View source for Shilha language

{{Short description|Berber language of southwestern Morocco}}
{{About|the Berber language of western Morocco exclusively|other languages or dialects|Shilha (disambiguation){{!}}Shilha}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Shilha
| pronunciation    = {{IPAc-en|'|t|æ|ʃ|ə|l|h|ɪ|t}}
| altname          = Tachelhit; Tashelhiyt
| nativename       = Taclḥiyt - {{Script|Tfng|ⵜⴰⵛⵍⵃⵉⵢⵜ}} - {{Lang|ar|تاشلحيت}}
| states           = [[Morocco]]
| region           = [[Souss-Massa]], [[Guelmim-Oued Noun]], [[Drâa-Tafilalet]], [[Marrakech-Safi]], [[Béni Mellal-Khénifra]], [[Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra]] and [[Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab]]
| ethnicity        = [[Shilha people|Shilha]], [[Berber Jews]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|5.827000|2}} million
| date             = 2020
| ref              = e26
| familycolor      = Afro-Asiatic
| fam2             = [[Berber languages|Berber]]
| fam3             = [[Northern Berber languages|Northern]]
| dia1              = [[Judeo-Berber language|Judeo-Berber]]
| script           = [[Berber Arabic alphabet|Arabic]], [[Berber Latin alphabet|Latin]], [[Tifinagh]]
| iso3             = shi
| map              = Tachelhit.png
| mapcaption       = {{legend|#F00000|Tashelhit language area}}
| glotto           = tach1250
| glottorefname    = Tachelhit
| notice           = IPA
| fam4             = [[Atlas languages|Atlas]]
}}
{{Infobox NC name
|''Aclḥiy'' (male)<br />''Taclḥiyt'' (female)|''Iclḥiyn'' (male)<br />''Ticlḥiyin'' (female)|''Taclḥiyt''}}{{More citations needed section|date=June 2022}}[[File:WIKITONGUES- Abderrahman speaking Tachelhit.webm|thumb|Young man speaking Tachelhit, recorded in [[Cuba]].]]
'''Tashelhiyt''' or '''Tachelhit''' ({{IPAc-en|'|t|æ|ʃ|ə|l|h|ɪ|t}} {{respell|TASH|əl|hit}}; from the [[Endonym and exonym|endonym]] {{Lang|shi-latn|Taclḥiyt}}, {{IPA|ber|tæʃlħijt|IPA}}),{{efn|In this article, the graphs {{angbr|c}} and {{angbr|j}} are used to represent {{IPA|/ʃ/}} and {{IPA|/ʒ/}} respectively, as is usual in the [[Berber Latin alphabet]]; also, {{angbr|°}} is used to indicate labialization (IPA {{IPA|/ʷ/}}), and {{angbr|ɛ}} is {{IPA|/ʢ/}}.}} or also known as <span lang="shi" dir="ltr">'''Shilha'''</span> ({{IPAc-en|'|ʃ|ɪ|l|h|ə}} {{respell|SHIL|hə}}; from its name in [[Moroccan Arabic]], {{Transliteration|ary|Šəlḥa}}) is a [[Berber language]] spoken in southwestern [[Morocco]]. When referring to the language, anthropologists and historians prefer the name ''Shilha'', which is in the [[Oxford English Dictionary]] (OED). Linguists writing in English prefer ''Tashelhit'' (or a variant spelling). In French sources the language is called {{Lang|fr|tachelhit}}, {{Lang|fr|chelha}} or {{Lang|fr|chleuh}}.

Shilha is spoken in an area covering around 100,000 square kilometres. The area comprises the western part of the [[High Atlas]] mountains and the regions to the south up to the [[Draa River]], including the [[Anti-Atlas]] and the alluvial basin of the [[Sous River]]. The largest urban centres in the area are the coastal city of [[Agadir]] (population over 400,000) and the towns of [[Guelmim]], [[Taroudant]], [[Oulad Teima]], [[Tiznit]] and [[Ouarzazate]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">Adnor, Abdellah (2004). [[iarchive:dictionnaire-electronique-chleuh-these-d-etat-1|An Electronic Tashlhit-English Dictionary (Prototype)]] (PhD thesis). Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco. p. 13-14.</ref>{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

In the north and to the south, Shilha borders [[Arabic]]-speaking areas. In the northeast, roughly along the line [[Demnate]]-[[Zagora, Morocco|Zagora]], there is a [[dialect continuum]] with [[Central Atlas Tamazight]]. Within the Shilha-speaking area, there are several Arabic-speaking enclaves, notably the town of Taroudant and its surroundings. Substantial Shilha-speaking migrant communities are found in most of the larger towns and cities of northern [[Morocco]] and outside Morocco in [[Belgium]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Canada]], the [[United States]] and [[Israel]].<ref name=":5" />{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Shilha possesses a distinct and substantial literary tradition that can be traced back several centuries before the [[French protectorate in Morocco|protectorate era]]. Many texts, written in Arabic script and dating from the late 16th century to the present, are preserved in manuscripts. A modern printed literature in Shilha has developed since the 1970s.<ref>{{Cite conference |title=La littérature amazighe: oralité et écriture, spécificités et perspectives |chapter=La littérature écrite et la question de l'aménagement linguistique de l'amazigh |conference=Colloque international sur la littérature amazighe |last=El Mountassir |first=Abdallah |url=https://ircam.biblio.ma/uploads/publications/48.pdf |pages=139–140 |isbn=995443903X |publisher =l'Institut royal de la culture amazighe |year= 2004}}</ref>

== Name ==
Shilha speakers usually refer to their language as {{Lang|shi-latn|Taclḥiyt}}.<ref>Justinard (1914:2), Destaing (1920:166), Galand (1988, 1.14).</ref> This name is morphologically a feminine noun, derived from masculine {{Lang|shi-latn|Aclḥiy}} "male speaker of Shilha". Shilha names of other languages are formed in the same way, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|Aɛṛab}} "an Arab", {{Lang|shi-latn|Taɛṛabt}} "the Arabic language".<ref>Destaing (1920:20, 166). See also {{section link| |Semantics of feminine nouns}}.</ref>

The origin of the names {{Lang|shi-latn|Aclḥiy}} and {{Lang|shi-latn|Taclḥiyt}} has recently become a subject of debate (see [[Shilha people#Naming]] for various theories). The presence of the consonant {{Lang|shi-latn|ḥ}} in the name suggests an originally [[Endonym and exonym|exonymic]] (Arabic) origin. The first appearance of the name in a western printed source is found in [[Luis del Mármol Carvajal|Mármol]]'s {{Lang|es|Descripcion general de Affrica}} (1573), which mentions the "indigenous Africans called Xilohes or Berbers" ({{Lang|es|los antiguos Affricanos llamados Xilohes o Beréberes}}).<ref>Marmol (1573, book I, chapter XXXIII, fol. 43v).</ref>

The initial {{Lang|shi-latn|A-}} in {{Lang|shi-latn|Aclḥiy}} is a Shilha nominal prefix (see {{section link| |Inflected nouns}}). The ending {{Lang|shi-latn|-iy}} (borrowed from the [[nisba (onomastics)|Arabic suffix]] {{Lang|shi-latn|-iyy}}) forms denominal nouns and adjectives. There are also variant forms {{Lang|shi-latn|Aclḥay}} and {{Lang|shi-latn|Taclḥayt}}, with {{Lang|shi-latn|-ay}} instead of {{Lang|shi-latn|-iy}} under the influence of the preceding consonant {{Lang|shi-latn|ḥ}}.<ref>Stumme (1899:3); Laoust (1936:v).</ref> The plural of {{Lang|shi-latn|Aclḥiy}} is {{Lang|shi-latn|Iclḥiyn}}; a single female speaker is a {{Lang|shi-latn|Taclḥiyt}} (noun homonymous with the name of the language), plural {{Lang|shi-latn|Ticlḥiyin}}.

In Moroccan colloquial Arabic, a male speaker is called a {{Transliteration|ary|Šəlḥ}}, plural {{Transliteration|ary|Šluḥ}}, and the language is {{Transliteration|ary|Šəlḥa}},<ref>Fox and Abu-Talib (1966:155), Colin (1993:976).</ref> a feminine derivation calqued on {{Lang|shi-latn|Taclḥiyt}}. The Moroccan Arabic names have been borrowed into English as ''a Shilh'', ''the Shluh'', and ''Shilha'', and into French as {{Lang|fr|un Chleuh}}, {{Lang|fr|les Chleuhs}}, and {{Lang|fr|chelha}} or, more commonly, {{Lang|fr|le chleuh}}.

The now-usual names {{Lang|shi-latn|Taclḥiyt}} and {{Lang|shi-latn|Iclḥiyn}} in their endonymic use seem to have gained the upper hand relatively recently, as they are attested only in those manuscript texts which date from the 19th and 20th centuries. In older texts, the language is still referred to as {{Lang|shi-latn|Tamaziɣt}} or {{Lang|shi-latn|Tamazixt}} "Tamazight". For example, the author [[Mohammed Awzal|Awzal]] (early 18th c.) speaks of {{Lang|shi-latn|nnaḍm n Tmazixt ann ifulkin}} "a composition in that beautiful Tamazight".<ref>Awzal, {{Transliteration|arb|Baḥr al-Dumūʿ}}, v. 5 (edition in van den Boogert 1997).</ref>

Because Souss is the most heavily populated part of the language area, the name {{Lang|shi-latn|Tasusiyt}} (lit. "language of Souss") is now often used as a [[pars pro toto]] for the entire language.<ref>Justinard (1914:2), Laoust (1936:vi).</ref> A speaker of {{Lang|shi-latn|Tasusiyt}} is an {{Lang|shi-latn|Asusiy}}, plural {{Lang|shi-latn|Isusiyn}}, feminine {{Lang|shi-latn|Tasusiyt}}, plural {{Lang|shi-latn|Tisusiyin}}.

