Somaliland
/ˌsoʊ.miˈlænd/noun
A region in the Horn of Africa, historically associated with the Somali people.
Did you know?The name is not an old tribal spell-word at all: it was formed in modern European usage by adding the English/French-style suffix -land to Somali, a common colonial naming pattern for territories.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient/Medieval
Arabic
Zāla
“Early Arabic and regional references to the Horn of Africa and its peoples, including Somali communities.”
19th Century
English
Somali
“A name used in European sources for the Somali people and their language, ultimately from a native ethnonym.”
19th Century
English
Somaliland
“A modern territorial name meaning the land of the Somali people.”
Modern English
English
Somaliland
“The established English name for the northwestern Somali region and self-declared republic.”