beer

From Proto-Cushitic *baar-, from Proto-Afroasiatic *bur-. Cognates include Afar baaxo, Saho baarho, Arabic بَرّ (barr), Hebrew בַּר (bar), and Sabaean 𐩨𐩧 (br).


war

Wax war miyaa hey-sa?


bad

From Proto-East Cushitic *baz- ("lake"), perhaps of Nilo-Saharan origin (Compare Proto-Nilotic *bas- (“lake”)). Cognates include Rendille bey, Daasanach bás, Afar bad, and Gawwada paso.


jeer

Jeertu way jeclayd dhexqaadka dhoobaada.


nin

From Proto-Cushitic *nVm- (“man”). Cognates include Oromo nama and Afar numu.


san

From Proto-Cushitic *ʔisŋʷ-. Cognates include Afar san, Hadiyya sane, Oromo funyaan, Saho san and Sidamo sano. Possibly related to Egyptian sn (“to smell”).


lug

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Maay luk, Rendille luħ, Baiso lukka, Jiiddu loho, Arbore lukk.


dad

From Proto-Somaloid *zad, from Proto-Cushitic *zat (“people”). Compare Jiiddu yed, Aweer dad, Oromo daadoo (“cooperation”).


il

From Proto-Cushitic *ʔil-. Cognates include Oromo ija, Sidamo ille and Jiiddu el.


sac

sác (canonical masculine)
sacyo (feminine plural)

From Proto-Somaloid *saʕ, from Proto-Cushitic *ʃaac-. Cognates include Afar saga, Saho saga, Sidamo sa'a and Oromo sa'a.


maw

From Proto-Cushitic *ma?-/*miʔ- (to be wet) from Proto-Afroasiatic *maʔ-. Compare Egyptian mw, Aasax maʔa, also Dahalo maʔa; Hebrew מים (máyim),
Classical Syriac ܡܝܐ (mayyā) and Somali maanyo and Somali ma'wi.


caws

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Afar qayso and Sidamo hayisso.


souq

From Arabic سُوق (sūq, “market”), from Aramaic שוקא or ܫܘܩܐ (šūqā’, “street, market”), from Akkadian 𒋻 (sūqu, “street”), from Akkadian 𒊓𒆸 (s(i)āqu, “narrow”).


aabe

From Proto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-. Cognate with Proto-Semitic *ʾab- (“father”). See aabo.


ey

èy (canonical masculine)
éy (plural)
eyo (feminine plural)


af

áf (canonical masculine)
afaf (masculine plural)
𐒖𐒍 (alternative)

From Proto-Cushitic *ʔaf-. Cognate with Beja [script needed] (yēf), Oromo afaan and Afar af.


mas

Contracted from earlier *hamas, from Proto-East Cushitic *hamas- ("snake"). Cognate with Burji hamasi, Hadiyya hamashichcho, and Sidamo hamaso.


maalin

maalín (canonical feminine)
maalmo (masculine plural)


geel

The original form was likely gàal, which is preserved in some compounds. An old borrowing into East Cushitic (compare Afar gáala), from an undetermined Semitic language.


nal

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognate with Proto-Semitic *nūr- (“light”).


xa

The name of the Latin-script letter X/x.


ul

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Afar ilo and Oromo ulee.


warta

From war (“a dugout; news, story”) + (definite feminine singular) -ta.


laf

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Oromo lafee and Rendille laf, Jiiddu lafi.


guri

gúri (canonical masculine)
guriyo (plural)


aabo

From Proto-Afroasiatic *ʔab-. Cognate with Proto-Semitic *ʾab- (“father”). See aabe.


gaaf

A Somali wedding celebration where the groom and bride are brought to their new dwelling.


suul

Compare Jiiddu sul, Baiso suul, Yaaku sgilli, Khonso shologlogi, and Dahalo tsoolo (“claw”).


gees

From Proto-Cushitic *ɣaas-. Cognates include Daasanach gáas, Arbore gáh, Rendille gas, and Jiiddu gees.


galab

galáb (canonical feminine)
galbo (masculine plural)


waran

From Proto-Cushitic *warħ- (“spear”). Cognates include Rendille worhan, Oromo waraana, and Awngi [script needed] (werém).


geed

From Proto-Somaloid *geyz- (“tree”). Cognates include Jiiddu gaay (“tree”) and Oromo gaaddisa.


janaayo

From Italian gennaio, itself from Vulgar Latin *jen(u)ārius, from Latin Iānuārius.

