Shilha
Encyclopedia
Shilha, or Tashelhit, is a term used to refer to a number of Berber languages
spoken across the northern Sahara. In international usage, it most commonly refers to the Shilha language spoken by the Shilha people of southwestern Morocco. Other Berber varieties that it is used to refer to include:
It is also used locally to refer to a non-Berber language of the region, Korandje
in Tabelbala.
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...
spoken across the northern Sahara. In international usage, it most commonly refers to the Shilha language spoken by the Shilha people of southwestern Morocco. Other Berber varieties that it is used to refer to include:
- 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....
- Senhaja de Srair languageSenhaja 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;...
- 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...
(various ksour in southwestern Algeria and southeastern Morocco) - 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...
(around Touggourt) - 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...
n Berber in general: DjerbiDjerbi languageJerba or Djerbi is the Berber language of Djerba in Tunisia....
, MatmataMatmata BerberMatmata Berber is the Zenati Berber dialect spoken around the town of Matmâta in southern Tunisia, in the villages of Zraoua, Taoujjout and Tamezret. According to Ben Mamou's lexicon, its speakers call it Tmaziγṯ, or dwi-nna "our language", while it is called Chelha or Jbali in local Arabic...
(Tamezret), Douiri.
It is also used locally to refer to a non-Berber language of the region, Korandje
Korandje language
Korandje is by far the most northerly of the Songhay languages. It is spoken around the oasis of Tabelbala by about 3000 people; its name literally means "village's language"...
in Tabelbala.