Alternate Names: Af-Maay, Af-Maay Tiri, Af-May, Af-Maymay, Rahanween, Rahanweyn
Dialects: Af-Helledi. May be more than 1 language; dialects form a continuum. Within the Maay dialect continuum, at least two dialect groupings may be discerned, largely between the Digil clans (e.g, Wenle Weyn) and the Mirifle clans (based on Bay Bakool). The Digil consider themselves the “royal clan class” of the Maay-speaking Rahanweyn. Somali , is difficult or unintelligible to Maay speakers, except when learned through mass communications, urbanization, and internal movement. Different sentence structure and phonology from Somali. Af-Helledi is a Maay secret language used by hunters.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 1,860,000 in Somalia (2006).
Language Use: Used as L2 by Dabarre [dbr], Garre [gex], Jiiddu [jii], Mushungulu [xma], Tunni [tqq].
Language Development: Bible portions: 2006–2007.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: Somalia
Other Comments: Little travel. Muslim.