The national language of Somalia, Af Soomaali, was not a written language until 1972. And it was not even an official language before a government decree was announced that Af Soomaali would be the national language of Somalia. Af Somali along with Arabic became the national languages of Somalia. Previously, Arabic and two colonial lanagues; Italian and English were used in the daily runnings of government as well as private offices.

The Af Somali Language was a well spoken language for centuries before. And Af Somali was the common language for the people of Somalia and areas on the Horn of Africa inhabited by Somalis. Af Somali has rich oral history and plothera of description and native terms in literature, religion, astronomy and nomadic life where elements is wrestled with.

In early 1961, a language committee, Guddiga Af Soomaaliga was formed to take up the issue of choosing an script for the Somali Language. The committee experienced a period of ups and downs for nine years.

Then the military government, which took control of the country in 1969 gave the committee a new mandate. On October 1972, the government announced its plan to implement the new Af Somali Orthography. Within a year, Af Somali was a written language using the script invented by one of the most active Somali Linguists, Shire Jama Ahmed who started writing in Somali Script as early as 1965.  

Somali culture has high regard for poets who are seen as heroes and they have perfected the use of the Af Soomaali Language. Poets examine all areas of the art of language and the intricacies of the language in terms of its tone, discipline and diplomacy, especially of the spoken language. Af Somali has rich vocabulary, proverbs and metaphors.  

In Somalia, a citizen and all adjectives describing a person or an object will be called Somali or Somalian. The language is Somali and the country is Somalia. Around the world, about 20 million people speak Af Somali.

Learn Af Soomaali online

To be available online by July 2011

1. Introduction to Af Somali: Alphabet, Sounds and Techniques in Speaking

2. Intermediate Af Somali: Basic Grammar and Building Sentences

3. Advanced Af Somali: Writing, Vocabulary and Recognizing Your Surroundings