Northern Berber languages
Encyclopedia
The Northern Berber languages form a dialect continuum
across the Maghreb
that constitute a branch of the Berber language
subgroup of the Afroasiatic family. Their continuity has been broken by the spread of Arabic
, and to a lesser extent by the Zenati
group of Northern Berber, which shares certain innovations not found in the surrounding languages, notably a softening of k to sh and an absence of a- in certain words, such as "hand" (afus vs. fus.)
The Northern Berber languages, with those spoken by over a million people in bold, are:
The eastern boundaries of the group seem to be controversial; some sources include the Nafusi
and Ghadames
languages, while others do not. Most sources agree in regarding Ghadames
as outside of Northern Berber, but the Ethnologue does not.
There is no authoritative answer to the question of which of these to describe as a "language
" versus a "dialect
"; some academics have seen not only Northern Berber but all the Berber languages
as dialects of a single language, while others come up with much higher counts. At any rate, mutual comprehensibility
among Northern Berber languages is high, though not perfect.
Dialect continuum
A dialect continuum, or dialect area, was defined by Leonard Bloomfield as a range of dialects spoken across some geographical area that differ only slightly between neighboring areas, but as one travels in any direction, these differences accumulate such that speakers from opposite ends of the...
across the Maghreb
Maghreb
The Maghreb is the region of Northwest Africa, west of Egypt. It includes five countries: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania and the disputed territory of Western Sahara...
that constitute a branch of the Berber language
Berber languages
The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert...
subgroup of the Afroasiatic family. Their continuity has been broken by the spread of Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, and to a lesser extent by the Zenati
Zenati languages
The Zenati languages, named after the medieval Zenata tribe, are a subgroup of the Northern Berber language family, spoken in North Africa, proposed in Destaing They are distributed across the central Maghreb, from northeastern Morocco to just west of Algiers, and the northern Sahara, from...
group of Northern Berber, which shares certain innovations not found in the surrounding languages, notably a softening of k to sh and an absence of a- in certain words, such as "hand" (afus vs. fus.)
The Northern Berber languages, with those spoken by over a million people in bold, are:
- Moroccan Atlas languagesAtlas languagesThe Atlas languages, or more exactly Moroccan Atlas, also Masmuda, are a subgroup of the Northern Berber languages spoken in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. By mutual intelligibility, they are a single language; however, they are distinct sociolinguistically and are considered separate languages by...
:- Shilha (also called Tachelhit, Tasusit; includes "Judeo-BerberJudeo-Berber languageJudeo-Berber , is a term used primarily for the Berber varieties traditionally spoken by the Jewish communities of certain parts of central and southern Morocco. Speakers emigrated to Israel in the 1950s and 1960s. While mutually comprehensible with the Tamazight spoken by most inhabitants of the...
"), in southern Morocco - Central Morocco TamazightCentral Morocco TamazightCentral Atlas Tamazight is a Berber languageCentral Atlas Tamazight may be referred to as either a Berber language or a Berber dialect...
- Senhaja de SrairSenhaja de Srair languageThe language of the Senhaja de Srair, also Senhaya or Zenaga, is a Northern Berber language spoken in the southern part of the Moroccan Rif. It is most closely related to the Atlas languages, but heavily influenced by the neighboring Riff language Contrary to the Ethnologue, it is not extinct;...
(listed erroneously as Zenati by the Ethnologue), in the southern part of the RifRifThe Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
in Morocco
- Shilha (also called Tachelhit, Tasusit; includes "Judeo-Berber
- Zenati languagesZenati languagesThe Zenati languages, named after the medieval Zenata tribe, are a subgroup of the Northern Berber language family, spoken in North Africa, proposed in Destaing They are distributed across the central Maghreb, from northeastern Morocco to just west of Algiers, and the northern Sahara, from...
- GhomaraGhomara languageThe language of the Ghomara is a Northern Berber language spoken by at least 10,000 people in Morocco near Tetouan and Chaouen. While included in the Zenati subgroup by some sources , it is probably more closely related to southern Moroccan languages, such as Central Atlas Tamazight and Shilha....
, in the northwestern part of the RifRifThe Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
in Morocco - Riff (Tarifit), in northern Morocco
- Beni Snous (Tlemcen), in western Algeria near the border
- ArzewArzewArzew or Arzeu is a port city in Algeria, from Oran. It is the capital of Arzew District, Oran Province.-Antiquity:Like the rest of North Africa, the site of modern-day Arzew was originally inhabited by the Berbers...
, in western Algeria (extinct?)
- South Oran BerberSouth Oran BerberSouth Oran and Figuig Berber is a Zenati Berber dialect group spoken in a number of oases of southwestern Algeria, as well as nearby ones in Morocco...
, in the ksours along the Algerian-Moroccan border- FiguigFiguigFiguig - Ifiyey is a town in eastern Morocco near the Atlas Mountains, on the border with Algeria.The town is built around an oasis of date palms, called Tazdayt in the Berber languages, surrounded by rugged, mountainous wilderness...
dialect, in southeastern Morocco
- Figuig
- Central Maghreb Berber
- Achacha (extinct), north of Mostaghanem in Algeria
- Bel Halima (extinct), west of Tiaret in Algeria
- OuarsenisOuarsenisThe Ouarsenis is a series of mountains in North-Western Algeria located at about 80 km south of the Mediterranean. It has a maximum elevation of 1985m near Bordj Bounaama at about 60 km west of Tissemsilt....
