Soqotri Research Articles

“For Everything There is a Season”: Soqotri Translation of the Third Chapter of Ecclesiastes and the Verbal Noun (Masdar) in Soqotri Language

“For Everything There is a Season”: Soqotri Translation of the Third Chapter of Ecclesiastes and the Verbal Noun (Masdar) in Soqotri Language

‘The Lord’: An Apology for the Muslim Faith from the Island of Soqotra1

Abstract The present study is a unique witness of the nascent literacy in the Modern South Arabian language Soqotri (Island Soqotra, Gulf of Aden, Yemen). For the first time, a consciously created, non-traditional specimen of Soqotri narrative appears both in the newly designed Arabic-based Soqotri script and the standard Semitological transcription, along with an English translation and philological annotations. The motivation behind the creation of this piece is, strikingly, neither artistic nor scientific, but religious, which opens new avenues for the development of the Soqotri language in complex framework of todays Arab and Islamic world: contrary to the widespread belief, Soqotri is not necessarily bound to the transmission of the traditional oral lore, but can serve as an efficient vehicle for creating and publishing texts pertaining to the vital interests of todays islanders.

Soqotra: original features of an isolated culture as reflected in the botanical and ethnobotanical peculiarities

The authors discuss some characteristic aspects of the culture of the island of Soqotra, located in the Indian Ocean, 400 Km from the coast of Yemen and the main island of a small archipelago that looks like the natural extension of the Horn of Africa. The geo-physical configuration of the island provides for a great variety of climates; consequently, its flora is extremely rich and it includes an impressive percentage of endemic species. The main source of sustenance for the Soqotri population is goat farming, since the land is not suitable for agriculture; fishing has become increasingly important after the construction of paved roads and the diffusion of modern means of transport, thus reducing the distance between coast and inland areas. Wild plants have always been very important for the survival of the inhabitants of Soqotra, who used them as remedies for both people and animals. This central role of plants is reflected in the botanical knowledge of the islanders: the different uses of plants are well known and plants that have the same uses share the same name. In the past commercial trading was extremely developed; historically trade linked Soqotra with the Horn of Africa, Egypt, Rome and India. In more modern times the commercial importance of the island stems from its strategical position in the Indian Ocean. Not only goods moved, but people too. The case of the Soqotra fishermen is often cited as an example: some of them are the descendants of ancient African settlers. Even the Soqotri language, now endangered, tells a story of ancient contacts.

Soqotri Lexical Archive: the 2012 Fieldwork Season

Soqotri Lexical Archive: the 2012 Fieldwork Season