The Gadabuursi script also known as the Borama alphabet (Borama:
![Boorama](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Boorama.jpg)
),
is a
writing script for the
Somali language
Somali (Latin script: ; Wadaad writing, Wadaad: ; Osmanya: 𐒖𐒍 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘 ) is an Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language belonging to the Cushitic languages, Cushitic branch. It is spoken as a mother tongue by Somalis in ...
. It was devised around 1933 by
Sheikh Abdurahman Sh. Nur
Sheikh Abdurahman Sh. Nur ( so, Sheekh Cabdiraxmaan Sheekh Nuur, ar, شيخ عبد الرحمن شيخ نور) was a Somali Sheikh (religious leader), qādi (judge) of the government at that time and the inventor of the Borama script for the S ...
of the
Gadabuursi
The Gadabuursi ( Somali: ''Gadabuursi'', Arabic: جادابورسي), also known as ''Samaroon'' (Arabic: ''قبيلة سَمَرُون)'', is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family.
The Gadabuursi are geographically s ...
clan.
History
![Borama-script](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Borama-script.gif)
Though not as widely known as
Osmanya
The Osmanya script ( so, Farta Cismaanya 𐒍𐒖𐒇𐒂𐒖 𐒋𐒘𐒈𐒑𐒛𐒒𐒕𐒖), also known as Far Soomaali (𐒍𐒖𐒇 𐒘𐒝𐒈𐒑𐒛𐒘, "Somali writing") and, in Arabic, as ''al-kitābah al-ʿuthmānīyah'' (الكتا ...
, the other major orthography for transcribing Somali, Borama has produced a notable body of literature mainly consisting of
qasida
The qaṣīda (also spelled ''qaṣīdah''; is originally an Arabic word , plural ''qaṣā’id'', ; that was passed to some other languages such as fa, قصیده or , ''chakameh'', and tr, kaside) is an ancient Arabic word and form of writin ...
s.
[I.M. Lewis (1958)]
The Gadabuursi Somali Script
''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 degree ...
, Vol. 21, pp. 134–156.
A quite accurate phonetic writing system,
the Borama script was principally used by Nuur and his circle of associates in his native city of
Borama
Borama ( so, Boorama, ar, بورما) is the Second capital city of Somaliland and the largest city of the northwestern Awdal region of Somaliland The commercial seat of the province, it is situated near the border with Ethiopia.
During the Mid ...
.
[Somali alphabets, pronunciation and language](_blank)
/ref>
See also
* Kaddare
*Osmanya
The Osmanya script ( so, Farta Cismaanya 𐒍𐒖𐒇𐒂𐒖 𐒋𐒘𐒈𐒑𐒛𐒒𐒕𐒖), also known as Far Soomaali (𐒍𐒖𐒇 𐒘𐒝𐒈𐒑𐒛𐒘, "Somali writing") and, in Arabic, as ''al-kitābah al-ʿuthmānīyah'' (الكتا ...
*Somali orthography
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 (Somalia), Supre ...
Notes
References
*I.M. Lewis (1958)
The Gadabuursi Somali Script
''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 degree ...
, Vol. 21, pp. 134–156.
*David D. Laitin, ''Politics, language, and thought: the Somali experience'', (University of Chicago Press: 1977)
External links
Osmanya, Borama, Wadaad's writing and the Somali language
The Gadabuursi Somali Script
- qasidas in Gadabuursi/Borama
''Afkeenna iyo fartiisa''
- a book in Osmanya
The report of the Somali Language Committee
Writing systems of Africa
Somali language
Somali orthography
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