habeen

Somali

Etymology

Uncertain:

• From Proto-Somaloid *hibéèn or *hammeen,, derived from Proto-Cushitic *ham- (“darkness”) (compare Beja himni), from Proto-Afroasiatic *ḥam- (“to be burnt”).
• Related to Tsamai awne (“evening”).
• Related to Egyptian hbnj (“African blackwood”) and Tamahaq henbey (“have a black head”).

Cognate with Maay hamiing, Tunni himiin, Garre habiin, Aweer habee, Rendille ibeen or ëbên?, Jiiddu hamiin, Baiso hemeen. In Southern Nilotic, compare Nandi ko-imen (“to become evening”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [hɑ̀ˈβ̞ɛ́ɛ̀n], [hæ̀ˈβ̞éèn]
• Hyphenation: ha‧been

Noun

habeen m (plural habeenno f)

1. night

   Antonym: maalin

References

• “habeen”, in Qaamuuska Af-Soomaaliga, 2012