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How are the Afar and Somali languages related?

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The Afar and Somali languages are related as both are members of the Cushitic languages branch of the Afro-Asiatic language phylum.21

While they share this common linguistic ancestry, they are distinct and not mutually intelligible. Within the Cushitic family, they are categorized into different subdivisions: Afar is classified as a Lowland East Cushitic language (often grouped with Saho), while Somali belongs to the Omo-Tana group.213