The Mehri are one of the largest tribes in the Al Mahrah Governorate in Yemen. Group members are also found in other countries in the Arabian Peninsula, mainly Oman and Kuwait.They also reside in the Puntland region in northeastern Somalia According to Ethnologue, there are around 115,200 total Mehri speakers. Of those, 50,000 live in Yemen (2011).
Mehri, Meheri, Mahri or Mahra (Arabic: مهري), also known as Arab Salah (Somali: Carab Saalax), is one of the largest tribes and a sub-tribe of the Himyarites inhabiting the Al Mahrah Governorate in Yemen, and other countries in the Arabian Peninsula such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The Meheri also inhabit the autonomous region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia. they have been proud nomads and fishermen for thousands of years. the mehri population are an estimated 136,000. they're mother tounge is Mehri but they also speak Arabic and Somali.
Mehri or Mahri is a Modern South Arabian language, a branch of the greater Semitic language family, and is spoken by the mehri populations in isolated areas of the eastern part of Yemen and western Oman. It is a remnant of the ancient indigenous language group spoken in the southern Arabian Peninsula before the spread of Arabic along with the Muslim religion in the 7th century CE. It is also spoken today in Kuwait by guest workers originally from these areas. Given the dominance of the Arabic language in the region over the past 1,400 years and the high bilingualism with Arabic among Mehri speakers, Mehri is at some risk of extinction. It is primarily a spoken language with little existing in print and almost no literacy in the written form among native speakers. Mehri had 71,000 speakers in Yemen, 51,000 in Oman and 14,400 in Kuwait reported in 2000 and un-estimated amount in Somalia. Mehri speakers are known in the region as the Mahra tribe
The Mehri language is most closely related to other MSA languages such as Bathari and Socotri, spoken on the island of Socotra. These tongues collectively share many features with the Old South Arabian languages (Epigraphic South Arabian), as spoken by the ancient Sabaeans, Minaeans and Qatabanians.
Bronze statue of Dhamar Ali Yahbur. The sculpture is in the Sana museum in Yemen and shows a Hellenistic Greek influence similar to the earliest statues of the Buddha "King of Saba, dhu raydan,Hadrmawt and Yamant" (Himyarite Kingdom) late 3rd-early 4th century AD). The Ḥimyarite Kingdom was the dominant polity in Arabia until 525 AD. Its economy was based on agriculture, and foreign trade centered on the export of frankincense and myrrh. For many years, the kingdom was also the major intermediary linking East Africa and the Mediterranean world.
Posts: 42918 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
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Lioness's pictures are an excellent example of the changes that can take place to a population due to foreign genetic influence.
It wasn't long ago that *all* Mahra were described as black, yet today there are fair-skinned Mahra. This only proves Dana Marniche right that original black Arabians have literally been washed-white by foreigners (the same as certain Berbers tribes near the Mediterranean coasts of Africa).
Yafa tribesmen of Mahra during the early 20th century
Yafa tribesmen today
Notice the difference?? The Yafa of old were much darker (black) with skinny, glabrous (hairless) bodies, with almost beardless faces. The Yafa of today are fair-skinned with stockier, hairy bodies, with full beards.
One can see how this same process of foreign infiltration operated in North Africa, including Egypt.
Posts: 26236 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Hadhramaut includes the territory of Mahra to the east all the way to the contemporary border with Oman.This encompasses the current governorates of Hadramaut and Mahra in their entirety as well as parts of the Shabwah Governorate.
Posts: 42918 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
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The Lioness is clear about not calling her Lyin'Ass. Don't do it.
You disrespect ME when you continue name-calling after I asked you to cease.
Babysitting adults? Is that what I'm here for? Since you're forcing me to babysit I will go to extremes.
If you continue I will disrespect you just as you disrespect me, and disrespect this forum and its responsible members who wish you'd grow up, by DELETING ALL YOUR POSTS.
Your outstanding posts don't give you carte blanche to eff over me.
