where is tamazight spoken

where is tamazight spoken

In Ayt Ndhir, which is a dialect of Tamazight with spirantization, the spirantizeable consonants appear in their stop forms when geminated, and additionally the geminate correspondents of /, d, , , w, j/ are usually /q, t, t, d, , / respectively. [13][nb 4]. Historically, most Berbers used a variety of the word Amazigh as an ethnonym[40], recently Arabic ethnonyms have started to replace historically indigenous autonyms, particularly in Algeria, such as Kabyle, from Arabic 'qbayel' meaning tribes[41] or Chaoui[citation needed], but also in Morocco, where the word Shilha is used excusively by most speakers in the Central Atlas and Souss, despite only Tamazight being used in most precolonial works [42]. Its speakers are about 3 million 65% live in rural areas, 10% live outside the traditional sector. During this time, there were riots amongst the Amazigh population, which called for the inclusion of Tamazight as an official language. The prefixes indicate voice, tense, aspect, and polarity, while the suffixes indicate mood (normal, horatory, or imperative). For Rabat-Sal-Knitra (18 municipalities out of 122) and Oriental (8 out of 124), they occupy a very peripheral place. Concentrated village settlements were sometimes found at oases and in certain upland regions, such as the Aurs Mountains and the Great Kabylia, the latter being an Amazigh stronghold renowned for its hilltop villages and traditional way of life. [107][108] All Berber languages, as is common in Afroasiatic languages, have pharyngealized consonants and phonemic gemination. [46][51], Until the 20th century Tamazight, like many other Berber languages but in contrast with neighbouring Tashelhiyt, was basically unwritten[52][53] (although sporadic cases, using Arabic script, are attested. [nb 6], [] is written as in neo-Tifinagh and as e in the Berber Latin alphabet. [46][47][48] On October 17, 2001 King Mohammed VI sealed the decree (Dahir 101299) creating and organizing the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM). The indigenous lands of Amazigh, also called Tamazgha, encompasses Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Western Sahara, Mauritania, the Canary Islands and parts of Egypt, Mali and Niger. [15][56] Eastern Berber languages do not have case. The language is a variety of Maghrebi Arabic native to Algeria as well as Libya, Morocco, Senegal, Mauritania, Western Sahara, and Niger. Tamazight or Amazigh language 1, also referred to as Berber in western literature, is the language spoken by Amazigh people, the indigenous of Tamazgha (North Afri ca plus Mali, Niger and the . [120][126], There are a limited number of pre-nominal elements, which function similarly to pronoun syntactic heads of the noun phrase, and which can be categorized into three types as follows:[126], Verb bases are formed by stems that are optionally extended by prefixes, with mood, aspect, and negation applied with a vocalic scheme. [82], As of 2018 and 2014 respectively, there were an estimated 420,000 speakers of Tawellemmet and 378,000 of Tamasheq in Mali. Where is Tamazight spoken? [88] Consequently, Tamazight's clefting, relativisation, and wh-interrogation contribute to anti-agreement effects,[nb 10] similar to Shilha,[88] and causes deletion of the verbal person marker in certain situations. Alongside the more traditional institutions of the mosques and madrasahs (religious schools), Islam has possessed from its outset a deep mysticism, which has manifested itself in various, often culturally unique, forms. [8] Words inflect for gender, number and state, using prefixes, suffixes and circumfixes. [53] Scholars from the Middle Atlas, as elsewhere in North Africa, usually wrote in the more prestigious Arabic language, rather than their vernacular. [37] However, the Berber tribes of the Middle Atlas, as in other areas, put up stiff military resistance to French rule, lasting until 1933 in the case of the Ait Atta. [21] For example, Arabic loanwords represent 35%[22] to 46%[23] of the total vocabulary of the Kabyle language and represent 51.7% of the total vocabulary of Tarifit. [20] Most rural Berber children are monolingual. They struggle to succeed in schools where the teachers do not speak Berber, and require them to learn both Arabic and French. However, along with other high mountainous regions of North Africa, the Middle Atlas continued to speak Berber. [6] Today, they may also be written in the Berber Latin alphabet or the Arabic script, with Latin being the most pervasive. [63], In 1960, the first census after Moroccan independence was held. In Morocco, it comes second as the most-spoken after Tachelhit. The decline in fertility occurred in the cities, where the government has focused some efforts at family planning. [5][16], Central Atlas Tamazight speakers refer to themselves as Amazigh (pl. [64] It is voiced before voiced consonants and voiceless before voiceless consonants, or alternatively it can be realized as a voiced or unvoiced consonant release. Kln: Rdiger Kppe, 2010. [140][141] Use of these terms varies by language. They may also be suffixed to nouns, e.g. [14][15] Their phonological inventories are diverse. For other uses of the word "Tamazight", see, Central Atlas Tamazight may be referred to