-”Ummata Fannaana Ummata Qashxii Dire Dhawaa” (The Artistic and Jolly People of Dire Dawa)
By Afendi Muteki
Once up on a time, the people of Dire Dawa were assembled in the city’s main hall to listen to the speech of a member of the central committee the Dergue (the military govenment that ruled Ethiopia from 1974-1991) who came to vist the city. As most of the people were the speakers of Afaan Oromoo, the Dergue official picked certain boy from among the people and made him a translator (the official deliverd the speech in Amharic).
The official started his speech. And when he said “Yetekeberkewna yetewededkew Ye Dire Dawa Hizb” (meaning “the beloved and the respected people of Dire Dawa”), the boy translated it “Yaa Ummata Fannaana Yaa Ummata Qashxii Dire Dhawaa”. Hearing the boy’s translation, the people of Dire Dawa burst in laugher.
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The above incident might happend; or it might not happend. But if it were a real account, I am sure that many people who heard it would laugh again and again. If you say ”why?”, I will reason out it as follows.
“Fannaan” is to mean “an artist” in Arabic language. But in its usage in Dire Dawa and other East Ethiopan towns, it refers mostly to the youth that dress well and always appear smart and clean. A fashion follower may also be called ”fannaan”.
In a wider sense, “fannan” is to mean a sociable, humorous and funny person. If we follow this wider sense, the people of Dire Dawa are 100 % “fannaan”.
”Qashxii” has no exact meaning in any language. It came out from the creative mind of the youth of Dire Dawa; and its real meaning can be found only in their dictionary. But in the usage prevalent around Dire Dawa, it can be a variant of “fannaan”. However, “qashxii” has extra applications; we express many things in it which “fannan” can’t describe. For example, a man that performs his work efficently can be called “qashxii”. We may look at a plane or a train passing at a high speed and say “It’s qashxii”. A bus that arrives on time is also “qashxii” (here it is to mean ”the one that arrives when people wanted it”). A new car model, a paper money note printed recently, a luxurious and gallant villa and any other beautiful thing can be called “qashxii”.
Given the above meanings of “fannaan” and “qashxii”, can we pass a judgment on the boys saying about the people of Dire Dawa? Exactly! The boy did no wrong. The people of Dire Dawa are always “fannaan” and “qashxii”. They are giants of creativity, modernity, modesty and sociability. However, the statement of the boy is more applicable to the city itself.
Dire Dawa is only 110 years old. But it excels all ethiopians cities in the role it has played for the modernity of the nation save Addis Ababa and Harar. It is the center of trade, banking, manufacturing, transport, technology and art. Through its mystique threads, it has connected the natives of the three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) at one place. In short, modern civilization enterd Ethiopia through it.
I could have said many words about Dire Dawa. But that is not the theme of this article. Here, I will focus mainly on four things: I will tell you the foundation of the city; introduce you to Dire Dawa’s main boroughs and their namings; describe in short the Dire Dawa youth language usage and their creative skill; give you some notes on artists’ view of Dire Dawa.