January (first month of the Gregorian calendar)


febraayo

February (second month of the Gregorian calendar)


abriil

April (fourth month of the Gregorian calendar)


agoosto

August (eighth month of the Gregorian calendar)


diseembar

December (twelfth month of the Gregorian calendar)


juun

June (sixth month of the Gregorian calendar)


luuliyo

July (seventh month of the Gregorian calendar)


maajo

May (fifth month of the Gregorian calendar)


maarso

March (third month of the Gregorian calendar)


nofeembar

November (eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar)


sebteembar

September (ninth month of the Gregorian calendar)


oktoobar

October (tenth month of the Gregorian calendar)


kab

káb (canonical feminine)
kabo (masculine plural)


malax

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Hadiyya mara and Oromo malaa.


qalin

qálin (canonical masculine)
qalmo (masculine plural)

Borrowed from Arabic قَلَم (qalam, “pen”).


buug

buugag (plural)
buugaag (feminine plural)

book (collection of sheets of paper bound together containing printed or written material)


miis

míis (canonical masculine)
miisás (masculine plural)

Borrowed either from Portuguese mesa or Persian میز (miz). Compare Swahili meza.


cayn

The name of the Latin-script letter C/c.


bariis

Likely from Classical Persian برنج (birinj, “rice”).
See Kazakh күріш (kürış) or Nogai бурыж (burıj) for similar phonological variations of برنج.


aayo

From Proto-Cushitic *yaay-. Cognates are Somali hooyo and Afar yayya.


sammi

From Proto-Cushitic, from Proto-Afroasiatic *sǔm-/*sǐm-.

namesake (one who is named after another)

namesake (one who shares a name with another)


roob

From Proto-Cushitic *roob- ~ *roop-. Cognates include Afar rob, Oromo rooba and Jiiddu ruuw.


naag

náag (canonical feminine)
naagó (masculine plural)


cambe

Sometimes claimed to be from Swahili embe, but the initial consonant and vocalism matches Yemeni Arabic عَمْب (ʕamb), from Persian انبه (anbe).


oorso

From Italian orso, from Latin ursus, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos (“bear”).


biyo

From Proto-Somaloid *biče. Only found in Lowland East Cushitic from *bikee, perhaps an old borrowing from Southern Nilotic (Compare Nandi beek (“water”)), whence also Arbore biče, Daasanach bie, El Molo bɛčɛ', Baiso beke, Oromo bishaan, and Khonso pishaa. False cognates include Burunge ma'ay and Iraqw ma'ay from Proto-Afroasiatic *maʔ-.


shimbir

shimbír (canonical feminine)
shimbiro (masculine plural)

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Afar kimbiro and Oromo simbirroo.


laab

From Proto-Cushitic *l-b-, from Proto-Afroasiatic *lib-. Cognates include Beja leeb, Rendille rubey, Arbore rubay, Blin libbe/labaka, Oromo lubbuu, Khonso luppoota, El Molo rupaiʔ, Burji lubbóo, Afar lùbbi.


ilig

ílig (canonical masculine)
ilkó (masculine plural)

From Proto-Cushitic *ʔiɬkʷ-. Cognates include Oromo ilkaan.


baraf

Likely borrowed from Persian بَرْف (barf), from Middle Persian 𐭥𐭯𐭫 (ʿpl /wafr/), from Proto-Iranian *wafrah (“snow”).


madax

mádax (canonical masculine)
madáx (feminine plural)

From Proto-Cushitic *mat-. Cognates include Oromo mataa and Jiiddu midi.


boqor

Ultimately derived from Proto-Afroasiatic *baḳar- (“wealthy”).
Cognates include Tamahaq beɣer (“fortunate, lucky”), Tawellemmet baɣar (“be rich”), Central Atlas Tamazight anesbaɣur (“rich, fortunate”), and possibly Meroitic 𐦧𐦳𐦫 (pqr, “prince”).


wiil

From a Proto-Cushitic root cognate to Proto-Semitic Proto-Semitic *w-l-d.


ukun

Cognate with Jiiddu okon, Qimant ənkʷlal, Blin käxala, Iraqw qanhhi.

Bishii Maarso, Senator Fraser Anning oo ka tirsan xisbiga Midigta fog ayaa ukun lagu dhuftay kaddib markii uu si xooggan u dhaleeceeyay wararkii ku saabsanaa weerarradii masaajiddadii magaalada Christchurch ee New Zealand.

2019, “Haweeney Ukun madaxa uga dhufatay Ra'iisul wasaaraha Australia”, in BBC News:

In March, Senator Fraser Anning of the far right party was hit with an egg after he strongly criticized the news about the attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.


malab

From Proto-Cushitic *malab-. Cognates include Afar maláb, Hadiyya marabo, Sidamo malawo and Jiiddu malaw.


daqiiq

Cognate with Oromo daku, Blin lax, Xamtanga [script needed] (laɣ).


timaha

Timaha iska jar.


ilmo

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Oromo ilma (“son”), ultimately rooting to a cognate of Proto-Semitic *ʕ-l-m. See Hebrew עלם (‘elem) and Arabic غلام (ḡulām).


musqusha

Musqusha ma aadi kara?


xayawaan

Etymology tree
Arabic حَيَوَان (ḥayawān)bor.
Somali xayawaan
Borrowed from Arabic حَيَوَان (ḥayawān).


kitaab

book (especially in Muslim contexts, such as when referring to the Qur'an)


gadh

From Proto-Cushitic *gat’-. Cognates include Sidamo gacco.


midig

From Proto-Cushitic *mazkʷ-/*mizkʷ-. Cognates include Afar migda, Oromo mirga and Saho mizga.


dheg

dhég (canonical feminine)
dhegó (masculine plural)

From Proto-East Cushitic *ṭagħ- ("ear"). Cognates include Rendille dag, Jiiddu dhagé, Oromo dhaga'uu, Khonso dhakay, and Afar xaaga.


isniin

Borrowed from Arabic الْاِثْنَيْن (al-iṯnayn).

bor

الْاِثْنَيْن

isniin · talaado · arbaco · khamiis · jimco · sabti · axad [edit]


talaado

Borrowed from Arabic الثُّلَاثَاء (aṯ-ṯulāṯāʔ).

الثُّلَاثَاء

Arabic الثُّلَاثَاء (aṯ-ṯulāṯāʔ)


arbaco

Borrowed from Arabic الْأَرْبِعَاء (al-ʔarbiʕāʔ).

الْأَرْبِعَاء

Arabic الْأَرْبِعَاء (al-ʔarbiʕāʔ)


khamiis

Borrowed from Arabic الْخَمِيس (al-ḵamīs).


axad

Borrowed from Arabic الْأَحَد (al-ʔaḥad).


mindi

mindí (canonical feminine)
mindiyó (masculine plural)

→ English: mindy, mindi, mindey


magaalo

magaalooyin (masculine plural)
magaalad (alternative)


saytuun

Borrowed from Arabic زَيْتُون (zaytūn, “olive”).


bohol

From Proto-Cushitic *buhl- (“A hole in the ground or hill”). Cognate with Oromo boola (“hole”).


ood

From Proto-Somaloid *oot-, from Proto-East Cusitic *oot- ("fence"). Cognate with Rendille oot, Baiso ooti, Burji oota, Hadiyya oota, Kambaata oota.


sabab

Borrowed from Arabic سَبَب (sabab, “reason, cause”).


kabacad

Compound of kabo (shoes) and cad (white)


Darwiishi

An affiliate or inhabitant of Darwiish or Darwiishia.

An epithet for the Dhulbahante due to them historically being the primary backbone of the Darwiish.


darwiishnimo

The ideology that seeks to preserve the heritage and legacy of Darwiish and predecessor states such as the Dhulbahante garaadship and Warsangeli sultanate.


Khatumite

An inhabitant or native of the Sool, Cayn or the Fiqifuliye district, a region that was historically part of the Dhulbahante garaadship and its successor state of Darwiish.


dabadhilif

(historical) a native opponent of the Darwiish


qusuusi

A government administration in the Sool, Cayn or Haylaan region.


iidoor

Compound of ii (for me) and door (choose),


xarunta

The government of a post-medieval Horn African state, particularly the Daraawiish.

(by extension) The leading figures of the Daraawiish (i.e. commanders, governors, representatives, judges etc.) considered collectively.

(idiomatic, by extension) The Daraawiish government.


Jubalander

From Jubaland + er. Analogous with Puntlander.

A native or inhabitant of Jubaland regional state.

A native or inhabitant of the British Jubaland province.


Siciid Harti

A clan which predominates in Sool, Cayn, the Fiqifuliye district and Bookh district.


reer darawiish

(history, colloquial) The Siciid Harti, who predominate in Sool, Cayn, the Fiqifuliye district and Bookh district


reer daraawiish

(history, colloquial) The Siciid Harti, whom predominate in Sool, Cayn, the Fiqifuliye district and Bookh district


Shirshoore

(history, colloquial) An epithet of the reer darwiish (Siciid Harti), whom predominate in Sool, Cayn, the Fiqifuliye district and Bookh district


duubcad

(history) Epithet for the reer darawiish (Siciid Harti).

(history) A Horn African who wears a white turban, especially as a serviceperson.


gaanaha

(informal) Field marshal or general of the army


gaaniye

(informal, rare) Field marshal or general of the army


aftahan

A promoter of sobriety, especially in the form of poetry.


afmiishaar

A promoter of animosity, especially in the form of poetry


gaaloraac

A person that is considered to prefer Western or non-Muslim interests over their own country


mayay

From Proto-Cushitic *ma?-/*miʔ- (to be wet) from Proto-Afroasiatic *maʔ-. Compare Egyptian mw, Aasax maʔa, also Dahalo maʔa; Hebrew מים (máyim),
Classical Syriac ܡܝܐ (mayyā) and Somali maanyo.


Sayyidka

(history) The title of the head of state of Darawiish (circa 1895 - 1920), the Dhulbahante anti-colonial polity geographically corresponding to modern-day Khaatumo.


addoon

addòon (canonical masculine)
addóon (canonical feminine)

An old borrowing from a Semitic language; compare Old South Arabian 𐩱𐩵𐩣 (ʾdm), Ge'ez ዶም (dom).


arabbikhi

From Harari [script needed] (arab iḫi, literally “sorghum of the Arabs”).


habeen

From Proto-Somaloid *hib'èén (“night”), from Proto-Cushitic *ham- (“darkness”), from Proto-Afroasiatic *ḥam- (“to be black”). Cognates include Jiiddu hamin, and Rendille iben.


xiddig

From Proto-Cushitic *ħizik. Cognates include Afar hotuk, Saho xutuk, and Jiiddu hidiq.


dayax

From Proto-Somaloid *zeyaħ, from Proto-Cushitic *zay- (“moon”). Compare Rendille yeyah and Beja te dai.


gacan

From Proto-Cushitic *ganc-. Possible cognates include Burji anga, Hadiyya anga and Kambaata anga.


jilib

From Proto-East Cushitic *g[i/u]lb+ (Bender, 2020), from Proto-Cushitic *gilb-/*gulb-. Cognates include Afar gulub, Oromo jilba, Jiiddu jolow, Qimant gə́rə́b, Blin gərb, Beja gulub, Saho gūmba, Xamtanga [script needed] (gərbə), Iraqw gurungura and Sidamo guluphpho, Hadiyya gurubbo. furthermore Amharic ጉልበት (gulbät).
Possibly related to Proto-Semitic *birk- (“knee”) which undergoes strong metathesis (*birk- > *kirb- > *gilb-).


maanyo

From Proto-Cushitic, from Proto-Afroasiatic *maʔ-. Compare Aasax maʔa, Dahalo maʔa; also Egyptian mw, Hebrew מים (máyim), Classical Syriac ܡܝܐ (mayyā).


sambab

From Proto-Cushitic *sonb- ~ *sonp-. Cognates include Oromo somba, Sidamo shambo, Iraqw hhuumpa Gedeo shonbo, Qimant samb, Blin sämbi, Beja šambut and Jiiddu sabi.


