Scholars and religious figures
Yasin Osman Kenadid (Yaasiin Cismaan Keenadiid)
Yasin Osman Kenadid (1919–1988) was a Somali scholar and linguist from Hobyo, and one of the founders of the Somali Youth League in 1943. Son of Osman Yusuf Kenadid, maker of the Osmanya script, he taught that script in Mogadishu, founded the Society for Somali Language and Literature, and wrote Qaamuuska Af-Soomaaliga (1976), for decades the standard Somali dictionary.
Yasin Osman KenadidYaasiin Cismaan Keenadiid · Yasin Haji Osman Shermarke
- Lived
- 1919 to 1988
- Known as one of
- Scholars and religious figures
- Era
- Toward independence, 1920 to 1960; The Republic, 1960 to 1991
- Sources
- 2 sources
Who was he?
Yasin Osman Kenadid was a Somali intellectual, writer and linguist (Wikipedia, Yasin Osman Kenadid). He wrote a dictionary of Somali that served as the standard for decades (same source). Castagno lists him among the founders of the Somali Youth League (Castagno, Historical Dictionary of Somalia, 1975, "Yasin Haji Osman Shermarke").
Family
He was the son of Osman Yusuf Kenadid, who created the Osmanya script (Castagno 1975). His uncle, Ali Yusuf Kenadid, was the second Sultan of Hobyo (Wikipedia). The sultanate was founded by his grandfather, Yusuf Ali Kenadid. See the Majeerteen and Hobyo sultanates.
Early life
He was born in Hobyo in 1919 (Wikipedia). He studied at a Qur'an school until 15. He then moved to Mogadishu, where he attended Italian and Arabic schools and learned English (same source).
A founder of the League
He was one of the thirteen founders of the Somali Youth League (Wikipedia). It began in Mogadishu in 1943 as the Somali Youth Club (Castagno 1975). The League at first urged the use of the Osmanya script for Somali (same source). See the Somali Youth League.
Teaching Somali writing
In the 1940s he taught Osmanya in Mogadishu (Castagno 1975). He founded the Society for Somali Language and Literature (same source). In 1953 he co-wrote a book of Somali medical terms with Mario Maino (same source, bibliography). He later sat on the National Somali Language Committee that set the standard spelling of modern Somali (Wikipedia). See the Somali language written in 1972.
The dictionary
His Qaamuuska Af-Soomaaliga was published in 1976 by the Academy of Culture (Wikipedia). For decades it was the only standard Somali dictionary (same source). In 1984 he published a study of the poetry of Sayid Mohamed Abdullah Hassan in Naples (same source).
Death
He died on 27 November 1988 (Wikipedia).
In short
A founder of the Somali Youth League and compiler of a Somali dictionary.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Yasin Osman Kenadid · en.wikipedia.org
- Castagno, Historical Dictionary of Somalia, 1975, "Yasin Haji Osman Shermarke" · archive.org
Yasin Osman KenadidYaasiin Cismaan Keenadiid · Yasin Haji Osman Shermarke
- Lived
- 1919 to 1988
- Known as one of
- Scholars and religious figures
- Era
- Toward independence, 1920 to 1960; The Republic, 1960 to 1991
- Sources
- 2 sources
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