Somali elites adopted the word ‘ex-tribe’ to veil ongoing clan loyalties

Evidence

Now, however, since it had become the accepted etiquette amongst the élite to refuse to reveal clan identity and to profess no more definite allegiance than that of ‘Somali’, people began increasingly to refer to their present loyalties as though they had only historical significance. It thus became acceptable to discuss clan allegiance, and even to inquire into the clan particulars of a stranger, in terms of his ‘ex-tribe’. Indeed, the word ‘ex’ was adopted into Somali, and now provided a perfectly acceptable means of establishing those details of clan affiliation which are in a way similar to, but so much more important than what is conveyed by a Londoner’s ‘address’. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 428

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the coinage and social function of ‘ex-tribe’ in post-independence Somali political discourse.
• XREF: connects to: Somalis coded clan power blocs as dates to critique Siyad’s rule safely; The diya-paying group defines Somali political identity and loyalty; Somalis coded clan power rivalries into date words to evade speech bans (+5 more)

Related

• Somalis coded clan power rivalries into date words to evade speech bans (similarity 0.93)
• Somalis coded clan power blocs as dates to critique Siyad’s rule safely (similarity 0.91)
• Sheikh Ali and Egal’s anti-constitution campaign weaponized clan identity for patronage gains (similarity 0.86)
• Somali leaders suppressed clan identity through burials and linguistic denial (similarity 0.85)
• Siyad banned all clan references, forcing circumlocution in Somali (similarity 0.85)
• Somali law banned tribal party names and derogatory clan occupational labels (similarity 0.83)
• Somali clan-families gained new political vitality only under modern party competition (similarity 0.79)
• Foreign academics’ writings sustained the illusion that clans had vanished (similarity 0.79)
• The Somali clan system is flexible and compatible with modern life, not atavistic (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Somali leaders suppressed clan identity through burials and linguistic denial #expands (0.60) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 5
• Somalis invented their clan system before colonial rule, not because of it #exemplifies (0.40) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 7