Aw (sometimes spelled ''Au'') is an
honorific
An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an Honorary title (academic), h ...
title in the
Harari and
Somali languages.
It commonly designates a father, respected elder or
saint
In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...
in
Harari and
Somali languages.
[Transactions of the Somali Academy of Sciences and Arts Volume 1 page 164][Encyclopedia of Africa south of the Sahara page 47] It is used widely and most commonly in the Somali territories.
Etymology
According to linguist
Edward Ullendorff term '"Aw"' from Harari language is linked to the
Proto-Semitic term
Ab meaning father. According to
Giorgio Banti the term has been adopted by various
Somali clans from the Harari language.
History
During his research in the ancient town of
Amud, the historian
G.W.B. Huntingford
George Wynn Brereton Huntingford (19 November 1901 – 19 February 1978) was an English linguist, anthropologist and historian. He lectured in East African languages and cultures at SOAS, University of London from 1950 until 1966. noticed that whenever an old site had the prefix ''Aw'' in its name (such as the ruins of
Awbare and
Awbube),
it denoted the final resting place of a local saint.
Most notably applied to the founder of
Harar
Harar (; Harari language, Harari: ሀረር / ; ; ; ), known historically by the indigenous as Harar-Gey or simply Gey (Harari: ጌይ, ݘٛىيْ, ''Gēy'', ), is a List of cities with defensive walls, walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is al ...
Aw
Abadir. According to the southern Somali
Geledi clan, the appellation Aw was common amongst them and was used “scrupulously” in interactions between the
nobles and half casts. Sorcerers among the
Arsi Oromo are known as Awan Shan which is derived from the title Aw.
Notables
People with the title include:
*Aw
Barkhadle, saint
*Aw Barre (
Awbare), Adal era saint
*Aw Buba (
Awbube), pre Ifat era saint
*Aw Abdal, saint
*Aw Ali Hamdogn, saint and scholar
*Aw Abadir (Aw Badir), saint and scholar
*Aw Umar Ziad, saint
*Aw Ansaar, saint
*Aw Hashim, saint and scholar
*Aw Seid, saint
*Aw Sofi Yahya, saint and scholar
*Aw Qutub, saint and scholar
*Aw Qurrabe Limay, saint
Further reading
* Emile Foucher, ''Names of Mussulmans venerated in Harrar and its Surroundings A List.'' Harrassowitz Verlag, 1988
References
Sources
*
Noble titles
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