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The Osmanya script ( so, Farta Cismaanya πππππ ππππππππ), also known as Far Soomaali (πππ ππππππ, "Somali writing") and, in Arabic, as ''al-kitΔbah al-ΚΏuthmΔnΔ«yah'' (Ψ§ΩΩΨͺΨ§Ψ¨Ψ© Ψ§ΩΨΉΨ«Ω
Ψ§ΩΩΨ©; "Osman writing"), is a writing script created to transcribe the
Osmanya, Borama, Wadaad's writing and the Somali language
''Afkeenna iyo fartiisa''
- a book in Osmanya
Somali Native Alphabet
The report of the Somali Language Committee
- Lexilogos {{writing systems Writing systems of Africa Somali language Somali orthography Obsolete writing systems 1920s establishments in Somalia
The Osmanya script ( so, Farta Cismaanya πππππ ππππππππ), also known as Far Soomaali (πππ ππππππ, "Somali writing") and, in Arabic, as ''al-kitΔbah al-ΚΏuthmΔnΔ«yah'' (Ψ§ΩΩΨͺΨ§Ψ¨Ψ© Ψ§ΩΨΉΨ«Ω
Ψ§ΩΩΨ©; "Osman writing"), is a writing script created to transcribe the Somali language
Somali (Latin script: ; Wadaad: ; Osmanya: ππ ππππππ ) is an Afroasiatic language belonging to the Cushitic branch. It is spoken as a mother tongue by Somalis in Greater Somalia and the Somali diaspora. Somali is a ...
. It was invented between 1920 and 1922 by Osman Yusuf Kenadid, the son of Sultan Yusuf Ali Kenadid and brother of Sultan Ali Yusuf Kenadid of the Sultanate of Hobyo
The Sultanate of Hobyo ( so, Saldanadda Hobyo, ar, Ψ³ΩΨ·ΩΨ© ΩΩΨ¨ΩΩ), also known as the Sultanate of Obbia,''New International Encyclopedia'', Volume 21, (Dodd, Mead: 1916), p.283. was a 19th-century Somali kingdom in present-day northeaste ...
.
History
While Osmanya gained reasonably wide acceptance inSomalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: ππππππππ; ar, Ψ§ΩΨ΅ΩΩ
Ψ§Ω, aαΉ£-αΉ’Ε«mΔl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...
and quickly produced a considerable body of literature, it proved difficult to spread among the population mainly due to stiff competition from the long-established Arabic script as well as the emerging Somali Latin alphabet developed by a number of leading scholars of Somali
Somali may refer to:
Horn of Africa
* Somalis, an inhabitant or ethnicity associated with Greater Somali Region
** Proto-Somali, the ancestors of modern Somalis
** Somali culture
** Somali cuisine
** Somali language, a Cushitic language
** Soma ...
, including Musa Haji Ismail Galal
Musa Haji Ismail Galal ( so, Muuse Xaaji Ismaaciil Galaal, ar, Ω
ΩΨ³Ω Ψ§ΩΨΨ§Ψ¬ Ψ§Ψ³Ω
Ψ§ΨΉΩΩ Ψ¬ΩΨ§Ω) (1917–1980) was a Somali writer, scholar, linguist, historian and polymath. He is notable for the creation of the Somali Latin scri ...
, B. W. Andrzejewski and Shire Jama Ahmed.
As nationalist sentiments grew and since the Somali language had long lost its ancient script, the adoption of a universally recognized writing script for the Somali language became an important point of discussion. After independence, little progress was made on the issue, as opinion was divided over whether the Arabic or Latin scripts should be used instead.
In October 1972, because of the Latin script's simplicity, its ability to cope with all of the sounds in the language, and the widespread existence of machines and typewriters designed for its use,Economist Intelligence Unit (Great Britain), ''Middle East annual review'', (1975), p.229 made President Mohamed Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre ( so, Maxamed Siyaad Barre, Osmanya script: ; ar, Ω
ΨΩ
Ψ― Ψ³ΩΨ§Ψ― Ψ¨Ψ±Ω; c. 1910 β 2 January 1995) was a Somali head of state and general who served as the 3rd president of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 1 ...
require it for writing Somali instead of the Arabic or Osmanya scripts.Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, ''Culture and Customs of Somalia'', (Greenwood Press: 2001), p.73 Barre's administration subsequently launched a massive literacy campaign designed to ensure its sole adoption, which led to a sharp decline in use of Osmanya.
Description
The direction of reading and writing in Osmanya is from left to right. Letter names are based on the names of letters inArabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...
, and the long vowels ''uu'' and ''ii'' are represented by the letters ''waaw'' and ''yaa'', respectively.
Letters
Numbers
Unicode
Osmanya script was added to theUnicode
Unicode, formally The Unicode Standard,The formal version reference is is an information technology standard for the consistent encoding, representation, and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems. The standard, ...
Standard in April 2003 with the release of version 4.0.
The Unicode block for Osmanya is U+10480–U+104AF:
See also
*Kaddare script
The Kaddare alphabet is a writing script created to transcribe Somali, a Cushitic language in the Afroasiatic language family.
History
The orthography was invented in 1952 by a Sufi Sheikh, named Hussein Sheikh Ahmed Kaddare.
A phonetically ...
* Somali alphabets
A number of writing systems have been used to transcribe the Somali language. Of these, the Somali Latin alphabet is the most widely used. It has been the official writing script in Somalia since the Supreme Revolutionary Council formally intro ...
Notes
References
* I.M. Lewis (1958) ''Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies'',University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degre ...
, Vol. 21 pp 134β156.
External links
Osmanya, Borama, Wadaad's writing and the Somali language
''Afkeenna iyo fartiisa''
- a book in Osmanya
Somali Native Alphabet
The report of the Somali Language Committee
- Lexilogos {{writing systems Writing systems of Africa Somali language Somali orthography Obsolete writing systems 1920s establishments in Somalia