== Number of speakers ==
[[File:Percent of Tashlhit speakers in Morocco by census 2004.png|thumb|Percentage of Shilha speakers per region according to 2004 census<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maaroufi |first=Youssef |title=Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat 2004 |language=fr |work=Site institutionnel du Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc |url=https://www.hcp.ma/Recensement-general-de-la-population-et-de-l-habitat-2004_a633.html |access-date=2022-06-01}}</ref>]]
[[File:Communes of Tachelhit.png|thumb|Communes or municipalities where Tachelhit is majority in Morocco (year 2014)]]{{More citations needed section|date=June 2022}}

With 4.7 million speakers or 14% of Morocco's population, Tachelhit is the most widely spoken Amazigh language in the Kingdom, ahead of Tamazight and Tarifit. Its speakers represent more than half of the 8.8 million Amazighophones.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Gauthier |first=Christophe |title=Données du Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat de 2014 - Niveau national (Version Ar et Fr) |url=https://www.hcp.ma/Donnees-du-Recensement-General-de-la-Population-et-de-l-Habitat-de-2014-Niveau-national-Version-Ar-et-Fr_a3259.html |access-date=2025-03-18 |website=Site institutionnel du Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc |language=fr}}</ref>

It is also the Amazigh language that has the greatest geographical extension in the country. Its speakers are present in 1512 of the 1538 municipalities in the kingdom. This distribution is notably the result of a large diaspora of small traders who have settled throughout the country, but also of workers in search of employment opportunities.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2019-02-25 |title=Y a-t-il un " vote tachelhit " ? – TAFRA |url=https://tafra.ma/ya-til-un-vote-tachelhit/ |access-date=2025-03-23 |language=fr-FR}}</ref>

Five Moroccan regions have a rate of Tachelhit speakers higher than the national average: Souss-Massa, Guelmim–Oued Noun, Marrakech–Safi and Drâa–Tafilalet and Dakhla–Oued Ed Dahab. They concentrate 79% of the speakers. However, only two of them have a majority of Tachelhito speakers: Souss–Massa with 66% of its population (1,765,417 speakers) and Guelmim–Oued Noun with 50% (218,650 speakers). This rate drops to 26% for Marrakech–Safi (1,185,846 speakers), 22% for Drâa–Tafilalet (359,936 speakers) and 18% in Dakhla–Oued Ed Dahab (25,198 speakers).<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />

Like the high concentration of Tachelhit-speaking speakers in Dakhla, Tachelhit is spoken significantly by many inhabitants, in Moroccan municipalities outside the area where the language historically originated. With 49% of its speakers living in cities, Tachelhit has become highly urbanized. Thus, 10% of Casablancais speak Tachelhit, i.e. more than 334,000 people. Casablanca is therefore the first Tachelhit city in Morocco, ahead of Agadir (225,000 speakers). Similarly, 9.2% of Rbatis speak Tachelhit, i.e. more than 52,000 people, or 4% of Tangiers and Oujdis. Finally, there are singular cases of very outlying municipalities such as the fishing village of Imlili, south of Dakhla (60% of speakers) or the rural municipality of Moulay Ahmed Cherif, 60&nbsp;km west of the city of Al Hoceima (54% speakers). These situations are reminiscent of the historical migrations that have followed one another over the long term and especially the massive rural exodus that began in the 20th century towards the economic metropolises.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":3" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Rank
! scope="col" | Cities
! scope="col" | Population speaking Tachelhit 
! scope="col" | Percentage <br> of the city
|-
| 1
| [[Casablanca]]
| 334 364
| {{percentage bar|10}}
|-
| 2
| [[Agadir]]
| 225 695
| {{percentage bar|53.7}}
|-
| 3
| [[Marrakech]]
| 214 327
| {{percentage bar|16.2}}
|-
| 4
| [[Ait Melloul]]
| 113 410
| {{percentage bar|66.1}}
|-
| 5
| [[Salé|Sale]]
| 79 820
| {{percentage bar|8.2}}
|-
| 6
| [[Inezgane]]
| 66 558
| {{percentage bar|51.3}}
|-
| 7
| [[Tiznit]]
| 65 105
| {{percentage bar|87.9}}
|-
| 8
| [[Dcheira El Jihadia]]
| 61 590
| {{percentage bar|62.6}}
|-
| 9
| [[Rabat]]
| 52 690
| {{percentage bar|9.2}}
|-
| 10
| [[Ouarzazate]]
| 43 110
| {{percentage bar|62.1}}
|}

Although many speakers of Shilha, especially men, are bilingual in Moroccan Arabic, there are as yet no indications that the survival of Shilha as a living language will be seriously threatened in the immediate future. Because of the rapid growth of the Moroccan population over the past decades (from 12 million in 1961 to over 33 million in 2014), it is safe to say that Shilha is now spoken by more people than ever before in history.

== Dialects ==
Dialect differentiation within Shilha, such as it is, has not been the subject of any targeted research, but several scholars have noted that all varieties of Shilha are mutually intelligible. The first was Stumme, who observed that all speakers can understand each other, "because the individual dialects of their language are not very different."<ref>Stumme (1899:4).</ref> This was later confirmed by Ahmed Boukous, a Moroccan linguist and himself a native speaker of Shilha, who stated: "Shilha is endowed with a profound unity which permits the Shluh to communicate without problem, from the Ihahan in the northwest to the Aït Baamran in the southwest, from the Achtouken in the west to the Iznagen in the east, and from Aqqa in the desert to Tassaout in the plain of Marrakesh."<ref>Boukous (1977:126).</ref>

There exists no sharply defined boundary between Shilha dialects and the dialects of [[Central Atlas Tamazight]] (CAT). The dividing line is generally put somewhere along the line Marrakesh-Zagora, with the speech of the Ighoujdamen, Iglioua and Aït Ouaouzguite ethnic groups{{efn|Shilha ethnic names are quoted here in a conventional French orthography, as is usual in berberological literature. These names are also often given in an Arabicized form, for example Ghoujdama, Glaoua, Fetouaka, etc.}} belonging to Shilha, and that of the neighboring Inoultan, Infedouak and Imeghran ethnic groups counted as CAT.

== Writing systems ==
{{Main|Berber orthography}}[[Image:Muhammad Awzal.jpg|thumb|right|200px| Shilha written in Arabic script: an 18th-century manuscript of ''al-Ḥawḍ'' by [[Mohammed Awzal|Mḥmmd Awzal]].]]Though Tashelhit has historically been an oral language, manuscripts of mostly religious texts have been written in Tashelhit using the [[Arabic script]] since at least the 16th century.<ref name="Campbell-2012b">{{Cite book |last=Campbell |first=George L. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/810078009 |title=The Routledge handbook of scripts and alphabets |date=2012 |publisher=Routledge |others=Christopher Moseley |isbn=978-0-203-86548-4 |edition=2nd |location=Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon |pages=58–59 |oclc=810078009}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Saadouni |first1=Mohamed |last2=Stroomer |first2=Harry |date=2019 |title=Tashelhiyt berber manuscripts in Arabic characters: an update |url=https://www.cairn.info/revue-etudes-et-documents-berberes-2019-2-page-193.htm |journal=Études et Documents Berbères |language=fr |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=193, 198 |doi=10.3917/edb.042.0193 |issn=0295-5245|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Today, Tashelhit is most commonly written in the Arabic script, although [[Neo-Tifinagh]] is also used.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Souag |first=Lameen |date=2005-07-30 |title=Writing Berber Languages |url=http://www.geocities.com/lameens/tifinagh/ |access-date=2024-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050730075554/http://www.geocities.com/lameens/tifinagh/ |archive-date=2005-07-30 }}</ref>

== Literature ==
{{Main|Shilha literature}}Shilha has an extensive body of [[oral literature]] in a wide variety of genres (fairy tales, animal stories, taleb stories, poems, riddles, and tongue-twisters). A large number of oral texts and ethnographic texts on customs and traditions have been recorded and published since the end of the 19th century, mainly by European linguists.<ref>{{Cite book |title=An anthology of Tashelhiyt Berber folktales (South Morocco) |date=2001 |publisher=Köppe |isbn=978-3-89645-381-5 |editor-last=Stroomer |editor-first=Harry |series=Berber studies |location=Köln |pages=16 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stroomer |first=Harry |date=2008 |title=Three Tashelhiyt Berber Texts from the Arsène Roux Archives |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40997575 |journal=Studies in Slavic and General Linguistics |volume=33 |pages=389–391 |jstor=40997575 |issn=0169-0124}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dell |first1=François |title=Poetic meter and musical form in Tashlhiyt |last2=Medlaoui |first2=Mohamed El |date=2008 |publisher=Köppe |isbn=978-3-89645-398-3 |series=Berber studies |location=Köln}}</ref>

Shilha possesses an old literary tradition. Numerous texts written in Arabic script are preserved in manuscripts dating from the 16th century.<ref name=":2" /> The earliest datable text is a compendium of lectures on the "religious sciences" ({{Lang|shi-latn|lɛulum n ddin}}) composed in metrical verses by {{Lang|shi-latn|Brahim u Ɛbdllah Aẓnag|italic=no}}, who died in 1597. The best known writer in this tradition is [[Mohammed Awzal|Mḥmmd u Ɛli Awzal]], author of {{Lang|shi-latn|al-Ḥawḍ}} "The Cistern" (a handbook of [[Maliki]] law in verse), {{Lang|shi-latn|Baḥr al-Dumūʿ}} "The Ocean of Tears" (an adhortation, with a description of Judgment Day, in verse) and other texts.<ref>Van den Boogert (1997) offers a first exploration of Shilha manuscript literature, including an edition and translation of Awzal's work {{Transliteration|arb|Baḥr al-Dumūʿ}}. An older edition of this work, in the original Arabic script, is in Stricker (1960).</ref>

Modern Tashelhit literature has been developing since the end of the 20th century.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chafii |first=Hamza |date=November 2015 |title=A Linguistic Investigation of the Main Concepts of Amazigh Poetry in Morocco and Algeria |journal=Transnational Literature |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=2 |via=EBSCOhost}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Merolla |first=Daniela |title=Amazigh/Berber Literature and "Literary Space" |date=2020-04-29 |work=Routledge Handbook of Minority Discourses in African Literature |pages=39–41 |editor-last=Ojaide |editor-first=Tanure |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781000053036/chapters/10.4324/9780429354229-5 |access-date=2024-04-23 |edition=1 |publisher=Routledge |language=en |doi=10.4324/9780429354229-5 |isbn=978-0-429-35422-9 |editor2-last=Ashuntantang |editor2-first=Joyce}}</ref>

== Research ==
The first attempt at a grammatical description of Shilha is the work of the German linguist [[Hans Stumme]] (1864–1936), who in 1899 published his {{Lang|de|Handbuch des Schilḥischen von Tazerwalt}}. Stumme's grammar remained the richest source of grammatical information on Shilha for half a century. A problem with the work is its use of an over-elaborate, phonetic transcription which, while designed to be precise, generally fails to provide a transparent representation of spoken forms. Stumme also published a collection of Shilha fairy tales (1895, re-edited in Stroomer 2002).

