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Malak (title)
Malak ( Harari: መላቅ) (sometimes spelled ''Malaq'') was an administrative designation in the Horn of Africa. Etymology Polish linguist Wolf Leslau notes that the term Malaq signifies chief for one of the five gates of Harar. It is derived from two Harari words, "mala" and "aqa," which together mean 'who knows the way and means.' German historian Manfred Kropp, suggests that it may be associated with another Harari term the Malassay. Additionally, Malak denotes ‘chief’ in Somali, a term borrowed from Harari, as stated by Italian linguist Giorgio Banti and historian Enrico Cerulli. It also signifies ‘chief’ in both the Afar and Oromo languages. History Israeli historian Avishai Ben-Dror asserts that the term "Malak" has its roots in the fifteenth century within the context of the Adal Sultanate. In the 1600s, the leader of the Imamate of Aussa was referred to as Malaq Adam b. Sadiq. This designation persisted in the successor states of Adal, including the A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
Harari Language
Harari is an Ethio-Semitic language spoken by the Harari people of Ethiopia. Old Harari is a literary language of the city of Harar, a central hub of Islam in the Horn of Africa. According to the 2007 Ethiopian census, it is spoken by 25,810 people. Harari is closely related to the Eastern Gurage languages, Zay, and Siltʼe, all of whom are believed to be linked to the now extinct Semitic Harla language. Locals or natives of Harar refer to their language as or ( is the word for how Harari speakers refer to the city of Harar, whose name is an exonym). According to Wolf Leslau, Sidama is the substratum language of Harari and influenced the vocabulary greatly. He identified unique Cushitic loanwords found only in Harari and deduced that it may have Cushitic roots. Harari was originally written with a version of the Arabic script, Harari script, then the Ethiopic script was adopted to write the language. Some Harari speakers in diaspora write their language with the Latin a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |