4 ms·

If linguistic specialists can work this well for accents inside the UK, I'm sure they'll be able to tell if you're lying when you say you grew up in Somalia to

by sethg 17y ago

If linguistic specialists can work this well for accents inside the UK, I'm sure they'll be able to tell if you're lying when you say you grew up in Somalia to Somali parents, but you're accents indicating you're from Kenya or Ethiopia. The boundaries between Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia were drawn by European diplomats in the nineteenth century for their convenience. Those boundaries cut across the territory occupied the ethnically-Somali people themselves, who (if Wikipedia can be trusted) are traditionally nomadic and who frequently marry outside their own clans. So if some linguist claimed that he could identify the origin of a Somali-speaker the way Henry Higgins could trace an English-speaker, I would be very very skeptical.

mahmud 17y ago
I could :-) The borders between Somalia and Kenya is one thing, with Ethiopia another. The Kenyan border has always been a no-go zone for most ethnic Somalis. That area has the highest concentration of Somali minorities, both ethnic and linguistic. The mainstream Somalis went there after recent famines and some where relocated there by the government in the 60s and 70s. Previously they have gone there back and forth in pastoral voyages, but always "returned", or more accurately, they found other places where the grass was, literally, greener. Somali Kenyans (Somali-Sujuu, not recent refugee) are Darood from the North and North West, and not other Somali tribes from the middle and the south of the country, closer to Kenya :-) The Sujuu concentrate in Garrise, Mandheere and Wajeer cities in Kenya. They have funny Somali accents, but they're considered proper Somalis, since they are mostly Ogaden tribe who are known for bravery (the recipients of the first air-strike outside of Europe. They also hold the dubious title of being at war with every colonizing force in Somalia, simultaneously; Ethiopian Emperor, Great Britain, Italy and France.) The Ethiopian border with Somali IS, however, arbitrarily drawn. One fifth of Ethiopia's population are ethnic Somalis. However, Djibouti is one country that has a Somali population of 60% and they're happy not to call themselves Somalis.

by sethg 17y ago

mahmud 17y ago

I could :-) The borders between Somalia and Kenya is one thing, with Ethiopia another. The Kenyan border has always been a no-go zone for most ethnic Somalis. That area has the highest concentration of Somali minorities, both ethnic and linguistic. The mainstream Somalis went there after recent famines and some where relocated there by the government in the 60s and 70s. Previously they have gone there back and forth in pastoral voyages, but always "returned", or more accurately, they found other places where the grass was, literally, greener. Somali Kenyans (Somali-Sujuu, not recent refugee) are Darood from the North and North West, and not other Somali tribes from the middle and the south of the country, closer to Kenya :-) The Sujuu concentrate in Garrise, Mandheere and Wajeer cities in Kenya. They have funny Somali accents, but they're considered proper Somalis, since they are mostly Ogaden tribe who are known for bravery (the recipients of the first air-strike outside of Europe. They also hold the dubious title of being at war with every colonizing force in Somalia, simultaneously; Ethiopian Emperor, Great Britain, Italy and France.) The Ethiopian border with Somali IS, however, arbitrarily drawn. One fifth of Ethiopia's population are ethnic Somalis. However, Djibouti is one country that has a Somali population of 60% and they're happy not to call themselves Somalis.