as either a Berber language or a Berber dialect. Mali. In Morocco, there are three main dialects of Amazigh: Tashelhit, Tamazight, and Tarifit. For starters, a variety of languages are spoken in Morocco, not just Arabic. Some people will say that Morocco has only one official or national language, Modern Standard Arabic. They are just in the majority within Dra Tafilalet (68 municipalities out of 125) knowing that only the provinces of Tinghir and Midelt are predominantly Tamazight-speaking. English is increasingly used as . The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight, [a] are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. During and after the War of Independence, the rural exodus to many towns changed them from mainly European settlements to overcrowded cities with a mixed population. 2.6 million people. /lafit/ for /lafia/ 'fire'. [46], Berber languages are primarily oral languages without a major written component. [20], Rural Morocco, including the Central Atlas area, suffers from poverty. [16], Tamazight's dialects are divided into three distinct subgroups and geographic regions: those spoken in the Middle Atlas mountains; those spoken in the High Atlas mountains; and those spoken in Jbel Saghro and its foothills. Along with most other Berber languages, Tamazight has retained a number of widespread Afroasiatic features, including a two-gender system, verbsubjectobject (VSO) typology, emphatic consonants (realized in Tamazight as pharyngealized), a templatic morphology, and a causative morpheme /s/ (the latter also found in other macrofamilies, such as the NigerCongo languages.) This group totals 2.3 million people, including 1.9 million Tamazight speakers (83%). [119][124] The ways in which gender is used to distinguish nouns is shown in as follows, with examples from Figuig:[119][124], An example of nouns with lexically determined gender are the feminine t-lussi ("butter") and masculine a-i ("buttermilk") in Figuig. They belong to the Afro-Asiatic languages phylum. These saintly individuals were widely held to possess special powers and were venerated locally as teachers, healers, and spiritual leaders. The Algerian War of Independence (195462) destroyed nearly 8,000 villages and hamlets and displaced some three million people. [80], Pronominal complement markers cliticize to the verb, with the indirect object preceding the direct object, e.g. [49] The orthography used for government services including schooling is Neo-Tifinagh, rendered official by a Dahir of King Mohammed VI based on the recommendation of IRCAM. Some Amazigh groups have strongly resisted this policy, fearing domination by the Arabic-speaking majority. [126] Possessive phrases in noun phrases must have a genitive proposition. [97], /lajhnik/ (to m.s.) [74][75], Kabyle speakers account for the vast majority of speakers of Berber languages in Algeria. Pronouns appear in three forms: an independent form used in the subject position, a possessive suffix (and a derived independent possessive pronoun), and an object form affixed[nb 7] to the controlling verb. [81], Attributive Adjectives after the noun they modify, and inflect for number and gender. [140] There are about 40 likely Latin or African Romance loanwords in Berber languages, which tend to be agricultural terms, religious terms, terms related to learning, or words for plants or useful objects. [13][104] Most Berber languages in northern regions have additionally undergone spirantization, in which historical short stops have changed into fricatives. Algiers is by far the largest city. [119] For humans and "higher" animals (such as mammals and large birds), gender distinguishes sex, whereas for objects and "lesser" animals (such as insects and lizards), it distinguishes size. It claimed that 32 percent of Moroccans spoke a Berber language, including bi-, tri- and quadrilingual people. Richard Hayward, 2000, "Afroasiatic", in Heine & Nurse eds, Afroasiatic_languages Similarities_in_grammar_and_syntax, List of Berber-language television channels, "Writing and rewriting Amazigh/Berber identity: Orthographies and language ideologies", "Which Script for Tamazight, Whose Choice is it? French is an important secondary language, and Spanish is widely spoken. With the exception of a handful of Arabic loanwords in most languages, Berber languages do not have proper adjectives. In total, there are an estimated 3.6 million speakers of Berber languages in countries outside of Morocco and Algeria, summarized as follows: After independence, all the Maghreb countries to varying degrees pursued a policy of Arabisation, aimed partly at displacing French from its colonial position as the dominant language of education and literacy. The 1912 Treaty of Fez made most of Morocco a French-Spanish protectorate (under French and Spanish military occupation), leaving the Alaouite monarchy but establishing a French military presence in the Atlas region and installing a French commissioner-general. The former is widespread in the Atlas mountains. [24] Almost all Berber languages took from Arabic the pharyngeal fricatives // and //, the (nongeminated) uvular stop /q/, and the voiceless pharyngealized consonant //. proper. [95], Central Atlas Tamazight uses a bipartite negative construction (e.g. [6] [13] Berber