(extinct?), east of El Asnam in Algeria - Haraoua (extinct?), south of Ain DeflaAïn DeflaAïn Defla |spring]]) is the capital city of Aïn Defla Province, Algeria. It is also a commune....
in Algeria - Shenwa (Haqbaylit; Beni Menacer, Djebel Bissa), between TipasaTipasaTipaza is a Berber-speaking town on the coast of Algeria, capital of the Tipaza province. The modern town, founded in 1857, is remarkable chiefly for its sandy beach, and ancient ruins.-Ancient history:...
and TénèsTénèsTenes is an Algerian seaside resort located about 200 kilometers west of the capital Algiers; it has a population of 35,000 people, .-History:Ténès is an ancient town which existed in the 8th century BC. It was called Kartenas at that time...
in north-central Algeria west of AlgiersAlgiers' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
- Shawiya (Chaouia), south of ConstantineConstantine, AlgeriaConstantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
in northeastern Algeria - Mzab–Wargla (northern Saharan varieties):
- Mozabite (Tumzabt, Ghardaia) of the M'zabM'zabThe M'zab or Mzab, , is a region of the northern Sahara, in the Ghardaïa wilaya, an administrative division similar to a province, of Algeria...
, Algeria - Wargla (Tagergrent) at OuarglaOuarglaOuargla is the capital city of Ouargla province, in the Sahara Desert, in southern Algeria. It has a flourishing oil industry, and hosts one of Algeria's universities. The city had a population of 129,402 in 1998 ....
, Algeria - Oued Righ BerberOued Righ BerberOued Righ Berber, or Temacine Tamazight, is a Zenati Berber variety spoken in some of the oases of the Oued Righ region around Touggourt in Algeria. As of 1893, it was spoken in Temacine, Blidet-Amor, Meggarine and Ghomra. The only published study of it is Basset . It is closely related to...
(EthnologueEthnologueEthnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
name "Temacine Tamazight") in Oued RighOued RighThe Oued Righ is a region of the northeastern Algerian Sahara. It includes a number of oases, the principal centre being Touggourt. Some of these oases speak Oued Righ Berber....
, around TouggourtTouggourtTouggourt is a city in Ouargla Province, Algeria, built around an oasis in the Sahara. It is notable for its date trees. It was formerly surrounded by a moat, which the French filled up. The surrounding oasis is very fertile. From Touggourt a road 61 miles long leads across the desert north-east...
and Temacine (Algeria) - Tuat of Touat and Gourara, Algeria (the Ethnologue name "Taznatit" is a misnomer, as that name is used for most Zenati languages)
- Mozabite (Tumzabt, Ghardaia) of the M'zab
- Tidikelt
- SenedSened languageSened is an extinct Berber language that was spoken in the nearby towns of Sened and Majoura in Southern Tunisia until the mid-twentieth century...
in TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
(extinct) - Zuwara (controversially classified by the Ethnologue as part of Nafusi, along with the previous), in northwestern LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
- Ghomara
- KabyleKabyle languageKabyle or Kabylian is a Berber language spoken by the Kabyle people north and northeast of Algeria. Estimates about the number of speakers range from 5 million to about 7 million speakers worldwide, the majority in Algeria.-Classification:The classification of Kabyle is Afro-Asiatic, Berber and...
(Taqbaylit), in Kabylia, east of AlgiersAlgiers' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
- Various groups near BlidaBlidaBlida is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name Blida, i.e...
, such as the Beni SalahBeni SalahA group called the Beni Salah ruled the Kingdom of Nekor.A group called the Beni Salah live near Blida in Algeria, and speak or formerly spoke a variety of the Kabyle language....
and Beni Bou Yaqoub (extinct?)
- Various groups near Blida
The eastern boundaries of the group seem to be controversial; some sources include the Nafusi
Nafusi language
Nafusi is the Berber language of the Nafusa Mountains , a large area in northwestern Libya. This variety of the Berber language is spoken by the Ibadite communities around Jadu, Nalut , and Yafran...
and Ghadames
Ghadamès language
Ghadamès is a language spoken mainly by some Libyan Berbers. It is spoken in Ghadames, a small oasis town near the Libyan border with Algeria and Tunisia. It is spoken by 2,000 people in Libya, and 2,000 elsewhere. It has two dialects, Ayt Waziten and Elt Ulid....
languages, while others do not. Most sources agree in regarding Ghadames
Ghadamès language
Ghadamès is a language spoken mainly by some Libyan Berbers. It is spoken in Ghadames, a small oasis town near the Libyan border with Algeria and Tunisia. It is spoken by 2,000 people in Libya, and 2,000 elsewhere. It has two dialects, Ayt Waziten and Elt Ulid....
as outside of Northern Berber, but the Ethnologue does not.
There is no authoritative answer to the question of which of these to describe as a "language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
" versus a "dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
"; some academics have seen not only Northern Berber but all the Berber languages
Berber languages
The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert...
as dialects of a single language, while others come up with much higher counts. At any rate, mutual comprehensibility
Mutual intelligibility
In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is recognized as a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related languages can readily understand each other without intentional study or extraordinary effort...
among Northern Berber languages is high, though not perfect.