ymm ISO 639
Af-maay Autonyms
Maay
Visualizations
A language of Somalia
- ISO 639
- ymm
- Alternate Names
- Af-Maay, Af-Maay Tiri, Af-May, Af-Maymay, Maay Maay, Mai Mai, Rahanween, Rahanweyn
- Autonym
- Af-maay
- Population
- 2,500,000 in Somalia (2019). Total users in all countries: 2,608,000.
- Location
- Bakool, Bay, Gedo, Hiiraan, Jubbada Dhexe, Jubbada Hoose, and Shabeellaha Hoose regions. Bakool and Bay regions (Maay Erte dialect); Jubbada Dhexe and Jubbada Hoose (Maay Dhete dialect).
- Language Maps
- Somalia
- Language Status
- 5* (Developing).
- Classification
- Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East, Somali
- Dialects
- Maay Erte (Central Somali), Maay Dhete (Af-Goshe, Af-Shambarro, Lower Juba Maay, Mahaway), Af-Helledi. May be more than 1 language; dialects form a continuum. Within the Maay dialect continuum, at least two dialect groupings may be discerned, largely between the Digil clans (e.g. Wenle Weyn) and the Mirifle clans (based on Bay Bakool). The Digil consider themselves the ‘royal clan class’ of the Maay-speaking Rahanweyn. Somali [som] is difficult or unintelligible to Maay speakers, except when learned through mass communications, urbanization, and internal movement. Different sentence structure and phonology from Somali. Af-Helledi is a Maay secret language used by hunters. The Maay Erte dialect is more developed, with an orthography and a dictionary (2020 D. Rossbach).
- Language Use
- Used as L2 by Boon [bnl], Dabarre [dbr], Garre [gex], Jiiddu [jii], Mushungulu [xma], Tunni [tqq].
- Language Development
- Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Bible portions: 2006–2007.
- Writing
- Latin script [Latn], used by Maay Erte dialect.
- Other Comments
- Muslim.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Maay
Also Spoken in
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Kenya
Language Name
Maay
User Population
108,000 in Kenya (2020 Joshua Project), based on ethnicity.