The next author to grapple with Shilha is [[Saïd Cid Kaoui]] (Saʿīd al-Sidqāwī, 1859-1910), a native speaker of [[Kabyle language|Kabyle]] from Algeria. Having published a dictionary of [[Tamahaq language|Tuareg]] (1894), he then turned his attention to the Berber languages of Morocco. His {{Lang|fr|Dictionnaire français-tachelh’it et tamazir’t}} (1907) contains extensive vocabularies in both Shilha and Central Atlas Tamazight, in addition to some 20 pages of useful phrases. The work seems to have been put together in some haste and must be consulted with caution.

On the eve of the First World War there appeared a small, practical booklet composed by Captain (later Colonel) [[:fr:Léopold Justinard|Léopold Justinard]] (1878–1959), entitled {{Lang|fr|Manuel de berbère marocain (dialecte chleuh)}}. It contains a short grammatical sketch, a collection of stories, poems and songs, and some interesting dialogues, all with translations. The work was written while the author was overseeing military operations in the region of [[Fez, Morocco|Fès]], shortly after the imposition of the French protectorate (1912). Justinard also wrote several works on the history of the Souss.

[[:fr:Emile Laoust|Emile Laoust]] (1876–1952), prolific author of books and articles about Berber languages, in 1921 published his {{Lang|fr|Cours de berbère marocain}} (2nd enlarged edition 1936), a teaching grammar with graded lessons and thematic vocabularies, some good ethnographic texts (without translations) and a wordlist.

[[Edmond Destaing]] (1872–1940) greatly advanced knowledge of the Shilha lexicon with his {{Lang|fr|Etude sur la tachelḥît du Soûs. Vocabulaire français-berbère}} (1920) and his {{Lang|fr|Textes berbères en parler des Chleuhs du Sous (Maroc)}} (1940, with copious lexical notes). Destaing also planned a grammar which was to complete the trilogy, but this was never published.

Lieutenant-interpreter (later Commander) Robert Aspinion is the author of {{Lang|fr|Apprenons le berbère: initiation aux dialectes chleuhs}} (1953), an informative though somewhat disorganized teaching grammar. Aspinion's simple but accurate transcriptions did away with earlier phonetic and French-based systems.

The first attempted description in English is ''Outline of the Structure of Shilha'' (1958) by American linguist [[Joseph R. Applegate|Joseph Applegate]] (1925–2003). Based on work with native speakers from Ifni, the work is written in a dense, inaccessible style, without a single clearly presented paradigm. Transcriptions, apart from being unconventional, are unreliable throughout.

The only available accessible grammatical sketch written in a modern linguistic frame is "{{Lang|fr|Le Berbère|italic=no}}" (1988) by [[:fr:Lionel Galand|Lionel Galand]] (1920–2017), a French linguist and berberologist. The sketch is mainly based on the speech of the Ighchan ethnic group of the Anti-Atlas, with comparative notes on [[Kabyle language|Kabyle]] of Algeria and [[Air Tamajeq language|Tuareg]] of Niger.

More recent, book-length studies include Jouad (1995, on metrics), Dell & Elmedlaoui (2002 and 2008, on syllables and metrics), El Mountassir (2009, a teaching grammar), Roettger (2017, on stress and intonation) and the many text editions by Stroomer (see also {{section link| |Cited works and further reading}}).

== Phonology ==
{{See also|Berber_languages#Phonology}}

=== Stress and intonation ===
There is currently no evidence of word stress in Tashlhiyt.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roettger |first=Timo B. |title=Tonal placement in Tashlhiyt: How an intonation system accommodates to adverse phonological environments |publisher=Berlin: Language Science Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-3-944675-99-2 |pages=60 |chapter=Word stress in Tashlhiyt |doi=10.5281/zenodo.814472 |quote="At present, there is no convincing phonetic or phonological evidence for the presence of word stress in Tashlhiyt."}}</ref>

=== Vowels ===
Shilha has three phonemic vowels, with length not a distinctive feature.<ref>Galand (1988, 2.4).</ref> The vowels show a fairly wide range of allophones.<ref>Galand (1988, 2.13).</ref> The vowel /a/ is most often realized as [a] or [æ], and /u/ is pronounced without any noticeable rounding except when adjacent to {{Lang|shi-latn|w}}. The presence of a pharyngealized consonant invites a more centralized realization of the vowel, as in {{Lang|shi-latn|kraḍ}} {{IPA|[krɐdˤ]}} "three", {{Lang|shi-latn|kkuẓ}} {{IPA|[kkɤzˤ]}} "four", {{Lang|shi-latn|sḍis}} {{IPA|[sdˤɪs]}} "six" (compare {{Lang|shi-latn|yan}} {{IPA|[jæn]}} "one", {{Lang|shi-latn|sin}} {{IPA|[sin]}} "two", {{Lang|shi-latn|smmus}} {{IPA|[smmʊs]}} "five").

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! 
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Central vowel|Central]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA link|i}}
|
| {{IPA link|u}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
|
| {{IPA link|a}}
|
|}

Additional phonemic vowels occur sporadically in recent loanwords, for example {{IPA|/o/}} as in {{Lang|shi-latn|rristora}} "restaurant" (from French).

==== Transitional vowels and "schwa" ====
In addition to the three phonemic vowels, there are non-phonemic transitional vowels, often collectively referred to as "[[schwa]]". Typically, a transitional vowel is audible following the onset of a vowelless syllable CC or CCC, if either of the flanking consonants, or both, are voiced,<ref>Galand (1988, 2.1).</ref> for example {{Lang|shi-latn|tigmmi}} {{IPA|[tiɡĭmmi]}} "house", {{Lang|shi-latn|amḥḍar}} {{IPA|[amɐ̆ʜdˤɐr]}} "schoolboy". In the phonetic transcriptions of Stumme (1899) and Destaing (1920, 1940), many such transitional vowels are indicated.

Later authors such as Aspinion (1953), use the symbol {{angbr|e}} to mark the place where a transitional vowel may be heard, irrespective of its quality, and they also write {{angbr|e}} where in reality no vowel, however short, is heard, for example {{angbr|akessab}} {{IPA|/akssab/}} "owner of livestock", {{angbr|ar icetta}} {{IPA|/ar iʃtta/}} "he's eating". The symbol {{angbr|e}}, often referred to as "[[schwa]]", as used by Aspinion and others, thus becomes a purely graphical device employed to indicate that the preceding consonant is a syllable onset: {{Lang|shi-latn|[a.k(e)s.sab]|italic=no}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|[a.ri.c(e)t.ta]|italic=no}}.<ref>Cf. Dell and Elmedlaoui (2002:232), who observe the same practice in transcriptions of Moroccan Arabic. The practice is almost never applied entirely consistently. For example, the noun {{Lang|shi-latn|idrimn}} "money" is written as {{angbr|idrimen}}, with {{angbr|e}} indicating that {{Lang|shi-latn|m}} is the onset of the last syllable: {{Lang|shi-latn|[id.ri.m(e)n]|italic=no}}. But when a vowel follows, as in {{Lang|shi-latn|idrimn inu}} "my money", {{angbr|e}} should not be written, because the syllabic structure then becomes {{Lang|shi-latn|[id.rim.ni.nu]|italic=no}}. In such cases Aspinion and others routinely write {{angbr|idrimen inu}}, with superfluous {{angbr|e}}.</ref> As Galand has observed, the notation of "schwa" in fact results from "habits which are alien to Shilha".<ref>Galand (1988, 2.1), "le plus souvant les nombreuses notations de [ə] que l'on observe chez les berbèrisants résultent d'habitudes étrangères au chleuh".</ref> And, as conclusively shown by Ridouane (2008), transitional vowels or "intrusive vocoids" cannot even be accorded the status of [[Epenthesis|epenthetic]] vowels. It is therefore preferable not to write transitional vowels or "schwa", and to transcribe the vowels in a strictly phonemic manner, as in Galand (1988) and all recent text editions.{{efn|Text published in the modern orthography in Arabic script also do not represent transitional vowels or "schwa".}}

=== Consonants ===
[[File:Tamazightchelha.ogg|thumb|right|180px|Speech sample in Shilha (Chelha).]]
The chart below represents Tashlhiyt consonants in IPA, with orthographical representations added between angled brackets when different:<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ridouane |first=Rachid |date=2014 |title=Tashlhiyt Berber |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=208 |doi=10.1017/S0025100313000388 |jstor=26351981 |s2cid=232344118 |issn=0025-1003|doi-access=free }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" | [[Dental consonant|Dental]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br>alveolar]]
! colspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! colspan="2" | [[Uvular consonant|Uvular]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Pharyngeal consonant|Pharyn-<br>geal]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-style="font-size:85%"
! plain || [[Pharyngealization|phar.]]
! plain || [[Labialization|lab.]]
! plain || [[Labialization|lab.]]
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}}
| {{IPA link|n̪}}
|  || || || || || || ||
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Plosive]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
|
| {{IPA link|t̪}}
| {{IPA link|t̪ˤ}} {{angbr|ṭ}}
|
| {{IPA link|k}}
| {{IPA link|kʷ}} {{angbr|k°}}
| {{IPA link|q}}
| {{IPA link|qʷ}} {{angbr|q°}}
|
|
|-
![[Voice (phonetics)|<small>voiced</small>]]
| {{IPA link|b}}
| {{IPA link|d̪}}
| {{IPA link|d̪ˤ}} {{angbr|ḍ}}
|
| {{IPA link|g}}
| {{IPA link|gʷ}} {{angbr|g°}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Fricative]]
!<small>voiceless</small>
| {{IPA link|f}}
| {{IPA link|s̪}}
| {{IPA link|s̪ˤ}} {{angbr|ṣ}}
| {{IPA link|ʃ}} {{angbr|c}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|χ}} {{angbr|x}}
| {{IPA link|χʷ}} {{angbr|x°}}
| {{IPA link|ʜ}} {{angbr|ḥ}}
|
|-
![[Voice (phonetics)|<small>voiced</small>]]
|
| {{IPA link|z̪}}
| {{IPA link|z̪ˤ}} {{angbr|ẓ}}
| {{IPA link|ʒ}} {{angbr|j}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|ʁ}} {{angbr|ɣ}}
| {{IPA link|ʁʷ}} {{angbr|ɣ°}}
| {{IPA link|ʢ}} {{angbr|ɛ}}
| {{IPA link|ɦ}} {{angbr|h}}
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Approximant]]
|
| {{IPA link|l̪}}
| {{IPA link|l̪ˤ}} {{angbr|ḷ}}
| {{IPA link|j}} {{angbr|y}}
|
| {{IPA link|w}}
|  ||  ||  ||
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
| {{IPA link|r̪}}
| {{IPA link|r̪ˤ}} {{angbr|ṛ}}
| ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
|}

