Somali

American  

[soh-mah-lee, suh-] / soʊˈmɑ li, sə- /

noun

plural

Somalis,

plural

Somali

1. a member of a people speaking a Cushitic language and living primarily in Somalia, Somaliland, and adjacent regions.

2. the Cushitic language of the Somali ethnic group.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Somalia, its people, or their language.

2. of or relating to the Somali ethnic group or their language.

Somali British  

/ səʊˈmɑːlɪ /

noun

1. a member of a tall dark-skinned people inhabiting Somalia

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Cushitic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Somalia, the Somalis, or their language

Etymology

Origin of Somali

First recorded in 1800–10 as Samaulies (plural); from Somali Soomaali, a self-designation

Example Sentences

Uganda has long been seen as a solid security partner for the U.S., sending troops to fight al Qaeda’s Somali franchise, al-Shabaab.

From The Wall Street Journal

There is also a more local threat from Al-Shabaab, the Somali affiliate of Al-Qaeda, that has said it will oppose any attempt by Israel to use Somaliland.

From Barron's

Minnesota has the largest Somali community in the United States.

From Barron's

The president announced the plan on a visit to the border town of Mandera, in Kenya's far north-east, which has a large population of ethnic Somalis.

From BBC

“In places like Minnesota, it’s the Somali community.”

From Los Angeles Times