Meanings
proper noun
- An ethnically Somali geographic region of East Africa comprising Somalia, Djibouti, and parts of Ethiopia.
- A geographic region and de facto independent unrecognized state in East Africa, internationally recognized as part of Somalia; formerly the Somali Coast Protectorate. Official name: Republic of Somaliland.
Holonym: Somalia (construed as holonymous by almost all sovereign states)
1 more example
A group of religious leaders in Somaliland is behind an attempt to replace a progressive sexual offences law passed in 2018 with a revised version that protects rapists rather than survivors and allows child marriage.
2022 August 19, Yousef Timacade, “Religious backlash threatens Somaliland’s progressive rape law”, in openDemocracy, archived from the original on 31 Aug 2022
Origin
From Somali + -land; analogous with Jubaland and Puntland.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic صُومَالِيلَانْد, أَرْض اَلصُّومَال
- صُومَالِيلَانْد (ṣomālīland)unrecognized state
- أَرْض اَلصُّومَال (ʔarḍ aṣ-ṣomāl)unrecognized state
- أَرْض اَلصُّومَال (ʔarḍ aṣ-ṣomāl)region
Bengali সোমালিল্যান্ড, সোমালিস্তান
- সোমালিল্যান্ড (somalilênḍ)unrecognized state
- সোমালিস্তান (śōmalistan)unrecognized state
- সোমালিস্তান (śōmalistan)region
Catalan Somalilàndia
- Somalilàndiaunrecognized state
Chinese Mandarin 索馬里蘭 /索马里兰, 索馬里蘭 /索马里兰
- 索馬里蘭 /索马里兰 (Suǒmǎlǐlán)unrecognized state
- 索馬里蘭 /索马里兰 (Suǒmǎlǐlán)region
Danish Somaliland
- Somalilandunrecognized state
Dutch Somaliland, Somaliland
- Somalilandunrecognized state
- Somalilandregion
Finnish Somalimaa, Somalimaa
- Somalimaaunrecognized state
- Somalimaaregion
French Somaliland, Somaliland
- Somalilandunrecognized state
- Somalilandregion
German Somaliland
- Somalilandunrecognized state
Greek Σομαλιλάνδη
- Σομαλιλάνδη (Somalilándi)region
Hebrew סומלילנד
- סומלילנדunrecognized state
Hindi सोमालीलैंड, सोमालीलैंड
- सोमालीलैंड (somālīlaiṇḍ)unrecognized state
- सोमालीलैंड (somālīlaiṇḍ)region
Irish Críoch Shomáile
- Críoch Shomáileregion
Japanese ソマリランド
- ソマリランド (Somarirando)unrecognized state
Korean 소말릴란드
- 소말릴란드 (Somallillandeu)unrecognized state
Norwegian Bokmål Somaliland, Somaliland
- Somalilandunrecognized state
- Somalilandregion
Portuguese Somalilândia, Somaliland
- Somalilândiaunrecognized state
- Somalilandunrecognized state
- Somalilândiaregion
Romanian Somaliland
- Somalilandunrecognized state
Russian Сомалиле́нд, Сомалиле́нд
- Сомалиле́нд (Somalilénd)unrecognized state
- Сомалиле́нд (Somalilénd)region
Spanish Somalilandia, Somalilandia
- Somalilandiaunrecognized state
- Somalilandiaregion
Turkish Somaliland
- Somalilandunrecognized state
Ukrainian Сомаліле́нд, Сомаліле́нд
- Сомаліле́нд (Somalilénd)unrecognized state
- Сомаліле́нд (Somalilénd)region
Cite this entry
APA
Somaliland. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Somaliland
MLA
“Somaliland.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Somaliland. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Somaliland,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Somaliland.
Source: Somaliland on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.