Name the language

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

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Comments (0)

ARNovember 23rd, 2008 at 3:52 pm

Sounds a little like Arabic. Perhaps Maltese?

MichaelNovember 23rd, 2008 at 4:57 pm

Wild! Many words of Arabic in it, but it doesn’t sound like Arabic. I am stumped.

harris e.November 23rd, 2008 at 6:56 pm

probably maltese. talking about Obama I believe?

praseNovember 23rd, 2008 at 7:47 pm

Somali.

praseNovember 23rd, 2008 at 7:51 pm

This is really strange. I have written “Somali” and my comment was “awaiting moderation”. Is there some special sort of spam using characteristically this word, or is it an established insult in English?

DaydreamerNovember 23rd, 2008 at 7:54 pm

Since Malta is mentioned at the 23 second mark, I’d go with Maltese also – still leaving me a little uneasy because I would have expected more words of Italian origin.

iwsfutcmdNovember 23rd, 2008 at 7:58 pm

Somali? It has the appropriate pharyngeals, but none of the emphatic consonants.

xarxaNovember 23rd, 2008 at 8:13 pm

its somali!

SarahNovember 23rd, 2008 at 9:17 pm

I definitely heard Malta mentioned. And Obama.

So I’m going with Maltese because I don’t have a better guess.

SimonNovember 23rd, 2008 at 10:10 pm

The language is indeed Somali (af Soomaali), and the recording comes from the BBC.

I was going to give a clue – arrrrr – but it seems you don’t need it.

prase – I’m not sure why your comments fell foul of the spam filters.

xarxaNovember 23rd, 2008 at 11:12 pm

yeah, my comments were filtered too, about four times!

lukasNovember 23rd, 2008 at 11:17 pm

“Soma” is a drug often advertised by spammers.

pittmirgNovember 24th, 2008 at 5:46 pm

O brave new world, that hath such spammers in’t! ;)

ThomasNovember 25th, 2008 at 11:02 pm

I think it’s Turkish