. Inhindi ka daraysa inhindka khabarka yannu cagarta ku idoneyna". Khabarkaas yannu cagar ku shansoona, anaysiyoodyadu.
Kulhidi iftiinta iyo ilbirta na loo cido awaysoo yaxahinya yannu u cidna. Wannu uu yabariyoona. Cawas kalimaad oo qandiida wa ku duhurna. Derigii rufrufeya iyo derigi almaan fedhonaya, iyo derigii laqeyna, " an derigaaska ur bixinsanaado", inxidas awas loo cido yannu ku duhurnaa. Derigaa, annu uu cidna iftimo qandiida yuu kulhida, uu yifacnaado noo sara cida.


Translation:

A long time ago there was a priest. Where he lived where people lived not. Your people before, and the people who prayed among them lived, both, and fought. A man of property plenty he was. Your people before to him came. " A herb to us bring" they said. " What reason for do you want it?" he said. Then they said, " These people who pray with us will kill." Then he said, " It is money, plenty of it you to me give without, my herb to you I will not give." Then they gave a hundred gold coins and a hundred camels so much the herb they bought. Then the people who prayed, a raid was sent out for. Then they, your people before, a raid on them was sent out for. Then for two hundred years they lived in a place and where they went to find that which they could not.

Then the people who prayed there died. Then they fought the priest and he died. His home and property was looted. A boy small the priest begat, there for came the boy and four others who used to live in that place. That boy Mohammed Hanif was. The boy then became a priest,women he used to defend while he was there the great priest came, aw barkhaadle he was. Then he said, " What reason do you therefore live for?" Then he said, " Yourself are you more holier than I?" Then he said, " More holy I am." Then he said, The reason you are more holier than me, please demonstrate". Then he said " I will penetrate through this great hill, go yourself". Then that great hill beneath it through he went.

Then Aw Barkhaadle said " O Hill, seize him". Then the hill together it went, then he where was supposed to come out, see could we not". The hill in it he died. The priest of our tribe, there he died!. Then the boys he begat they said, " Our father you have killed, give us something". Aw Barkhaadle said to them this word, then he said, " I am today, a hundred camels to you shall be given, or if a son is born recompense shall be paid to you, or the marriage of one recompense shall be paid to you." Then the boys said, " The son born a homage to us for him, the marriage money and the boys both. That which follows hereafter so much, for that a high price shall we receive." For that reason we take the price, we Yibirs. When the money and the tax is to us, we give them small sticks. We thus earn our living. Herbs and others, many we know. The man who is sick and the man who is going on a raid, and the man who says, " let me kill that man" be better. For that a herb to be given we already know.

That man to whom we give money plenty, he will be successful in our hands.

Kirk, J (1902). A grammar of the Somali language with examples in prose and verse and an account of the Yibir and Midgan dialects (1905). Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. p197-199.

Aw Barkhaadle is located in HY owned territory, I visited the area in 2007, a single tomb stands with hundreds buried around it, inside is the tomb of Aw Barkhaadle. Apparently one of the hills hold the body of Maxamed Xaniif the sixiroole. According to XPlaya's research Aw Barakhaadle was a Isaaq saint, this could explain that in some places in Somaliland especially rural villages, people still pay this levy tax to the Yibir out of fear that they will curse them. A binding promise by Aw Barakhaadle to the sons of Maxamed Xaniif.

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[LiquidHYDROGEN]

Very interesting thread. Most of those words don't have any resemblance to somali words at all e.g. water = lawo.

I hope to document all the different somali languages and dialects one day. They need to be preserved for diversity.

[Bella18]

Interesting, I didn't know they had their own language

Cheers for the share

[ZubeirAwal]

@Liquid
I absolutely agree, I still plan on traversing the rural areas in the north and documenting the oral tales of history and such, the area in which Aw Barkhaadle is buried is older than some think. Dr Sada Mire (archaeologist) found Greo-Roman pottery and even pottery from the Tang dynasty, as well as stone walls. The area was most likely a ancient town on the trade road.

[ZubeirAwal]

bump

[Julkimi]

I've heard of Midgaan/Madhiban but what's Yibir?

[ZubeirAwal]

They are a jewish somali tribe. The word Yibir is related to the Arabic "3ibr" root which is translated as hebrew. They lived scattering among Somalis and had their own culture.

[Julkimi]

They are a jewish somali tribe. The word Yibir is related to the Arabic "3ibr" root which is translated as hebrew. They lived scattering among Somalis and had their own culture.

So they are Jewish? And how come I've never heard of or seen them?

Where do they reside? and how do they look like? I mean do they act Somali?

[ZubeirAwal]

They speak somali and they look somali, they say they are muslims but they were jews before they were muslims, and they are still to be found around rural areas and sometimes local towns. The midgan are more welcomed than they are.

[zumaale]

I've heard of Midgaan/Madhiban but what's Yibir?

Yibir are the descendants of a mythical Somali historical figure known as Bucur Bayr. He was supposedly a Jew from Yemen and established his authority over ancient semi pagan Somalis. They are an outcast clan that live mainly in the North, Hawd and Mudug.

[Julkimi]

Zubeir and Zumaale thank you to the both of you, I learned something new today. I must do some research on these people. It's kind of weird that I never heard about them.

[Khalid Ali]

They are ethnic jewss today they are by faith islamic people i have seen a yibir girl in Hargeisa they have lost their culture and adopted isaaq somali culture . The yibir girl was very beautiful their ancestor was called maxamad xanif, there is a place called xabaalaha yibraha . They are very small julkimi thats why u never heard of them. They can be compared to the beta israel that live with the amhara in northern ethiopia.

[ciddhartha]

My mother and her mother talk about them a lot because they grew up in Haud.

My grandmother has this weird reverence for them because she respects (i.e. fears) their "magic."

I think they're cool and when I was younger I wanted to be Yibir.

[jamal9]

There is a somali gang group in MN called MWA (Madhiban With Attitude). they target darood and hawiye in MN. some MWA youths even get "protection" money from some coward MJs & HGs.