Now go ahead. Try me.
Be glad this is the 'net where The Lioness can't take a straight razor to your mouth.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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Anyone who escalates things by taking it on themself to retaliate instead of refer the matter to moderator will also find ALL THEIR POSTS DELETED.
If I am to be moderator I will not allow people to run over me.
RESPECT ME and my 'job' AS I RESPECT YOU and your requests.
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
And I mean all posts not just the offensive ones.
(in the case of future repeat offenders)
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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Tukuler
multidisciplinary Black Scholar
Member # 19944
posted
quote:Originally posted by Djehuti:
Lioness's pictures are an excellent example of the changes that can take place to a population due to foreign genetic influence.
It wasn't long ago that *all* Mahra were described as black, yet today there are fair-skinned Mahra. This only proves Dana Marniche right that original black Arabians have literally been washed-white by foreigners (the same as certain Berbers tribes near the Mediterranean coasts of Africa).
Yafa tribesmen of Mahra during the early 20th century
Yafa tribesmen today
Notice the difference?? The Yafa of old were much darker (black) with skinny, glabrous (hairless) bodies, with almost beardless faces. The Yafa of today are fair-skinned with stockier, hairy bodies, with full beards.
One can see how this same process of foreign infiltration operated in North Africa, including Egypt.
.
That is a body type jeered at as "bear", by which is meant Persian/Iran/etc., extraction.
Ancient Hebrew writings dated to 2600 ya but preserving earlier traditions pejoratively dichotomize the negative red and hairy Esau from the positive smooth Ya`aqob, black by dialectic though the two are twins.
After a lifetime of checking black, Teimani from Israel migrating to USA had to be told to check white. Even my Teimani mechanic's daughter by an Ashkenazit is black in Israel as 'vet' Israelis kept foremost in mind.
Posts: 8179 | From: the Tekrur straddling Senegal & Mauritania | Registered: Dec 2011
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quote:Originally posted by Ardo: Obviously someone doesn't get it.
The Lioness is clear about not calling her Lyin'Ass. Don't do it.
You disrespect ME when you continue name-calling after I asked you to cease.
Babysitting adults? Is that what I'm here for? Since you're forcing me to babysit I will go to extremes.
If you continue I will disrespect you just as you disrespect me, and disrespect this forum and its responsible members who wish you'd grow up, by DELETING ALL YOUR POSTS.
Your outstanding posts don't give you carte blanche to eff over me.
Now go ahead. Try me.
Be glad this is the 'net where The Lioness can't take a straight razor to your mouth.
Sorry. I just read this. Out of respect for YOU, I will comply. I didn't realize Lioness was so sensitive about her name. If only she could be just as sensitive about her integrity. Oh well.
Posts: 26236 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Djehuti: Lioness's pictures are an excellent example of the changes that can take place to a population due to foreign genetic influence.
It wasn't long ago that *all* Mahra were described as black, yet today there are fair-skinned Mahra. This only proves Dana Marniche right that original black Arabians have literally been washed-white by foreigners (the same as certain Berbers tribes near the Mediterranean coasts of Africa).
Yafa tribesmen of Mahra during the early 20th century
Yafa tribesmen today
Notice the difference?? The Yafa of old were much darker (black) with skinny, glabrous (hairless) bodies, with almost beardless faces. The Yafa of today are fair-skinned with stockier, hairy bodies, with full beards.
One can see how this same process of foreign infiltration operated in North Africa, including Egypt.
Cosinged strongly.
Posts: 22234 | From: האם אינכם כילדי הכרית אלי בני ישראל | Registered: Nov 2010
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quote:Originally posted by Djehuti: Lioness's pictures are an excellent example of the changes that can take place to a population due to foreign genetic influence.