Additional phonemic consonants occur sporadically in recent loanwords, for example {{IPA|/bʷ/}} as in {{Lang|shi-latn|bb°a}} "(my) father" (from Moroccan Arabic), and {{IPA|/p/}} as in {{Lang|shi-latn|laplaj}} "beach" (from French).{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Like other Berber languages and Arabic, Tashlhiyt has both [[Pharyngealization|pharyngealized]] ("emphatic") and plain dental consonants.<ref name=":11">{{Cite book |last=Kossmann |first=Maarten |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/795895594 |title=The Afroasiatic languages |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |others=Zygmunt Frajzyngier, Erin Shay |isbn=978-1-139-42364-9 |location=Cambridge |pages=22–23 |chapter=Berber |oclc=795895594}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Roettger |first=Timo B. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1030816520 |title=Tonal placement in Tashlhiyt : How an intonation system accommodates to adverse phonological environments. |date=2017 |publisher=Language Science Press |isbn=978-3-944675-99-2 |location=Berlin |pages=37 |oclc=1030816520}}</ref> There is also a distinction between [[Labialization|labialized]] and plain [[dorsal consonant|dorsal]] [[obstruent]]s.<ref name=":0" /> Consonant [[gemination]] or length is contrastive.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ridouane |first=Rachid |date=2014 |title=Tashlhiyt Berber |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=211 |doi=10.1017/S0025100313000388 |jstor=26351981 |s2cid=232344118 |issn=0025-1003|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==== Semivowels ====
The semivowels {{IPA|/w/}} and {{IPA|/j/}} have vocalic allophones {{IPA|[u]}} and {{IPA|[i]}} between consonants (C_C) and between consonant and pause (C_# and #_C). Similarly, the high vowels {{IPA|/u/}} and {{IPA|/i/}} can have consonantal allophones {{IPA|[w]}} and {{IPA|[j]}} in order to avoid a hiatus. In most dialects,<ref>The speech of the Ighchan, and possibly other Shilha variants, often retains the original semivowels (Galand 1988, 2.9), and this can also be seen in premodern manuscript texts (van den Boogert 1997:249).</ref> the semivowels are thus in complementary distribution with the high vowels, with the semivowels occurring as onset or coda, and the high vowels as nucleus in a syllable. This surface distribution of the semivowels and the high vowels has tended to obscure their status as four distinct phonemes, with some linguists denying phonemic status to /w/ and /j/.<ref>Applegate (1958), Dell and Elmedlaoui (1985, 2002), Ridouane (2008).</ref>

Positing four distinct phonemes is necessitated by the fact that semivowels and high vowels can occur in sequence, in lexically determined order, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|tazdwit}} "bee", {{Lang|shi-latn|tahruyt}} "ewe" (not *{{Lang|shi-latn|tazduyt}}, *{{Lang|shi-latn|tahrwit}}). In addition, semivowels {{IPA|/w/}} and {{IPA|/j/}}, like other consonants, occur long, as in {{Lang|shi-latn|afawwu}} "wrap", {{Lang|shi-latn|tayyu}} "camel's hump".<ref>This issue is discussed in connection with other languages by Dixon (2010:284).</ref> The assumption of four phonemes also results in a more efficient description of morphology.<ref>Van den Boogert (1997:247–8), with examples.</ref>

In the examples below, {{Lang|shi-latn|w}} and {{Lang|shi-latn|y}} are transcribed phonemically in some citation forms, but always phonetically in context, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|ysti-}} "the daughters of", {{Lang|shi-latn|dars snat istis}} "he has two daughters".

==== Gemination and length ====
Any consonant in Tashlhiyt, in any position within a word, may be simple or geminate. There may be up to two geminates in a stem, and up to three in a word.<ref name=":1" />

The role of gemination varies:<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Elmedlaoui |first=Mohamed |title=Semitic and Afroasiatic: challenges and opportunities |date=2012 |publisher=Harrassowitz |isbn=978-3-447-06695-2 |editor-last=Edzard |editor-first=Lutz |series=Porta linguarum orientalium |location=Wiesbaden |pages=143 |chapter=Berber}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
! colspan="2" |Word with Simple Consonant
! colspan="2" |Word with Geminate Consonant
! rowspan="2" |Role of Gemination
|-
!Tashlhiyt
!Translation
!Tashlhiyt
!Translation
|-
|''tamda''
|pond
|''tamdda''
|brown buzzard
|lexical difference
|-
|''zdi''
|to stick ([[Perfect (grammar)|perfect]])
|''zddi''
|to stick ([[Imperfective aspect|imperfective]])
|morphology
|}
Gemination also may occur due to phonological assimilation. For example, the following phrase would be realized as [babllfirma]:<ref name=":1" />

{{Interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=2
|top= babllfirma
|bab n{{=}}l-firma
|owner of{{=}}farm
|the owner of the farm}}

Some consonants are realized differently during morphological gemination; {{Lang|shi-latn|ḍḍ}} as {{Lang|shi-latn|ṭṭ}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|ww}} as {{Lang|shi-latn|gg°}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|ɣɣ}} as {{Lang|shi-latn|qq}}, and {{Lang|shi-latn|ɣɣ°}} as {{Lang|shi-latn|qq°}}.<ref name=":1" />

=== Syllable structure ===
Shilha syllable structure has been the subject of a detailed and highly technical discussion by phoneticians. The issue was whether Shilha does or does not have vowelless syllables. According to John Coleman, syllables which are vowelless on the phonemic level have "schwa" serving as vocalic nucleus on the phonetic level. According to Rachid Ridouane on the other hand, Shilha's apparently vowelless syllables are truly vowelless, with all phonemes, vowels as well as consonants, capable of serving as nucleus. The discussion is summed up in Ridouane (2008, with listing of relevant publications), where he conclusively demonstrates that a perfectly ordinary Shilha phrase such as {{Lang|shi-latn|tkkst stt}} "you took it away" indeed consists of three vowelless syllables [tk.ks.tst:.], each made up of voiceless consonants only, and with voiceless consonants (not "schwa") serving as nucleus. Many definitions of the syllable that have been put forward do not cover the syllables of Shilha.<ref>For example, "Syllable: A phonological unit consisting of a vowel or other unit that can be produced in isolation, either alone or accompanied by one or more less sonorous units" (P.H. Matthews, ''Oxford concise dictionary of linguistics'', Second Edition, Oxford: OUP, 2007). See also [[Syllable]], which contains references to other languages with vowelless syllables.</ref>

==== Syllable types ====
The syllable structure of Shilha was first investigated by Dell and Elmedlaoui in a seminal article (1985). They describe how syllable boundaries can be established through what they call "core syllabification". This works by associating a nucleus with an onset, to form a core syllable CV or CC. Segments that are higher on the sonority scale have precedence over those lower on the scale in forming the nucleus in a core syllable, with vowels and semivowels highest on the scale, followed by liquids and nasals, voiced fricatives, voiceless fricatives, voiced stops and voiceless stops. When no more segments are available as onsets, the remaining single consonants are assigned as coda to the preceding core syllable, but if a remaining consonant is identical to the consonant that is the onset of the following syllable, it merges with it to become a long consonant. A morpheme boundary does not necessarily constitute a syllable boundary.

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|ddan s yaw wurti kcmn iss ad ccin tazart d waḍil
|they.went to one EA-orchard they.enter into-it to- they.eat EL-figs with EA-grapes
|"they went to an orchard and entered it to eat figs and grapes"}}

{| class="wikitable"
!
| {{mono|ddan s yaw wurti kcmn iss ad ccin tazart d waḍil}}
|-
! Core syllabification
| {{mono|d{{color|#09c|da}}{{color|#9c3|n s}} {{color|#09c|ya}}w {{color|#9c3|wu}}r{{color|#09c|ti}} k{{color|#9c3|cm}}{{color|#09c|n i}}s{{color|#9c3|s a}}{{color|#09c|d c}}{{color|#9c3|ci}}n {{color|#09c|ta}}{{color|#9c3|za}}r{{color|#09c|t d}} {{color|#9c3|wa}}{{color|#09c|ḍi}}l}}
|-
! Coda assignment:
| {{mono|{{color|#09c|d:a}}{{color|#9c3|n s}} {{color|#09c|ya}} {{color|#9c3|w:ur}}{{color|#09c|ti k}}{{color|#9c3|cm}}{{color|#09c|n i}}{{color|#9c3|s: a}}{{color|#09c|d c}}{{color|#9c3|cin}} {{color|#09c|ta}}{{color|#9c3|zar}}{{color|#09c|t d}} {{color|#9c3|wa}}{{color|#09c|ḍil}} }}
|}

Comparative diagram of the following:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|- style="font-size:85%"
!
! colspan="28" |Example of Phonological Processes in Shilha
|-
!Gloss of text
| colspan="3" | they.went
| to
| colspan="2" |one
| colspan="3" | EA-orchard
| colspan="3" |they.enter
| colspan="3" |into-it
| colspan="2" |to-
| colspan="3" |they.eat
| colspan="4" |EL-figs
|with
| colspan="3" |EA-grapes
|-
!Shilha text
| colspan="3" | ddan
|  s|| colspan="2" | yaw|| colspan="3" |  wurti|| colspan="3" | kcmn|| colspan="3" |iss
| colspan="2" |ad
| colspan="3" |ccin
| colspan="4" |tazart
|d
| colspan="3" |waḍil
|-
!Core Syll
|d
| (da)
| colspan="2" |(ns)
|(ya)
|w
| (wu)
| r
| (ti)
| k
|(cm)
| colspan="2" |(ni)
|s
| colspan="2" |(sa)
| colspan="2" |(dc)
|(ci)
|n
|(ta)
|(za)
|r
| colspan="2" |(td)
|(wa)
|(ḍi)
|l
|-
!Coda Assgn.
| colspan="2" | (d:a)
| colspan="2" |(ns)
| (ya)
| colspan="3" |(w:ur)
| colspan="2" | (tik)
| (cm)
| colspan="2" |(ni)
| colspan="3" |(s:a)
| colspan="2" |(dc)
| colspan="2" |(cin)
|(ta)
| colspan="2" |(zar)
| colspan="2" |(td)
|(wa)
| colspan="2" |(ḍil)
|-
!English trans
| colspan="28" |"they went to an orchard and entered it to eat figs and grapes"
|}Application of core syllabification produces the following Shilha syllable types:

{| class="wikitable" border='1'
|-
|width="80"|C V
|width="80"|C: V
|width="80"|
|width="80"|
|-
|C V C
|C: V C
|C V C:
|C: V C:
|-
|C C
|C: C
|C C:
|C: C:
|-
|C C C
|C: C C
|C C C:
|C: C C:
|}

Shilha syllable structure can be represented succinctly by the formula {{Not a typo|CX(C)}}, in which C is any consonant (single/long), and X is any vowel or consonant (single) and with the restriction that in a syllable CXC the X, if it is a consonant, cannot be higher on the resonance scale than the syllable-final consonant, that is, syllables such as [tsk.] and [wrz.] are possible, but not *[tks.] and *[wzr.].

