Somali language
| Somali | |
|---|---|
| Af Soomaali, Soomaali ππ ππππππ, ππππππ Ψ§Ω Ψ΅ΩΩ Ψ§ΩΩ, Ψ΅ΩΩ Ψ§ΩΩ | |
| Pronunciation | [af soΛmaΛli] |
| Region | Horn of Africa |
| Ethnicity | Somalis |
Native speakers | 24 million (2019β2024) |
| Dialects | |
| Somali Latin alphabet (Latin script; official) Wadaad's writing (Arabic script, occasional) Osmanya script (occasional) | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Somalia Ethiopia Djibouti (national) |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Regulated by | Regional Somali Language Academy |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | so |
| ISO 639-2 | som |
| ISO 639-3 | som |
| Glottolog | soma1255 |
| Linguasphere | 14-GAG-a |
Primary Somali Sprachraum | |
Somali (/sΙΛmΙΛli, soΚ-/ sΙ-MAH-lee, soh-; Latin script: Af Soomaali; Wadaad: Ψ§Ω Ψ΅ΩΩ Ψ§ΩΩβ; Osmanya: ππ ππππππ [af soΛmaΛli]) is an Afroasiatic language belonging to the Cushitic branch. Somali is spoken primarily in Greater Somalia, and the Somali diaspora as a mother tongue. It is an official language in Somalia and Ethiopia, and serves as a national language in Djibouti. It is also a recognised minority language in Kenya. The language is officially written with the Latin alphabet, although the Arabic script and several Somali scripts like Osmanya, Kaddare and the Borama script are informally used.