It wasn't long ago that *all* Mahra were described as black, yet today there are fair-skinned Mahra. This only proves Dana Marniche right that original black Arabians have literally been washed-white by foreigners (the same as certain Berbers tribes near the Mediterranean coasts of Africa)
Yafa tribesmen of Mahra during the early 20th century
Yafa tribesmen today
Notice the difference?? The Yafa of old were much darker (black) with skinny, glabrous (hairless) bodies, with almost beardless faces. The Yafa of today are fair-skinned with stockier, hairy bodies, with full beards.
One can see how this same process of foreign infiltration operated in North Africa, including Egypt.
I agree. It also illustrates just how quickly such population changes can occur. Interesting thread.
Posts: 13 | From: California | Registered: Sep 2014
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The Dhofar region, about the size of West Virginia, has a long turbulent past. It is the famous frankincense source of Arabia and has been subject to numerous rulers to include the Persians, Portuguese, Yemeni and finally Oman. The British government, securely entrenched in South Arabia, assisted the Omanis in gaining control of Dhofar for sea route safety. Oman, until the 1980s had the same lack of success as the other rulers in controlling the Dhofari people. The terrain and language of Dhofar has played a key role in the lack of unification with Oman. Much of the Dhofar hills and plains are as green as Ireland because of the monsoon rains, while other craggy hills look like the surface of the moon. The rains fill the lakes in the Mountains and provide a precious resource to the mountain or Jebali people and their cattle in Dhofar.
The non-Arabic language of the nomadic hill people in Oman is called Shahri or Jabali. This possible remnant of the Mahri group may be a Semitic offshoot and provides a linguistic link to the Yemenis living closest to Oman’s border. The language and terrain creates a natural split between the coast and hill people of Dhofar that will factor in to these decades of turbulence.
The Socotri language is totally different from Arabic, only on the island of Socotra and the neighboring islands of Abdl-Kuri , Samha, Darsa not being inhabited, all the inhabitants of these islands are Socotri speakers, wether native of the island or originally from the continent, with some Arabic families. In many families which came from Africa Alnooby family or Mahra, Socotri, which was originally a second language, has become the first language. We can assume that the core population which brought the socotri language settled on the island 3000 years ago and came originally from southern Arabia. this was most likely one of the consequence of retreat of the indigenous population of southern Arabia who fled the advantage of the sabaens. As for the Greek group mentioned in the Arab sources and in some western ones, they left no discernible traces in the population, its culture or its language. no more so, actually than the Portuguese group did if we exclude certain legendary stories which in any case revolve around certain individuals only.
Posts: 42918 | From: , | Registered: Jan 2010
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quote:“…these tribes – with the exception of the Harasis – have a tradition of African origin, the order of their local antiquity being Shahara, Bautahara, Mahra, Qara.“
--The South Eastern Borderlands of Rub-al Khali Bertram Thomas vol. 73 (LXXIII) No. 3 March 1929. on the descendants of Kahtan (Joktan).
quote:Ad or Ait– known also as Athir (Adhar) in Arabian tradition – the Gether of the Genesis book. The Adites – called “sons of the fire mist” after Adah their ancestral mother were considered by Medieval Muslim writers to be the same people as the Mahra and Shahara. The mythological “man from Ad” was “Adapa” in Babylonian texts whose name was also that of the ancient ruler Ityop of Abyssinian king lists. In Greek legend Ethiopais, ‘son of Ethiops’ is a title of Bacchus/Dionysus.
--Garnier, 2006, p, 38
Posts: 22234 | From: האם אינכם כילדי הכרית אלי בני ישראל | Registered: Nov 2010
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quote:The Soqotra archipelago is one of the most isolated landmasses in the world, situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden between the Horn of Africa and southern Arabia. The main island of Soqotra lies not far from the proposed southern migration route of anatomically modern humans out of Africa ∼60,000 years ago (kya), suggesting the island may harbor traces of that first dispersal. Nothing is known about the timing and origin of the first Soqotri settlers. The oldest historical visitors to the island in the 15th century reported only the presence of an ancient population. We collected samples throughout the island and analyzed mitochondrial DNA and Y-chromosomal variation. We found little African influence among the indigenous people of the island. Although the island population likely experienced founder effects, links to the Arabian Peninsula or southwestern Asia can still be found. In comparison with datasets from neighboring regions, the Soqotri population shows evidence of long-term isolation and autochthonous evolution of several mitochondrial haplogroups. Specifically, we identified two high-frequency founder lineages that have not been detected in any other populations and classified them as a new R0a1a1 subclade. Recent expansion of the novel lineages is consistent with a Holocene settlement of the island ∼6 kya.