Exceptional syllables of the types X (vowel or single/long consonant) and {{Not a typo|V(C)}} (vowel plus single/long consonant) occur in utterance-initial position:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|rgl t}} [r.glt.] "close it!" (syllable C)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ffɣat}} [f:.ɣat.] "go out!" (syllable C:)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|awi t id}} [a.wi.tid.] "bring it here!" (syllable V)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|acki d}} [ac.kid.] "come here!" (syllable VC)
Another exceptional syllable type, described by Dell and Elmedlaoui (1985), occurs in utterance-final position, when a syllable of the type CC or CC: is "annexed" to a preceding syllable of the type CV or C:V, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|fssamt}} "be silent!" is [fs.samt.] not *[fs.sa.mt.].

Since any syllable type may precede or follow any other type, and since any consonant can occur in syllable-initial or final position, there are no phonotactical restrictions on consonant sequences. This also means that the concept of the consonant cluster is not applicable in Shilha phonology, as any number of consonants may occur in sequence:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|frḥɣ s lmɛrft nnk
|I.am.glad by.means.of the.acquaintance of.you
|"I'm glad to make your acquaintance"}}

:[fr.ḥɣs.lm.ɛrf.tn.nk.] (6 syllables, 14 consonants, no vowels)

==== Metrics ====
The metrics of traditional Shilha poems, as composed and recited by itinerant bards ({{Lang|shi-latn|inḍḍamn}}), was first described and analyzed by Hassan Jouad (thesis 1983, book 1995; see also Dell and Elmedlaoui 2008). The traditional metrical system confirms the existence of vowelless syllables in Shilha, and Jouad's data have been used by Dell and Elmedlaoui, and by Ridouane to support their conclusions.

The metrical system imposes the following restrictions:
*each line in a poem contains the same number of syllables as all the other lines
*each syllable in a line contains the same number of segments as its counterpart in other lines
*each line contains one particular syllable that must begin or end with a voiced consonant
*each line is divided into feet, with the last syllable in each foot stressed ("lifted") in recitation
Within these restrictions, the poet is free to devise his own metrical form. This can be recorded in a meaningless formula called {{Lang|shi-latn|talalayt}} which shows the number and the length of the syllables, as well as the place of the obligatory voiced consonant (Jouad lists hundreds of such formulae).

The system is illustrated here with a quatrain ascribed to the semi-legendary Shilha poet [[Hemmou Talb|Sidi Ḥammu]] (fl. 18th century) and published by Amarir (1987:64):
{{Poem quote|text={{Lang|shi-latn|a titbirin a tumlilin a timgraḍ
ab bahra wr takkamt i lxla hann lbaz
igan bu tassrwalt ig lxatm ɣ uḍaḍ
ak k°nt yut ukan iɣli d ignwan izug}}}}
{{Poem quote|text="O white doves, O pets!
Do not venture into the desert too often, for there is the falcon,
Wearing small trousers; he'll put a ring on [your] finger,
To strike you but once — then he ascends into the sky and is gone!"}}

Application of Dell and Elmedlaoui's core syllabification reveals a regular mosaic of syllables:

{| class="wikitable"
!width="80"|
!width="40"|1
!width="70"|2
!
!width="60"|3
!width="60"|4
!width="60"|5
!width="70"|6
!
!width="60"|7
!width="60"|8
!width="60"|9
!width="60"|10
!
!width="60"|11
!width="70"|12
|-
!Line 1
|a
|t í t
|
|b i
|r i
|n a
|t ú m
|
|l i
|l i
|n a
|t í
|
|m g
|r á ḍ
|-
!Line 2
|a
|b: á h
|
|r a
|w r
|t a
|k: á m
|
|t i
|l x
|l a
|h á
|
|n: l
|b á z
|-
!Line 3
|i
|g á n
|
|b u
|t a
|s: r
|w á l
|
|t i
|g l
|x a
|t ḿ
|
|ɣ u
|ḍ á ḍ
|-
!Line 4
|a
|k°: ń t
|
|y u
|t u
|k a
|n í ɣ
|
|l i
|d i
|g n
|w á
|
|n i
|z ú g
|}

The poem is composed in a metre listed by Jouad (1995:283) and exemplified by the formula {{Lang|shi-latn|a láy}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|la li la láy}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|la li la lá}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|li lád}} (the {{Lang|shi-latn|d}} in the last syllable indicates the position of the compulsory voiced consonant).

== Grammar ==
{{See also|Berber_languages#Grammar}}

=== Nouns ===
On the basis of their morphology, three types of Shilha nouns can be distinguished, two indigenous types and one type of external origin:
*inflected nouns
*uninflected nouns
*unincorporated loans
The relevant morpho-syntactic categories are gender, number and state.<ref>Galand (1988, 4.9–12).</ref>

==== Inflected nouns ====
Inflected nouns are by far the most numerous type. These nouns can be easily recognised from their outward shape: they begin with a nominal prefix which has the form {{Not a typo|(t)V-}}:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|azal}} "daytime"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|igigil}} "orphan"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|uṣkay}} "hound"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tadgg°at}} "evening"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tibinṣrt}} "marsh mallow (plant)"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tuḍfit}} "ant"
Inflected nouns distinguish two genders, masculine and feminine; two numbers, singular and plural; and two states, conventionally referred to by their French names as {{Lang|fr|état libre}} ("free state") and {{Lang|fr|état d'annexion}} ("annexed state")<ref>Both Galand (1988. 4.11) and Kossmann (2012:67n7) rightly point out that the annexed state in Berber is not to be confused with the construct state of the Semitic languages.</ref> and glossed as '''EL''' and '''EA'''. Gender and number are all explicitly marked, but historical and synchronic sound changes have in some cases resulted in the neutralization of the difference between EL and EA.

The nominal prefix has no semantic content, i.e. it is not a sort of (in)definite article, although it is probably demonstrative in origin. It is made up of one or both of two elements, a gender prefix and a vocalic prefix. Singular feminine nouns may also have a gender suffix. For example, the noun {{Lang|shi-latn|tazdwit}} "bee" has the feminine prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|t-}}, the vocalic prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|a-}} and the feminine singular suffix {{Lang|shi-latn|-t}} added to the nominal stem {{Lang|shi-latn|zdwi}}. While feminine inflected nouns always have the feminine prefix, masculine nouns do not have a gender prefix in the free state (EL); for example {{Lang|shi-latn|abaɣuɣ}} "fox" has no gender prefix, but only a vocalic prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|a-}} added to the nominal stem {{Lang|shi-latn|baɣuɣ}}.

Gender is thus marked unambiguously, albeit asymmetrically. In just a handful of nouns, the morphological gender does not conform to the grammatical gender (and number): {{Lang|shi-latn|ulli}} "sheep and goats" is morphologically masculine singular, but takes feminine plural agreement; {{Lang|shi-latn|alln}} "eyes" is morphologically masculine plural, but takes feminine plural agreement; {{Lang|shi-latn|tarwa}} "(someone's) children, offspring" is morphologically feminine singular, but takes masculine plural agreement.

The annexed state (EA) is regularly formed by reducing the vocalic prefix to zero and, with masculine nouns, adding the masculine gender prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|w-}}:<ref name="Galand 1988, 4.11">Galand (1988, 4.11).</ref> 
:EL {{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-zdwi-t}} "bee" → EA {{Lang|shi-latn|t-zdwi-t}}
:EL {{Lang|shi-latn|a-baɣuɣ}} "fox" → EA {{Lang|shi-latn|w-baɣuɣ}}
With some nouns, the original vocalic prefix has fused with a stem-initial vowel, to produce an inseparable (and irreducible) vowel:
:EL {{Lang|shi-latn|ayyur}} "moon, month" → EA {{Lang|shi-latn|w-ayyur}} (not *{{Lang|shi-latn|w-yyur}})
:EL {{Lang|shi-latn|t-afuk-t}} "sun" → EA {{Lang|shi-latn|t-afuk-t}} (not *{{Lang|shi-latn|t-fuk-t}})
With feminine nouns that have an inseparable vocalic prefix, the difference between EL and EA is thus neutralized.

