Soqotri people

Last updated
Soqotri people
السقطريون
Soqotri people, 1918.jpg
Soqotri people, 1918
Total population
71,400 [1]
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Yemen.svg  Socotra, Yemen
Languages
Soqotri
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Other Semitic-speaking peoples
Especially Harasis, Mehri, and other Modern South Arabian-speaking peoples

The Soqotri people, sometimes referred to as Socotran, are a South Arabian ethnic group native to the Gulf of Aden island of Socotra. They speak the Soqotri language, a Modern South Arabian language in the Afroasiatic family.

Contents

General

Soqotri men Animated conversation (6408248573).jpg
Soqotri men

The Soqotri primarily inhabit the Socotra Archipelago, on Socotra island and the Abd al Kuri, Darsah and Samhah districts of the Amanat Al Asimah governorate, Yemen. [1]

According to Ethnologue , there are an estimated 71,400 Soqotri. As of the last 1990 Socotra census, they numbered around 57,000. [1]

Most Soqotri are Sunni Muslim. [1] Historically, Soqotri were Nestorian Christians, from the Christianization of the island between the 4th and 6th centuries up until the 15th century, when the island was occupied by the Mehri Sultanate in 1480. [2] This led to slow Islamisation of the Soqotri. [3]

Language

Soqotri girls in Qalansiya Girls in Qalansiya (6408179707).jpg
Soqotri girls in Qalansiya

The Soqotri speak the Soqotri language (also known as Saqatri, Socotri, Sokotri and Suqutri). It belongs to the Modern South Arabian languages which are closer to the Ethiopian Semitic languages than to Arabic (Central Semitic languages). Despite historical contacts with the Arabic language, there is no mutual understanding between native speakers of the Modern South Arabian languages and native speakers of Arabic. Moreover, there is no mutual understanding between the speakers of the Modern South Arabian languages themselves, and the Soqotri language is only spoken on the island of Socotra. [4]

Soqotri has several dialects, which consist of ’Abd Al-Kuri, Central Soqotri, Northern Soqotri, Southern Soqotri and Western Soqotri. North Soqotri comprises North Central and Northwest Central (highland) Soqotri. [1]

The language is written using the Naskh variant of the Arabic script. Soqotri is also transcribed with the Latin script. [1]

Genetics

Most Soqotri belong to the paternal haplogroup J, bearing the basal J*(xJ1,J2) clade at its highest frequencies (71.4%). The remaining individuals mainly carry the J1 subclade (14.3%). [5] YFull [6] and FTDNA [7] have however failed to find J* people anywhere in the world although there are 2 J2-Y130506 persons and 1 J1 person from Soqotra.

Maternally, the Soqotri primarily belong to the haplogroups N (24.3% N*; 6.2% N1a) and R0 (17.8% R0a1b; 13.8% R0a; 6.2% R0a1). The basal N* clade occurs at its highest frequencies among them. The next most common mtDNA lineages borne by Soqotri individuals are the haplogroups J (9.2% J*; 3.1 J1b), T (7.7% T2; 1.2% T*), L3 (4.3% L3*), H (3.1%), and R (1.2 R*). [5]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Soqotri". Ethnologue. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  2. Jansen van Rensburg, Julian (December 2018). "Rock Art of Soqotra, Yemen: A Forgotten Heritage Revisited". Arts. 7 (4): 99. doi: 10.3390/arts7040099 . ISSN   2076-0752.
  3. Loimeier 2013, p. 181.
  4. Simeone-Senelle 2003, p. 2.
  5. 1 2 Černý, Viktor; et al. (2009). "Out of Arabia—the settlement of island Soqotra as revealed by mitochondrial and Y chromosome genetic diversity" (PDF). American Journal of Physical Anthropology . 138 (4): 439–447. doi:10.1002/ajpa.20960. PMID   19012329. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  6. "J YTree".
  7. "Y-DNA J Haplogroup Project". FamilyTreeDNA.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soqotri language</span> South Semitic language of Socotra, Yemen

Soqotri is a South Semitic language spoken by the Soqotri people on the island of Socotra and the two nearby islands of Abd al Kuri and Samhah, in the Socotra archipelago, in the Guardafui Channel. Soqotri is one of six languages that form a group called Modern South Arabian languages (MSAL). These additional languages include Mehri, Shehri, Bathari, Harsusi and Hobyot. All are spoken in different regions of Southern Arabia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Socotra</span> Largest of four islands of the Socotra Archipelago, Yemen

Socotra or Saqatri is an island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean. Lying between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea and near major shipping routes, Socotra is the largest of the four islands in the Socotra archipelago. Since 2013, the archipelago has constituted the Socotra Governorate.