afaaf

From Proto-Cushitic *ʔaf-. Cognates include Afar afá and Saho afá.


wiyil

Akin to Dahalo waala. Ehret proposes common origin from Proto-Cushitic *waɣl-/*wiɣl-.


waraabe

From Proto-Cushitic *waraab-. Cognates include Oromo waraabessa, Rendille waraba and Jiiddu worbi.


maax

From Proto-Cushitic *maaħ- (to get wet) from Proto-Afroasiatic *maʔ-. Compare Aasax maʔa, Dahalo maʔa; also Egyptian mw, Hebrew מים (máyim), Classical Syriac ܡܝܐ (mayyā) and Somali maanyo.

well, fountain (water coming from the ground of the well)


maayad

From Proto-Cushitic *ma?-/*miʔ- (to be wet) from Proto-Afroasiatic *maʔ-. Compare Aasax maʔa, Dahalo maʔa; also Egyptian mw, Hebrew מים (máyim), Classical Syriac ܡܝܐ (mayyā) and Somali maanyo.


ma'wi

From Proto-Cushitic *ma?-/*miʔ- (“to be wet”) from Proto-Afroasiatic *maʔ-. Compare Egyptian mw, Aasax maʔa, also Dahalo maʔa; Hebrew מים (máyim), Classical Syriac ܡܝܐ (mayyā) and Somali maanyo.


ayeey

From Proto-Cushitic *yaay-. Cognates are Somali aayo and Afar yayya.


lo'

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Hadiyya laro and Oromo loon. Compare further possible cognates at Hebrew לאה.


abeeso

→ Afar: abeesa

Possibly related to Oromo bofa (“snake”).


wadne

From Proto-Cushitic *wazana. Cognates include Jiiddu weyni, Rendille wayam, Saho wadana, Baiso wodana. Proto-Highland East Cushitic *wadzana yields further cognates such as Sidamo wodana, Hadiyya wodano, Burji wodana etc...


shabeel

From Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Sidamo kebeelcho (“leopard”) and Hadiyya kabeechcho (“leopard”).


dhiig

From Proto-East Cushitic *ɗiig+ (Bender, 2020). Cognate with Oromo dhiiga, Jiiddu dhig.


warqad

warqád (canonical feminine)
warqado (masculine plural)
-ti (article)

From Arabic وَرَقَة (waraqa, “sheet of paper”).


dariiq

Ultimately from Arabic طَرِيق (ṭarīq, “way, road”).


Soomaalinimo

/sɔ̀ːmɑ̀ːlɪ̀nímɞ̀/

From Soomaali (“Somali”) + -nimo (“-ity, -ness”).


faa'idooyin

Plural of faa'ido f. From Arabic فَائِدَة (fāʔida).


saabuun

From Arabic صَابُون (ṣābūn), from Latin sāpō.

der

Arabic صَابُون (ṣābūn)


dhagax

so-noun

dhagax m (plural dhagxaan or dhagaxyo f)

dhagxaan (plural)
dhagaxyo (feminine plural)

From Proto-Somaloid *ɖagaħ, from Proto-Cushitic. Cognates include Rendille dhagah, Oromo dhagaa, Khonso dhakaa, Saho dhaa, Afar xaa, Iraqw tlaa, and Burunge tla'a.


malaa'ig

From Arabic مَلَائِكَة (malāʔika), plural of مَلْأَك (malʔak).


turjumaan

turjumaanno (feminine plural)
turjubaan (alternative)

Borrowed from Arabic تُرْجُمَان (turjumān).


turjubaan

turjubaanno (feminine plural)
turjumaan (alternative)

Borrowed from Arabic تُرْجُمَان (turjumān).
In Somali, /b/ is pronounced [β] in stressed intervocalic positions. This likely contributed to a reanalysis of the Arabic /m/ in *turjumaan* as a /b/, yielding the Somali form *turjubaan*. The variant *turjumaan* also exists but is less common.


indho

From Proto-Cushitic *ʔinṭ- (“eye”). Cognate with Rendille indo, Dirasha inda, and Arbore iyndhá.