Language quiz

Here’s another recording of a news bulletin in a mystery language. Do you know or can you guess which language it is?

Comments (8)

Dr. C.S.Lewis-Barrie, Ph.D.September 2nd, 2007 at 5:48 pm

This language is clearly Old Irish, as the speaker clearly says the word “ogham,” “oghama” several times near the beginning.

Thank you.

TJSeptember 2nd, 2007 at 5:52 pm

it is sorta … Hamitic language … maybe amharic

there are some sounds that are not present in european languages like the hard fricative H and the plosive Q like in Arabic.

JamesSeptember 2nd, 2007 at 7:00 pm

My first feeling was that the phonology is similar to arabic, and that there are sounds that you hear in British asian english.. But what it is :(

DaydreamerSeptember 2nd, 2007 at 10:01 pm

The bilabial “f”, that I’m sure I’ve heard, combined with otherwise semitic phonemes seem to point to Northern Africa. So I guess it’s Haussa or Wolof (if the speaker really talks about the country of Gambia).

DaydreamerSeptember 2nd, 2007 at 10:47 pm

Second time around…
I’m now convinced that our mystery language of the day is more Semito-Hamitic than African.
I’m finally settling on Somali.

PodolskySeptember 3rd, 2007 at 5:41 am

An Ethio-Semitic language but not Amharic. It may be one of the Gurage group, Soddo or Chaha.

SimonSeptember 3rd, 2007 at 2:57 pm

Daydreamer got it right – the language is Somali and the recording comes from Radio Sweden International.

TJSeptember 3rd, 2007 at 7:33 pm

the only word i know from Somali is: ma ga`ah? (means: whats ur name?)