Somalian

From Somalia +‎ -an.

Somalian (comparative more Somalian, superlative most Somalian)

1. Pertaining to the Republic of Somalia in a civic or governmental context.

   Synonym: Somali

   • 2007 April 22, “Somalian government tells Mogadishu residents to flee”, in The New York Times‎^[1], archived from the original on 12 April 2021:

Somalian (plural Somalians)

1. (countable, collective) A citizen from the country of Somalia.

   A Han Chinese man who is a citizen of Somalia is a Somalian but not an ethnic Somali. One can be a Somalian and not a Somali at the same time.

2. (nonstandard, sometimes offensive) Synonym of Somali

• Of the first sense, the term Somalian is sometimes used as an alternative to Somali to emphasize civic affiliations to the Republic of Somalia and deemphasize ethnic affiliations.

• Of the second sense, using the term Somalian to describe any Somali may be offensive to some Somalis who are not citizens of the Republic of Somalia such as those from or in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Usage of the term Somalian may also be offensive to some Somalis as it is viewed as nonstandard regardless of context. Some Somali separatists (chiefly from Somaliland) may use the term Somalian deliberately in a politicized fashion to differentiate people from their breakaway region (i.e. Somalilanders) from others in Somalia (i.e. Somalians).

• East African, Horner, Horn African

• “Somalian”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

• Ethnologue entry for Somalian, som ⁠

• Alaminos, Mona Lisa, isanomal

Somalian

1. genitive singular of Somalia