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Experimenting with better Englification of names

PostPosted: Sat Jul 05, 2014 12:23 am
by James Dahl
Trying to transcribe them more accurately from af-Soomaali to English, though there are still some kinks to work out clearly.

Re: Experimenting with better Englification of names

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 4:02 pm
by InaCabdulqaadir
I would prefer that Somali names stay Somali, it gets really annoying when I add a name for example "Dabac" and it changes to "Daba". Also, about the af-soomaali, I would really like you to change the word "Isim" to "Magac" as "Isim" isn't really af-soomaali but is Arabic. I would Also like you to change "Ku dar cunug" to "Ku dar caruurtiis" as that makes more sense.

Re: Experimenting with better Englification of names

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 8:04 pm
by James Dahl
I browse in Maxaa since it's more accurate, I should probably change the default language to Maxaa.

I'd really like to finish Maay language support but I don't really know any Maay speakers

Re: Experimenting with better Englification of names

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 2:09 pm
by InaCabdulqaadir
You should replace 'c' sounds with an apostrophe.

E.g. Cumar becomes 'Umar

And 'x' sounds should becomes 'h' sounds

E.g. Xassan Xussein becomes Hassan Hussein

And if two of the same vowel appear right after each other one should be ignored.

E.g.
Agoon becomes Agon.

Re: Experimenting with better Englification of names

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 5:40 pm
by James Dahl
There's actually a special character for Somali Cayn, which is the half ring: ʿ
I noticed though that isn't how Somalis usually Anglify their names, I've been trying to go with common usage.

Re: Experimenting with better Englification of names

PostPosted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 6:07 pm
by InaCabdulqaadir
I think apostrophe works for everyone. I would rather see 'Umar than Umar.

Re: Experimenting with better Englification of names

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2016 7:26 pm
by James Dahl
Well, but there's a problem, the apostrophe and cayn are separate letters in the Somali alphabet and have very different pronunciations! There aren't good solutions for transliterating Somali into English, you run into the same problems as with Arabic, there are some sounds that just plain don't exist in English.

While it's true that ʿUmar is more correct that Omar or Umar, noone Anglifies Somali names that way, and that's what I try to go for, common usage.

Re: Experimenting with better Englification of names

PostPosted: Sun Aug 28, 2016 12:30 pm
by InaCabdulqaadir
I think you should make a lisy of the way Somali names are written and use those ti anglify their corresponding Somali names.

Cabdullaahi or C/laahi = Abdullah
Cabdiraxmaan or C/raxmaan = Abdirahmaan
Cabdiraxmaan or C/raxiim = Abdirahmaan
Cabdimalik or C/Malik = Abdimalik
Cabdisalaam or C/Salaam = Abdisalam
Cabdulcasiis or C/Casiis = Abdulaziz
Cabdiwahaab or C/Wahaab = Abdiwahab
Cabdilatiif or C/Latiif = Abdilatif
Cali = Ali
Maxamad = Mohammed or Mohammed
Maxamuud = Mohamud
Faarax = Farah
Xassan = Hassan
Xussein = Hussein
Axmad = Ahmed

To name a few.

Re: Experimenting with better Englification of names

PostPosted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 8:37 pm
by James Dahl
fix