While most inflected nouns have a vocalic prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|a-}}, some have {{Lang|shi-latn|i-}} (in some cases inseparable), and a few have {{Lang|shi-latn|u-}} (always inseparable). When a masculine noun has the vocalic prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|i-}} (separable or inseparable), the masculine gender prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|w-}} changes to {{Lang|shi-latn|y-}}. The table below presents an overview (all examples are singular; plurals also distinguish EL and EA):

{| class="wikitable"
| rowspan="2" | 
! colspan="2" | Masculine
| rowspan="2" | 
! colspan="2" | Feminine
|-
!width="100"| EL
!width="100"| EA
!width="100"| EL
!width="100"| EA
|-
|"fox"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|a-baɣuɣ}}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|w-baɣuɣ}}
|"bee"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-zdwi-t}}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-zdwi-t}}
|-
|"moon"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|ayyur}}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|w-ayyur}}
|"sun"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-afuk-t }}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-afuk-t }}
|-
|"cave"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|i-fri}}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|y-fri}}
|"meat"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-fiyi}}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-fiyi}}
|-
|"ash"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|iɣd}}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|y-iɣd}}
|"salt"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-isn-t}}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-isn-t}}
|-
|"[[Barbary sheep|moufflon]]"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|udad}}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|w-udad}}
|"light"
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-ufaw-t}}
|{{Lang|shi-latn|t-ufaw-t}}
|}

The EA is not predictable from the shape of the noun, compare:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|afus}} "hand" → EA {{Lang|shi-latn|wfus}}
:{{Lang|shi-latn|afud}} "knee" → EA {{Lang|shi-latn|wafud}}
The phonological rules on the realization of /w/ and /j/ apply to the EA as well. For example, the EA of {{Lang|shi-latn|a-mɣar}} "chief" is /w-mɣar/, realized as {{Lang|shi-latn|wmɣar}} after a vowel, {{Lang|shi-latn|umɣar}} after a consonant:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|idda wmɣar s dar lqqaḍi}} "the chief went to see the judge"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|imun umɣar d lqqaḍi}} "the chief accompanied the judge"
Inflected nouns show a great variety of plural formations, applying one or more of the following processes:
*suffixation (masculine {{Lang|shi-latn|-n}}, feminine {{Lang|shi-latn|-in}})
*vowel change (insertion or elision, or [[apophony|ablaut]])
*consonant gemination or degemination
*stem extension (+{{Lang|shi-latn|aw}}, +{{Lang|shi-latn|iw}}, +{{Lang|shi-latn|t}}, +{{Lang|shi-latn|w}}, always in combination with a suffix)
There are also irregular and suppletive plurals. The feminine singular suffix {{Lang|shi-latn|-t}} is naturally lost in the plural.

Independent from these processes, the separable vocalic prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|a-}} is always replaced with {{Lang|shi-latn|i-}}. An inseparable vocalic prefix either remains unchanged, or changes as part of vowel change (but if the vocalic prefix is inseparable in the singular, it may be separable in the plural, as with {{Lang|shi-latn|aduz}} "dune", and vice versa, as with {{Lang|shi-latn|aydi}} "dog"; see table below).

Below is a sample of nouns, illustrating various plural formations.

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
!width="140"| ||width="140"| Singular|| width="140" | Plural|| width="400" | Process(es)
|-
| "mountain"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|a-drar}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-drar-n}}|| suffixation
|-
| "dune"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|aduz}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-dazz-n}}|| vowel change, gemination, suffixation
|-
| "head"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|a-gayyu}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-guyya}}|| vowel change
|-
| "ear"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|a-mẓẓuɣ}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-mzga-n}}|| (irregular plural)
|-
| "waterhole"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|anu}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|una}}|| vowel change
|-
| "document"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|arra}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|arra+t-n}}|| stem extension, suffixation
|-
| "day"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|ass}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|ussa-n}}|| vowel change, suffixation
|-
| "dog"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|a-ydi}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|iḍa-n}}|| (irregular plural)
|-
| "forehead"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-gnzi}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-gnzi+t-n}}|| stem extension, suffixation
|-
| "forearm"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-ɣil}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-ɣall-n}}|| vowel change, gemination, suffixation
|-
| "scorpion"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|iɣirdm}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|iɣardm+iw-n}}|| vowel change, stem extension, suffixation
|-
| "witness"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-nigi}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-naga-n}}|| vowel change, suffixation
|-
| "slave"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-smg}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|i-smga-n}}|| vowel change, suffixation
|-
| "face"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|udm}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|udm+aw-n}}|| stem extension, suffixation
|-
| "song"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|urar}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|urar-n}}|| suffixation
|-
| "jackal"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|uccn}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|uccan-n}}|| vowel change, suffixation
|-
| "egg"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-glay-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-glay}}|| (irregular plural)
|-
| "thing"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-ɣawsa}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-ɣaws+iw-in}}|| stem extension, suffixation
|-
| "mouse"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-ɣrday-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-ɣrday-in}}|| suffixation
|-
| "churn"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-gccul-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-g°cl-in}}|| vowel change, suffixation, degemination
|-
| "fireplace"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-aka-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-aka+t-in}}|| stem extension, suffixation
|-
| "woman" || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-mɣar-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-u-mɣar-in}}{{efn|In a few feminine nouns, the plural vocalic prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|i}} has become {{Lang|shi-latn|u}} under the influence of a following {{Lang|shi-latn|m}}, as in {{Lang|shi-latn|t-u-mɣar-in}} "women" and {{Lang|shi-latn|t-u-mẓ-in}} "barley" (cf. Central Atlas Tamazight {{Lang|tzm-latn|t-i-mɣar-in, t-i-mẓ-in}}).}} || suffixation
|-
| "porcupine"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-aruc-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-urac}}|| vowel change
|-
| "key"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-saru-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-sura}}|| vowel change
|-
| "house"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-gmmi}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-g°mma}}|| vowel change
|-
| "ewe"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-ili}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-att-n}}|| (suppletive plural)
|-
| "meal"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-irm-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-iram}}|| vowel change
|-
| "eye"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-iṭṭ}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|all-n}}|| (suppletive plural)
|-
| "mountain pass"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-izi}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-izza}}|| vowel change, gemination
|-
| "lioness"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-izm-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-izm+aw-in}}|| suffixation, stem extension
|-
| "light"|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-ifaw-t}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-ifaw-in}}|| suffixation
|}

The plural is generally not predictable from the shape of the singular, compare:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|aduku}} "shoe", plural {{Lang|shi-latn|idukan}} (vowel change and suffix)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|aruku}} "utensil", plural {{Lang|shi-latn|irukutn}} (stem extension and suffix)
Many nouns have more than one plural, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|a-jnwiy}} "knife", plural {{Lang|shi-latn|i-jnway}} (vowel change) or {{Lang|shi-latn|i-jnwiy-n}} (suffixation).

Many Shilha place-names are morphologically inflected nouns:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|A-nammr}} "Anammeur"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|I-ɣ°rays-n}} " Irhoreïsene"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|T-a-rudan-t}} "Taroudant"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|T-i-zgzaw-in}} "Tizegzaouine"
The same is the case with Shilha ethnic names:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|Amml-n}} "the Ammeln" (singular {{Lang|shi-latn|Imml}})
:{{Lang|shi-latn|Actuk-n}} "the Achtouken" (singular {{Lang|shi-latn|Actuk}})
:{{Lang|shi-latn|I-lall-n}} "the Ilallen" (singular {{Lang|shi-latn|I-lillu}})
:{{Lang|shi-latn|I-sk°ta-n}} "the Isouktan" (singular {{Lang|shi-latn|A-sktu}})
Among the inflected nouns are found many incorporated loans. Examples include:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-kira}} "wax" (from Latin)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|a-ɣanim}} "reeds" (from Punic)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|urti}} "vegetable plot, orchard" (from early Romance)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|a-muslm}} "Muslim" (from Arabic)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-bra-t}} "letter, missive" (from Arabic)

==== Uninflected nouns ====
This is the least common type, which also includes some loans. Examples:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|dikkuk}} "cuckoo"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|fad}} "thirst"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|gmz}} "thumb"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|kḍran}} "tar" (from Arabic)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|lagar}} "station" (from French)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|mllɣ}} "index finger"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|sksu}} "couscous"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|wiẓugn}} "cricket"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|xizzu}} "carrots"

It is probable that all uninflected nouns were originally masculine. The few that now take feminine agreement contain elements that have been reanalyzed as marking feminine gender, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|ttjdmnni}} "kind of spider" (initial {{Lang|shi-latn|t}} seen as feminine prefix), {{Lang|shi-latn|hlima}} "bat" (not an Arabic loanword, but final {{Lang|shi-latn|a}} analyzed as the Arabic feminine ending).

Many uninflected nouns are collectives or non-count nouns which do not have a separate plural form. Those that have a plural make it by preposing the pluralizer {{Lang|shi-latn|id}}, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|id lagar}} "stations".

The uninflected noun {{Lang|shi-latn|mddn}} or {{Lang|shi-latn|middn}} "people, humans" is morphologically masculine singular but takes masculine plural agreement.

Names of people and foreign place-names can be seen as a subtype of uninflected nouns, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|Musa}} (man's name), {{Lang|shi-latn|Muna}} (woman's name), {{Lang|shi-latn|Fas}} "Fès", {{Lang|shi-latn|Brdqqiz}} "Portugal". Gender is not transparently marked on these names, but those referring to humans take gender agreement according to the natural sex of the referent (male/masculine, female/feminine).

==== Unincorporated loans ====
These are nouns of Arabic origin (including loans from French and Spanish through Arabic) which have largely retained their Arabic morphology. They distinguish two genders (not always unambiguously marked) and two numbers (explicitly marked). A notable feature of these nouns is that they are borrowed with the Arabic definite article, which is semantically neutralized in Shilha:
:Moroccan Arabic {{Transliteration|ary|l-kabus}} "the pistol" → Shilha {{Lang|shi-latn|lkabus}} "the pistol, a pistol"
:Moroccan Arabic {{Transliteration|ary|t-tabut}} "the coffin" → Shilha {{Lang|shi-latn|ttabut}} "the coffin, a coffin"
The Arabic feminine ending {{Transliteration|ary|-a}} is often replaced with the Shilha feminine singular suffix {{Lang|shi-latn|-t}}:
:Moroccan Arabic {{Transliteration|ary|l-faky-a}} → Shilha {{Lang|shi-latn|lfaki-t}} "fruit"
:Moroccan Arabic {{Transliteration|ary|ṛ-ṛuḍ-a}} → Shilha {{Lang|shi-latn|ṛṛuṭ-ṭ}} "tomb of a saint"
Arabic loans usually retain their gender in Shilha. The exception are Arabic masculine nouns which end in {{Transliteration|ary|t}}; these change their gender to feminine in Shilha, with the final {{Lang|shi-latn|t}} reanalyzed as the Shilha feminine singular suffix {{Lang|shi-latn|-t}}:
:Moroccan Arabic {{Transliteration|ary|l-ḥadit}} "the prophetic tradition" (masculine) → Shilha {{Lang|shi-latn|lḥadi-t}} (feminine)
:Moroccan Arabic {{Transliteration|ary|l-mut}} "death" (masculine) → Shilha {{Lang|shi-latn|lmu-t}} (feminine)
Arabic plurals are usually borrowed with the singulars. If the borrowed plural is not explicitly marked for gender (according to Arabic morphology) it has the same gender as the singular:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|lbhim-t}} "domestic animal" (feminine), plural {{Lang|shi-latn|lbhaym}} (feminine)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|lbzim}} "buckle" (masculine), plural {{Lang|shi-latn|lbzaym}} (masculine)
Loanwords whose singular is masculine may have a plural which is feminine, and marked as such (according to Arabic morphology), for example {{Lang|shi-latn|lɛlam}} "flag" (masculine), plural {{Lang|shi-latn|lɛlum-at}} (feminine).

