Somali people speak quite a number of languages and dialects, Maay and Mahaa being the lingua franca of the majority. In 1972, the latter was put in a written format and became the national language of the country. This experiment alienated the other Somali languages and produced tremendous disenchantment, particularly on the part of the Maay speakers. In 2003, however, the Somali Peace and Reconciliation Conference at Mbegathi, Kenya, acknowledged that Maay will be another official language of the Somali Republic. This English-Maay Dictionary is the first experiment exploring the roots of Maay language and its relationship to the other Somali dialects as well the Kushitic family of languages in the Horn of Africa. The dictionary provides over 15,000 of the most frequently used words in Maay and their English translations, with numerous examples of their every day usage. The dictionary is a vital addition to reference collections supporting undergraduate and graduate programs on African and Middle Eastern Studies. It is also an essential tool for non-Somali case workers such as those in refugee camps, immigration and naturalization officials or lawyers dealing with Somali asylum seekers. It is equally a vital tool for interpreters and translators working on court cases, hospitals and legal papers as well as for public school teachers on ESL programs that teach Maay- speaking children in English- speaking countries.

Featuring over 21,000 entries, this is the most modern and comprehensive Malay-English/English-Malay dictionary available. It includes phrases, idioms and examples of simple sentences. It uses the system of spelling introduced by the Malaysian government in 1972. The native language of Malaysia, Malay is also spoken in neighboring Thailand and Singapore

It's never a good idea to be overly–relient on technology while traveling! Look up words quickly and easily with this great little Malay dictionary. Intended for use by tourists, students, and business people traveling to Malaysia Pocket Malay Dictionary is an essential tool for communication and a great way to learn Malay. It features all the essential Malay vocabulary appropriate for beginning to intermediate students. It's handy pocket format and easy-to read type will make any future trip to Malaysia much easier. In addition to being an excellent English to Malay dictionary and Malay to English dictionary Pocket Malay Dictionary contains important notes on the Malay language, Malay grammar and Malay pronunciation. All Malay words are written in English and Malay script (Rumi) so that in the case of difficulties the book can simply be shown to the person the user is trying to communicate with. This dictionary contains: The 3,000 most commonly used words in the Malay language. Malay–English and English–Malay sections. English and Romanized Malay (Rumi). An introduction to and history of the Malay language. Information on Malay grammar. A guide to pronouncing Malay correctly. Other books from this bestselling series you might enjoy are: Pocket Vietnamese Dictionary, Pocket Cambodian Dictionary, Pocket Thai Dictionary, Pocket Indonesian Dictionary, Pocket Mandarin Chinese Dictionary, and Pocket Cantonese Dictionary.