Somalis the worst at giving Nicknames I just had to copy and paste this From Ismail Hussein so true: The Chinese are known as Indha Yare (Small Eyes), while Arabs are Dhega Cas (Red Ears). Since I have been in Mogadishu I have met a Jilbo Weyne (Knock Knees) Shigshigaaye (Stutterer), Yare (Shorty) and Yarisow (Tiny). After more than two decades of fighting in Somalia, there is no shortage of people with war injuries. So you will come across men - and most nicknames are reserved for men - called Langare (Limpy) or Coryaan (Handicapped). An amputee is Lugay, or One Leg. A fairly high incidence of eye defects accounts for people called Wershe (Cross-Eyed). Those without sight are Indhole (Blind) and if you lose your hearing you are Dhagole (Deaf). In a regrettably unchivalrous move, women with larger than average behinds have been known to be called Foto Weyne (Big Bottom). But women are generally spared the abuse. Lul, or Diamond, is a common nickname for ladies. Then there is Macanay (Sweet), Cod Weyne (Rich Voiced), Dahable (Golden) and Indho Daraleey (Gazelle Eyes). My favourite nickname? It has got to be the Somali-American I heard about recently with a large gap between his front teeth. Only one possible nickname for him: Field Goal. I was talking to my Somali friend Sheikh Mohamed about nicknames the other day. In the UK, I said, some of these could get you in trouble with the police if someone objected. He snorted. Puh! You know what would happen if someone called the police? The policeman would come, hed look at the guy and say, whats the problem? He called you Lugay, or One Leg? So what? You have got one leg, that was Allahs decision. Now stop wasting my time!
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 16:29:07 +0000
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