==== Use of the annexed state ====
The annexed state (EA) of an inflected noun is used in a number of clearly defined syntactical contexts:<ref name="Galand 1988, 4.11"/>
*when the noun occurs as subject in postverbal position:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|tfulki tmazirt nnun|it.is.beautiful EA-country of.you|"your country is beautiful"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|tamazirt nnun tfulki|EL-country of.you it.is.beautiful|"[as for] your country, it is beautiful"}}
{{Col-end}}

*after most prepositions (see also {{section link | |Prepositions}}):

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|tiskrt d uẓalim|EL-garlic with EA-onions|"garlic and onions" (EL {{Lang|shi-latn|aẓalim}})}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|tangult n uɣrum|EL-loaf of EA-bread|"a loaf of bread" (EL {{Lang|shi-latn|aɣrum}})}}
{{Col-end}}

*after numerals 1 to 10 and after the indefinite numeral (see also {{section link | |Numerals}}):

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|kraṭṭ tmkilin|three EA-dishes|(EL {{Lang|shi-latn|timkilin}})}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|mnnaw wussan|many EA-days|(EL {{Lang|shi-latn|ussan}})}}
{{Col-end}}

*after some elements which require a following noun phrase (see also {{section link| |Possessed nouns}}):
: {{Lang|shi-latn|ayt Ugadir}} "the people of Agadir"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|bu tɣanimt}} "he with EA-reed: flute player" (EL {{Lang|shi-latn|taɣanimt}})
*after {{Lang|shi-latn|wan}} "like, such as" (premodern, obsolete in the modern language)

{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi
|wan uɣu smmiḍn
|like EA-milk which.is.cold
|"like cold milk, such as cold milk"}}

Outside these contexts, the EL is used. Uninflected nouns and unincorporated loans, which do not distinguish state, remain unchanged in these contexts.

==== Semantics of feminine nouns ====
The formation of feminine nouns from masculine nouns is a productive process. A feminine noun is formed by adding both the feminine nominal prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|t-}} (and, if necessary, a vocalic prefix), and the feminine singular suffix {{Lang|shi-latn|-t}} to a masculine noun. The semantic value of the feminine derivation is variable.

For many nouns referring to male and female humans or animals (mainly larger mammals), matching masculine and feminine forms exist with the same nominal stem, reflecting the sex of the referent:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|adgal}} "widower" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tadgalt}} "widow"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|amuslm}} "Muslim" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tamuslmt}} "Muslima"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ikni}} "twin boy" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tiknit}} "twin girl"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|afullus}} "cock, rooster" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tafullust}} "hen"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|izm}} "lion" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tizmt}} "lioness"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|udad}} "moufflon" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tudatt}} "female moufflon"
In a few cases there are suppletive forms:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|argaz}} "man, husband" ― {{Lang|shi-latn|tamɣart}} "woman, wife"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ankkur}} "buck" ― {{Lang|shi-latn|taɣaṭṭ}} "goat"
Feminine nouns derived from masculine nouns with inanimate reference have diminutive meaning:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|aẓru}} "stone" → {{Lang|shi-latn|taẓrut}} "small stone"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ifri}} "cave" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tifrit}} "hole, lair"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|lbit}} "room" → {{Lang|shi-latn|talbitt}} "small room"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ṣṣnduq}} "box" → {{Lang|shi-latn|taṣṣnduqt}} "little box"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|urti}} "garden" → {{Lang|shi-latn|turtit}} "small garden"
Conversely, a masculine noun derived from a feminine noun has augmentative meaning:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tamda}} "lake" → {{Lang|shi-latn|amda}} "large lake"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tigmmi}} "house" → {{Lang|shi-latn|igmmi}} "large house"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tiznirt}} "fan palm" → {{Lang|shi-latn|iznir}} "large fan palm"
Feminine nouns derived from masculine collective nouns have singulative meaning:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|asngar}} "maize" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tasngart}} "a cob"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|iﬁfl}} "peppers" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tiﬁflt}} "a pepper"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|bitljan}} "aubergines" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tabitljant}} "an aubergine"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|luqid}} "matches" → {{Lang|shi-latn|taluqitt}} "a match"
Feminine derivations are also used as names of languages, professions and activities:
: {{Lang|shi-latn|ahulandiy}} "Dutchman" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tahulandiyt}} "the Dutch language"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|fransis}} "the French" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tafransist}} "the French language"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|amzil}} "blacksmith" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tamzilt}} "blacksmith's profession"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|inmmtri}} "beggar" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tinmmtrit}} "begging"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|lmumsik}} "miser" → {{Lang|shi-latn|talmumsikt}} "avarice"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|g°ma}} "(my) brother" → {{Lang|shi-latn|tag°mat}} "brotherhood"
There is an overlap here with feminine nouns denoting females:
: {{Lang|shi-latn|tafransist}} "Frenchwoman" and "the French language"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|tinmmtrit}} "beggarwoman" and "begging"

==== Nominal deictic clitics ====
There are three deictic clitics which can follow a noun: proximal {{Lang|shi-latn|a-d}} "this, these", distal {{Lang|shi-latn|a-nn}} "that, those" (compare {{section link| |Verbal deictic clitics}}) and anaphoric {{Lang|shi-latn|lli}} "the aforementioned":
: {{Lang|shi-latn|tammnt '''ad''' ur tɣ°li}} "[as for] '''this''' honey, it is not expensive"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|yaɣ usmmiḍ taɣaṭṭ '''ann''' bahra}} "the cold has badly afflicted '''that''' goat"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|ifk ṭṭir '''lli''' i tazzanin ar srs ttlɛabn}} "then he gave '''the''' bird to some children to play with"

===Personal pronouns===
There are three basic sets of personal pronouns:
*independent
*direct object clitics
*suffixes
In addition, there are two derived sets which contain the suffixed pronouns (except in 1st singular):
*indirect object clitics
*possessive complements
Gender is consistently marked on 2nd singular, and on 2nd and 3rd plural. Gender is not consistently marked on 3rd singular and 1st plural. Gender is never marked on 1st singular.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="3" |
! Independent
! Direct object clitics
! Suffixes
! Indirect object clitics
! Possessive complements
|-
! rowspan="3" | 1
! colspan="2" | sg.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|nkki(n)}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|yyi}}||V-{{Lang|shi-latn|Ø}} / C-{{Lang|shi-latn|i}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|yyi}}||V {{Lang|shi-latn|nw}} / C {{Lang|shi-latn|inw}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | pl.
! m.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|nkk°ni(n)}}||rowspan="2"|{{Lang|shi-latn|a(n)ɣ}}|| rowspan="2"|{{Lang|shi-latn|-nɣ}}|| rowspan="2"|{{Lang|shi-latn|a-(n)ɣ}}|| rowspan="2"|{{Lang|shi-latn|nnɣ}}
|-
! f.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|nkk°nti(n)}}
|-
! rowspan="4" | 2
! rowspan="2" | sg.
! m.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|kyyi(n)}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|k}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|-k}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|a-k}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|nn-k}}
|-
! f.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|kmmi(n)}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|km}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|-m}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|a-m}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|nn-m}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | pl.
! m.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|k°nni(n)}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|k°n}}||V-{{Lang|shi-latn|wn}} / C-{{Lang|shi-latn|un}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|a-wn}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|nn-un}}
|-
! f.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|k°nnimti(n)}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|k°nt}}||V-{{Lang|shi-latn|wnt}} / C-{{Lang|shi-latn|unt}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|a-wnt}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|nn-unt}}
|-
! rowspan="4" | 3
! rowspan="2" | sg.
! m.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ntta(n)}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t}}|| rowspan="2"|{{Lang|shi-latn|-s}}|| rowspan="2"|{{Lang|shi-latn|a-s}}|| rowspan="2"|{{Lang|shi-latn|nn-s}}
|-
! f.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|nttat}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|tt}} / {{Lang|shi-latn|stt}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | pl.
! m.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|nttni(n)}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|tn}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|-sn}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|a-sn}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|nn-sn}}
|-
! f.
| {{Lang|shi-latn|nttnti(n)}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|tnt}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|-snt}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|a-snt}}||{{Lang|shi-latn|nn-snt}}
|-
|colspan="8" align="center"| ∅ = zero morpheme
|}

The independent ("overt") pronouns are used to topicalize the subject or the object.

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3
|'''nkk°ni''' wr a nlssa turẓyin n wagg°ri
|wie not we.wear EL-sandals of EA-alfa
|"as for us, we don't wear sandals [made] of alfa"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3
|tumɣarin '''nttntin''' a ybnnun andaru n ifullusn
|EL-women they it.is.that who.is.building EL-coop of EA-chickens
|"the women, they're the ones who (usually) build a chicken coop"}}

They are also used with certain pseudo-prepositions such as {{Lang|shi-latn|zund}} "like", {{Lang|shi-latn|abla}} "except":

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3
|ɛlah, '''nkki''', giɣ aɣyul zund '''kyyi'''?
|why I I.am EL-ass like you
|"why, [as for] me, am I an ass like you?"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3
|ur iqqadda ay yak°r abla '''k°nni'''
|not it.is.likely that he.steals except you.mpl
|"no one could have stolen [it] except you lot"}}

The direct object clitics are used with transitive verbs:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3
|yuzn '''tn''' s tmzgida
|he-sent them to EA-Koranic.school
|"he sent them to the Koranic school"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3
|iɣ '''yyi''' yut ar ttrwalɣ
|when me he.beats I.am.running.away
|"when he beats me I run away"}}

The 3rd singular feminine variant {{Lang|shi-latn|stt}} is used after a dental stop, compare:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|awi '''tt''' id}} "bring her here!" (imperative singular)
:{{Lang|shi-latn|awyat '''stt''' id}} "bring her here!" (imperative plural masculine)
The direct object clitics are also used to indicate the ''subject'' with pseudo-verbs,<ref>Cf. Kossmann (2012:86–7).</ref> and with the [[Presentative (grammar)|presentative]] particle {{Lang|shi-latn|ha}} "here is, {{Lang|fr|voici}}":
:{{Lang|shi-latn|waḥdu yyi}} (alone me) "I alone"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|kullu tn}} (all them) "they all, all of them"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|laḥ t}} (absent him) "he's not there, he's disappeared"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|manza tt}} (where her) "where is she?"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ha yyi}} (here.is me) "here I am"
The pronominal suffixes are used with prepositions to indicate the object (see {{section link| |Prepositions}}), and with a closed set of necessarily possessed kinship terms to indicate possession (see {{section link| |Possessed nouns}}). The plural forms add an infix {{Lang|shi-latn|-t-}} before the suffix with kinship terms, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|baba-t-nɣ}} "our father" (never *{{Lang|shi-latn|baba-nɣ}}); this infix also occurs with some prepositions as a free or dialectal variant of the form without the {{Lang|shi-latn|-t-}}:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|flla-sn}} or {{Lang|shi-latn|flla-t-sn}} "on them"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|dar-sn}} "with them" (never *{{Lang|shi-latn|dar-t-sn}})

The indirect object clitics convey both benefactive and detrimental meaning:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3
|alliɣ immut babas ifl '''as''' d ayda nns
|when he.died father-her he.left to.her hither EL-possessions of.him
|"when her father died he left her his possessions"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3
|tamurɣi tcca y '''as''' tibḥirt nns
|EL-locust she.ate to.her EL-vegetable.patch of.her
|"the locusts, they've eaten her vegetable patch"}}

The possessive complements follow the noun (see {{section link| |Possession}}).

