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“I asked him why there isn’t really a word or phrase in the Somali language to say thank you, at least one that is used in everyday life. Somali people, he said, believe in the inherit dignity of every human being. If someone asks you for a cup of cold water, you will give it to them, no questions asked. You don’t need to be told thank you, because when you give the cup of water you are acknowledging that this person is a human, deserving of this cup of cold water. Why would you need to be told thank you? If you were thirsty, the other person would do the same for you.” — D.L. Mayfield
I asked him why there isn’t really a word or phrase in the Somali language to say thank you, at least one that is used in everyday life.
Somali people, he said, believe in the inherit dignity of every human being. If someone asks you for a cup of cold water, you will give it to them, no questions asked. You don’t need to be told thank you, because when you give the cup of water you are acknowledging that this person is a human, deserving of this cup of cold water. Why would you need to be told thank you? If you were thirsty, the other person would do the same for you.