[...]
Unfortunately, prehistory and origins of the aboriginal Soqotri population are still not well understood as only relatively late historical events are known. In 1480, Soqotra was ruled by sultans of the Al ’Afrariya Sultanate of the Mahra on the Yemeni mainland (Serjeant, 1963). With a brief interlude (1507–1511) when the Portuguese set up their own garrison, the Mahra Sultans ruled until 1967, when control of the island passed to the new government of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY) that took control of southern Arabia when the British left Aden. After the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990, Soqotra became part of the Republic of Yemen. In the 1890s, when the seat of the Mahra Sultanate transferred to Soqotra, many Mahra tribesmen came to settle on the island. Others who chose to make their home on Soqotra were Arab merchants and middlemen from the Gulf of Aden, the Hadramawt governate in Yemen and Oman, and members of the Saadah family from the Hadramawt (a group accredited with special spiritual powers and descent from the family of the Prophet Muhammad). Less willing settlers were slaves from the African mainland who labored for the above.
It is believed on the island that over time the aboriginal Soqotrans were driven away from the lusher areas of the island (areas of superior pasture where water and soil permitted the cultivation of finger-millet and date-palms). Thus the well-watered plains and the northern foothills of the Haghier, the valleys lying south of the same mountains, and the more accessible parts of the mountains became owned or controlled by the incoming groups. Oral history and tradition associates this with the arrival of greater numbers of powerful Mahra (and associated tribes) once their Sultan began to rule and tax-farm the island (15th century onwards) but also with depredations of pirates in the region over the centuries (exact period unknown). The original mountain dwellers became confined to the drier fringes of the mountains and plateaus and the more inaccessible areas.
posted
^ I don't know how much the Soqotris are genetically related to the initial OOA, but they are obviously related to other MSA (Modern South Arabian) speakers and maybe the ESA (Epigraphic South Arabian) speakers.
Posts: 26236 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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^ Thank you. I've been caught up with so much stuff in my personal life I just didn't have the time to post here like I wanted. I'm actually working on something I hope to post here.
Posts: 26236 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Tukuler: That is a body type jeered at as "bear", by which is meant Persian/Iran/etc., extraction.
Ancient Hebrew writings dated to 2600 ya but preserving earlier traditions pejoratively dichotomize the negative red and hairy Esau from the positive smooth Ya`aqob, black by dialectic though the two are twins.
After a lifetime of checking black, Teimani from Israel migrating to USA had to be told to check white. Even my Teimani mechanic's daughter by an Ashkenazit is black in Israel as 'vet' Israelis kept foremost in mind.
I forgot to ask you before Tukuler, but can you provide examples of this from either the Bible or other Rabbinic literature.
I know that Biblical texts do describe Esau as 'red' and hairy at birth, though the common explanation I've heard from Western (white) Jewry is that this 'red' color referred to his hair. Though I fail to see how a newborn infant can have a hairy body.
Posts: 26236 | From: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
I was just reading up on these Mehri people. Apparently, they've proportionally more Neanderthal ancestry than other Eurasians (which would indicate less dilution through later African admixture), yet they do seem to be rather dark-skinned as far as Arabs go if online photos are a reliable indicator.
Incidentally, if the most secluded peoples in the Arabian region are the ones with the most Neanderthal admixture, I wonder what that says about the hypothesis that Basal Eurasian originated in Arabia? I'm particularly curious about the amount of BE in Soqotri, since they don't seem to have a lot of SSA ancestry if uniparental data is anything to go by.
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