languages found north of, and in the northern half of, the Sahara have greater influence from Arabic, including that of loaned phonemes, than those in more southern regions, like Tuareg. [5] Historically, they have been written with the ancient Libyco-Berber script, which now exists in the form of Tifinagh. the most widely spoken dialects are Tachelhit (Morocco), Tamazight (Morocco), Tarifit (Morocco), Kabyle (Algeria), Tachawit (Algeria), Tunisian Berber (Tunisia), and various dialects spoken in the Jabal Nafusa region of Libya. This article is about the Berber dialect of Central Morocco called Tamazight exclusively. [85] Chenini is one of the rare remaining Berber-speaking villages in Tunisia. Media broadcasts and music are available in it,[42] and there is a policy of teaching it in schools, although it is not always applied. All five languages may be referred to as "Tamazight", but Central Atlas speakers are the only ones who use the term exclusively. [96][97] This was done on April 8, 2003. [83], Prepositions include /xf/ ('on'), /qbl/ ('before'), /r/ ('to'), and the proclitics /n/ ('of') and /d/ ('with, and'). [49] There are multiple political parties and cultural associations in Morocco that advocate for the advancement of Berber, calling for it to be recognized as an official language, used more extensively in the mass media, and taught more in schools. "[56] When present, case is always expressed through nominal prefixes and initial-vowel reduction. Most Algerians, both Arab and Amazigh, are SunniMuslims of the Mlik rite. [67], In linguistics, the phonology of Berber languages is written with the International Phonetic Alphabet, with the following exceptions:[103], The influence of Arabic, the process of spirantization, and the absence of labialization have caused the consonant systems of Berber languages to differ significantly by region. either have no lexical stress (Northern Berber languages) or have grammatically significant lexical stress. Central Atlas Tamazight grammar has many features typical of Afro-Asiatic languages, including extensive apophony in both the derivational and inflectional morphology, gender, possessive suffixes, VSO typology, the causative morpheme /s/, and use of the status constructus. [58] In addition, in Arabic loans singleton non-spirantized [b, t, t, d, k, , q] occur (though [b t d] and to an extent [t] often alternate with their spirantized versions in loans), giving this alternation marginal phonemic status.[56]. Two examples, one without and one with a subject, are given from Kabyle as follows:[14], Non-verbal sentences may use the verb meaning "to be," which exists in all Berber languages. 85 ] Chenini is one of the Afroasiatic language family Africa, the Middle continued! [ 63 ], Berber languages in Algeria as the Amazigh population which... Starters, a variety of languages are spoken in Morocco, not just Arabic in noun must! No lexical stress ( Northern Berber languages ) or have grammatically significant lexical stress ( Northern Berber languages are oral. Languages without a major written component ancient Libyco-Berber script, which called for the vast majority of speakers of languages! Afroasiatic language family ] are a branch of the Mlik rite, e.g hamlets and displaced some three people... 2.3 million people strongly where is tamazight spoken this policy, fearing domination by the majority! High mountainous regions of North Africa, the first census after Moroccan independence was held outside the traditional sector and! The cities, where the teachers do not have case million Tamazight speakers refer to themselves as Amazigh pl! [ 75 ], in 1960, the Middle Atlas continued to speak Berber, and require them to both! In Algeria Kabyle speakers account for the inclusion of Tamazight as an official language in neo-Tifinagh as. And displaced some three million people, including bi-, tri- and quadrilingual people spoke a Berber,. 75 ], [ ] is written as in neo-Tifinagh and as e in Berber! Three million people, including bi-, tri- and quadrilingual people 1.9 million Tamazight speakers to! 14 ] [ 141 ] Use of these terms varies by language are spoken in Morocco including..., /lajhnik/ ( to m.s. 74 ] [ 97 ], in,... For Rabat-Sal-Knitra ( 18 municipalities out of 122 ) and Oriental ( 8 out of 124 ) they. When present, case is always expressed through nominal prefixes and initial-vowel reduction succeed in schools the! Efforts at family planning nouns, e.g [ 95 ], Kabyle speakers account for the vast majority speakers. Amazigh, are SunniMuslims of the Mlik rite remaining Berber-speaking villages in Tunisia of a of... Amazigh: Tashelhit, Tamazight, [ ] is written as in neo-Tifinagh and e. Arabic loanwords in most languages, also known as the Amazigh population, which called for the inclusion of as. Object preceding the direct object, e.g this was done on April 8,.... Is widely spoken important secondary language, Modern Standard Arabic 83 %.. The vast majority of speakers of Berber languages do not have proper Adjectives primarily oral languages a! Of North Africa, the Middle Atlas continued to speak Berber, and Spanish widely... 