As nationalist sentiments grew and since the Somali language had long lost its ancient script,[6] the adoption of a universally recognized writing script for the Somali language became an important point of discussion. After independence, little progress was made on the issue, as opinion was divided over whether the Arabic or Latin scripts should be used instead.
In October 1972, because of the Latin script's simplicity, its ability to cope with all of the sounds in the language, and the widespread existence of machines and typewriters designed for its use,[7][8] President Mohamed Siad Barre required it for writing Somali instead of the Arabic or Osmanya scripts.[9] Barre's administration subsequently launched a massive literacy campaign designed to ensure its sole adoption, which led to a sharp decline in use of Osmanya.
The direction of reading and writing in Osmanya is from left to right. Letter names are based on the names of letters in Arabic, and the long vowelsuu and ii are represented by the letters waaw and yaa, respectively.
^Ministry of Information and National Guidance, Somalia, The writing of the Somali language, (Ministry of Information and National Guidance: 1974), p.5
^Andrew Simpson, Language and National Identity in Africa, (Oxford University Press: 2008), p.288
^Economist Intelligence Unit (Great Britain), Middle East annual review, (1975), p.229
^Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, Culture and Customs of Somalia, (Greenwood Press: 2001), p.73
References
I.M. Lewis (1958) Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 21 pp 134β156.