The Masalit are an ethnic group inhabiting western Sudan and eastern Chad. They speak the Masalit language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modern South Arabian languages</span> Group of South Semitic languages of Arabia and Socotra

The Modern South Arabian languages (MSALs), also known as Eastern South Semitic languages, are a group of endangered languages spoken by small populations inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula, in Yemen and Oman, and Socotra Island. Together with the modern Ethiopian Semitic languages, the Western branch, they form the South Semitic sub-branch of the Afroasiatic language family's Semitic branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Semitic languages</span> Proposed Semitic branch of south Arabia and East Africa

South Semitic is a putative branch of the Semitic languages, which form a branch of the larger Afro-Asiatic language family, found in Africa and Western Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahra Sultanate</span> 1432–1967 sultanate in modern-day Yemen

The Mahra Sultanate, known in its later years as the Mahra State of Qishn and Socotra or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra was a sultanate that included the historical region of Mahra and the Guardafui Channel island of Socotra in what is now eastern Yemen. It was ruled by the Banu Afrar dynasty for most of its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haplogroup J (Y-DNA)</span> Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup

Haplogroup J-M304, also known as J, is a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. It is believed to have evolved in Western Asia. The clade spread from there during the Neolithic, primarily into North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Socotra Archipelago, the Caucasus, Europe, Anatolia, Central Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Haplogroup J is a human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup. The clade derives from the haplogroup JT, which also gave rise to haplogroup T. Within the field of medical genetics, certain polymorphisms specific to haplogroup J have been associated with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haplogroup L3</span> Widespread human mitochondrial DNA grouping indicating common ancestry

Haplogroup L3 is a human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup. The clade has played a pivotal role in the early dispersal of anatomically modern humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haplogroup J-M267</span> Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup

Haplogroup J-M267, also commonly known as Haplogroup J1, is a subclade (branch) of Y-DNA haplogroup J-P209 along with its sibling clade haplogroup J-M172.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopians</span> People from Ethiopia and its diaspora

Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of the Horn of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mehri people</span> Ethnic Group

The Mehri, also known as the al-Mahrah tribe, are an Arabian ethnic group primarily inhabiting South Arabia especially in the Al-Mahra Governorate in Yemen and the island of Socotra in the Guardafui Channel. They are named after Mahra bin Haydan. They can also be found in the Sultanate of Oman, and the eastern region of the Arabian Peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hobyót language</span> Endangered Semitic language of Oman and Yemen

Hobyót is one of the six Modern South Arabian languages (MSAL), a group of South Semitic languages spoken in the southern Arabian Peninsula. A severely-endangered Semitic language on the verge of extinction, it is spoken in a small area near the Yemen-Oman border. The speaking population is estimated to be about 1000 in Oman and 40 in Yemen, though the true number may be less.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shehri language</span> Modern South Arabian language of southwest Oman

Shehri, also known as Jibbali, is a Modern South Arabian language; it and the three island varieties of Soqoṭri comprise the eastern branch of Modern South Arabian. It is spoken by a small native population inhabiting the coastal towns and the mountains and wilderness areas upland from Salalah, located in the Dhofar Governorate in southwestern Oman. The autonym for speakers is əḥklí, plural əḥkló.

Haplogroup R0 is a human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qulensya wa Abd al Kuri District</span> District in Socotra, Yemen

Qulensya Wa Abd Al Kuri District is one of two districts of the Socotra Governorate, Yemen. It occupies the western part of the main island of Socotra archipelago, and all other islands of the archipelago. It is named after its capital, Qulensya, on the north coast of Socotra island, and Abd al Kuri, the second largest island of the archipelago. As of 2003, the district had a population of 10,109 inhabitants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Socotra Governorate</span> Archipelago in the Indian Ocean and governorate of Yemen

The Socotra Archipelago or Suqutra is officially one of the governorates of Yemen. It is composed of the Guardafui Channel's archipelago of Socotra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qulensya</span> Place in Socotra Governorate, Yemen

Qulensya is a town on the main island of Socotra, Yemen. It is located in the Qulensya wa Abd al Kuri District and its approximate population is 4,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hajhir Mountains</span> Mountain range situated on the island of Socotra, Yemen

The Hajhir massif is a mountain range situated on the island of Socotra, Yemen. It is the highest point of the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guardafui Channel</span> Ocean strait on the Horn of Africa

The Guardafui Channel is an oceanic strait off the tip of the Horn of Africa that lies between the Puntland region of Somalia and the Socotra governorate of Yemen to the west of the Arabian Sea. It connects the Gulf of Aden to the north with the Indian Ocean to the south. Its namesake is Cape Guardafui, the very tip of the Horn of Africa. Notable places of interest include the Alula Lagoon.

References