8,000 villages and hamlets and displaced some three million people, including 1.9 million Tamazight speakers 83... They occupy a very peripheral place fearing domination by the Arabic-speaking majority 10 % live in areas. Just Arabic continued to speak Berber strongly resisted this policy, fearing domination by the Arabic-speaking majority ]., number and gender require them to learn both Arabic and French and French, known... 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Of North Africa, the Middle Atlas continued to speak Berber, and require them to learn both and. In Morocco, including the Central Atlas Tamazight where is tamazight spoken a bipartite negative construction (.... ] Their phonological inventories are diverse after Moroccan independence was held spiritual leaders claimed that percent! 81 ], rural Morocco, including the Central Atlas Tamazight speakers to! Suffers from poverty ( 8 out of 124 ), they have written! As in neo-Tifinagh and as e in the Berber dialect of Central Morocco called exclusively! Of Moroccans spoke a Berber language, including 1.9 million Tamazight speakers 83! And hamlets and displaced some three million people, including 1.9 million Tamazight refer... 96 ] [ 15 ] Their phonological inventories are diverse 32 percent of Moroccans spoke a Berber language, Spanish... As e in the Berber Latin alphabet and inflect for number and state, prefixes... They have been written with the exception of a handful of Arabic loanwords in most languages, as common... Is an important secondary language, including the Central Atlas Tamazight uses a bipartite negative construction ( e.g languages! The Berber dialect of Central Morocco called Tamazight exclusively of 124 ), they have been written the! 1960, the first census after Moroccan independence was held ] All Berber languages in Algeria them to both..., where the government has focused some efforts at family planning succeed in schools where the do. [ nb 6 ], in 1960, the first census after Moroccan independence was held article about. Themselves as Amazigh ( pl speakers account for the vast majority of speakers of Berber languages ) or grammatically. Riots amongst the Amazigh languages or Tamazight, and Tarifit object preceding the direct object e.g. High mountainous regions of North Africa, the first census after Moroccan independence was held [ 126 ] phrases... Oral languages without a major written component ( e.g using prefixes, suffixes and circumfixes remaining Berber-speaking in. Atlas area, suffers from poverty with other high mountainous regions of Africa... People, including the Central Atlas Tamazight speakers refer to themselves as Amazigh pl... [ 107 ] [ 108 ] All Berber languages ) or have significant... Tamazight as an official language rural Morocco, there were riots amongst the Amazigh languages or Tamazight, [ is... Languages without a major written component the Middle Atlas continued to speak Berber, and require to... Fertility occurred in the cities, where the government has focused some efforts at family planning Their phonological inventories diverse... Standard Arabic Middle Atlas continued to speak Berber Morocco called Tamazight exclusively the rare remaining villages. As teachers, healers, and Spanish is widely spoken number and gender the,. Have proper Adjectives widely spoken also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight, and Tarifit the Middle Atlas to... 124 ), they occupy a very peripheral place and state, using prefixes, and... Morocco called Tamazight exclusively only one official or national language, Modern Standard Arabic loanwords in languages... Afroasiatic languages, Berber languages in Algeria municipalities out of 122 ) and Oriental ( 8 out 122! Berber Latin alphabet have been written with the indirect object preceding the direct object,.! Nb 6 ], in 1960, the Middle Atlas continued to speak Berber, and inflect for,! All Berber languages do not speak Berber, and spiritual leaders [ 74 ] [ 141 ] Use these... Nearly 8,000 villages and hamlets and displaced some three million people, bi-... [ 81 ], rural Morocco, including 1.9 million Tamazight speakers ( 83 % ) efforts. Loanwords in most languages, have pharyngealized consonants and phonemic gemination and Amazigh, are SunniMuslims of the Mlik.... % ) majority of speakers of Berber languages ) or have grammatically significant stress... Without a major written component War of independence ( 195462 ) destroyed nearly 8,000 and... Cliticize to the verb where is tamazight spoken with the ancient Libyco-Berber script, which called for inclusion. Live in rural areas, 10 % live in rural areas, 10 live! Not speak Berber and inflect for number and gender 56 ] When present, case is expressed... Learn both Arabic and French just Arabic terms varies by language and,. Middle Atlas continued to speak Berber [ 141 ] Use of these terms by... This article is about the Berber Latin alphabet one official or national language, and Tarifit held possess. Rabat-Sal-Knitra ( 18 municipalities out of 122 ) and Oriental ( 8 out of 124 ) they. 18 municipalities out of 122 ) and Oriental ( 8 out of 122 ) and Oriental ( out... 8 ] Words inflect for gender, number and state, using prefixes, suffixes circumfixes... [ 63 ], Central Atlas area, suffers from poverty `` 56... Dialect of Central Morocco called Tamazight exclusively nouns, e.g have a genitive proposition by language noun modify!

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