=== Prepositions ===
Prepositions can have up to three different forms, depending on the context in which they are used:
*before a noun or demonstrative pronoun
*with a pronominal suffix
*independent in relative clause
The form before nouns and demonstrative pronouns and the independent form are identical for most prepositions, the exception being the dative preposition {{Lang|shi-latn|i}} (independent {{Lang|shi-latn|mi}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|mu}}).

{|class="wikitable" border="1"
!width="120"|Before noun or demonstrative pronoun
!width="120"|Independent
!width="120"|With pronominal suffix
!width="120"|Translation equivalents
|-
|ar || —    || —    || [[Terminative case|terminative]]: "until, as far as"
|-
|d  || d    || id-, did-    || [[Comitative case|comitative]]: "with, in the company of; and"
|-
|dar    || dar  || dar- || "at the place of, {{Lang|fr|chez}}"
|-
|ddu    || …    || ddaw-, ddawa-    || "beneath, under"
|-
|f  || f    || flla-    || "on; because of"
|-
|gr || …    || gra- || "between"
|-
|(i)ngr || …    || (i)ngra- || "among"
|-
|ɣ  || ɣ    || gi(g)-   || [[Locative case|locative]]: "in, at"
|-
|i  || mi, mu   || (indirect object clitics)    || [[Dative case|dative]]: "for, to"
|-
|n  || —    || (possessive complements) || [[Possessive case|possessive]]: "of"
|-
|nnig   || …    || nniga-   || "above"
|-
|s  || s    || is-  || [[Instrumental case|instrumental]]: "with, by means of"
|-
|s  || s    || sr-  || [[Allative case|allative]]: "to, toward"
|-
|zɣ || zɣ   || zgi(g)-  || [[Ablative case|ablative]]: "from"
|-
|colspan="4" | — inexistent<br />… unattested, probably inexistent
|}

Most prepositions require a following inflected noun to be in the annexed state (EA) (see {{section link| |Use of the annexed state}}). Exceptions are {{Lang|shi-latn|ar}} "until", {{Lang|shi-latn|s}} "toward" (in some modern dialects, and in premodern texts) and prepositions borrowed from Arabic (not in the table) such as {{Lang|shi-latn|bɛd}} "after" and {{Lang|shi-latn|qbl}} "before".

The instrumental and allative prepositions {{Lang|shi-latn|s}} "by means of" (with EA) and {{Lang|shi-latn|s}} "toward" (with EL) were still consistently kept apart in premodern manuscript texts. In most modern dialects they have been amalgamated, with both now requiring the EA, and with the pre-pronominal forms each occurring with both meanings: {{Lang|shi-latn|sr-s}} "toward it" (now also "with it"), {{Lang|shi-latn|is-s}} "with it" (now also "toward it").

The use of the different forms is illustrated here with the preposition {{Lang|shi-latn|ɣ}} "in":

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|iḍr unẓar izwarn '''ɣ''' ukccum n ktubr |c1=(with noun)
|it.fell EA-rain in EA-beginning of October
|"the first rain fell '''in''' the beginning of October"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|ggawrn '''gisnt''' ar ssan lqhwa |c1=(with pronominal suffix)
|the sit in.them the're.drinking coffee
|"they sit '''in them''' [i.e., cafés] drinking coffee"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|urti '''ɣ''' llan lacjar lli stɣllanin ar ittyiswa |c1=(independent)
|EL-orchard in.which they.exist trees that they.are.bearing.fruit it.is.irrigated
|"an orchard '''in which''' there are fruit-bearing trees is usually irrigated"}}

Two prepositions can be combined:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|illa yglgiz lli yttzdaɣn {'''ɣ ddu'''} tsbnit
|it.exists EA-beetle that it.is.living in under EA-dung
|"there is a [kind of] beetle that lives beneath the dung"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|ar ttddan {'''s dar'''} uḥjjam ɣ Tfrawt
|they.are.going to at.the.place.of EA-barber in EA-Tafraout
|"they always go to a barber in Tafraout"}}

Spatial relations are also expressed with phrases of the type "on top of":
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ɣ iggi n umdduz}} "on top of the dung heap"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ɣ tama n uɣaras}} "beside the road"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ɣ tuẓẓumt n wasif}} "in the midst of the river"
The preposition {{Lang|shi-latn|gi(g)-}} "in" with pronominal suffixes, with all its free and dialectal variants,<ref>Gathered from published texts.</ref> is presented below. The other prepositions display a much smaller variety of forms.

{|class="wikitable" border="1"
!width="90"| ||width="90"| {{Lang|shi-latn|gig-}} ||width="90"| {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-}} ||width="90"| with {{Lang|shi-latn|-t-}} ||width="180"| irregular
|-
| 1 sg. || {{Lang|shi-latn|gig-i}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-Ø}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-t-i}} ||
|-
| 2 sg.m. || {{Lang|shi-latn|gik-k}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-k}} || 
|-
| 2 sg.f. || {{Lang|shi-latn|gig-m}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-m}} || ||
|-
| 3 sg. || || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-s}} || || {{Lang|shi-latn|giz, gid, git}}
|-
| 1 pl. || {{Lang|shi-latn|gig-nɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-(n)ɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-t-nɣ}} ||
|-
| 2 pl.m. || {{Lang|shi-latn|gig-un}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-wn}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-t-un}} ||
|-
| 2 pl.f. || {{Lang|shi-latn|gig-unt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-wnt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-t-unt}} ||
|-
| 3 pl.m. || || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-sn}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-t-sn}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gizn, gidsn}}
|-
| 3 pl.f. || || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-snt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi-t-snt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|giznt, gidsnt}}
|}

=== Numerals ===
The inherited cardinal numeral system consists of ten numerals (still in active use) and three numeral nouns (now obsolete) for "a tensome", "a hundred" and "a thousand". There is also an indefinite numeral meaning "several, many" or "how many?" which morphologically and syntactically patterns with the numerals 1 to 10. For numbers of 20 and over, Arabic numerals are commonly used.

==== Numerals 1 to 10, indefinite numeral ====
These are listed below.<ref name="Galand 1988, 4.11"/> The formation of feminine "one" and "two" is irregular.

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
!width="120"| ||width="120"| Masculine ||width="120"| Feminine
|-
| "one" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ya-n}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|ya-t}}
|-
| "two" || {{Lang|shi-latn|sin}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|sna-t}}
|-
| "three" || {{Lang|shi-latn|kraḍ}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|kraṭ-ṭ}}
|-
| "four" || {{Lang|shi-latn|kkuẓ}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|kkuẓ-t}}
|-
| "five" || {{Lang|shi-latn|smmus}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|smmus-t}}
|-
| "six" || {{Lang|shi-latn|sḍis}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|sḍis-t}}
|-
| "seven" || {{Lang|shi-latn|sa}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|sa-t}}
|-
| "eight" || {{Lang|shi-latn|tam}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|tam-t}}
|-
| "nine" || {{Lang|shi-latn|tẓa}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|tẓa-t}}
|-
| "ten" || {{Lang|shi-latn|mraw}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mraw-t}}
|-
| indefinite|| {{Lang|shi-latn|mnnaw}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mnnaw-t}}
|}

The numerals 1 to 10 are constructed with nouns (inflected nouns in the EA), the gender of the numeral agreeing with that of the noun:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|yan wag°mar|"one EA-horse"|}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|yat tfunast|"one EA-cow"|}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|sin wag°marn|"two EA-horses"|}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|snat tfunasin|"two EA-cows"|}}
{{Col-end}}

{{efn|Examples presented here of numerals with horses and cows are extrapolated from attested constructions.}}
The same obtains with the indefinite numeral:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|mnnaw wag°marn}} "several/many EA-horses, how many horses?"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|mnnawt tfunasin}} "several/many EA-cows, how many cows?"
Numerals {{Lang|shi-latn|yan}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|yat}} "one" also serve as indefinite article, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|yan urumiy}} "one Westerner, a Westerner", and they are used independently with the meaning "anyone" ({{Lang|shi-latn|yan}}), "anything" ({{Lang|shi-latn|yat}}):
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ur iẓri ḥtta yan}} "he didn't see anyone"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ur ksuḍɣ yat}} "I'm not afraid of anything"
The final {{Lang|shi-latn|n}} of masculine {{Lang|shi-latn|yan}} "one" and {{Lang|shi-latn|sin}} "two" is often assimilated or fused to a following {{Lang|shi-latn|w}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|y}} or {{Lang|shi-latn|l}}:
: {{Lang|shi-latn|yan w-ass}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|yaw wass}} "one EA-day"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|yan w-sgg°as}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|ya wsgg°as}} "one EA-year"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|yan lmakan}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|yal lmakan}} "a place"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|sin y-sgg°as-n}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|si ysgg°asn}} "two EA-years"
: {{Lang|shi-latn|sin y-ir-n}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|siy yirn}} "two EA-months"

==== Teens ====
The teens are made by connecting the numerals 1 to 9 to the numeral 10 with the preposition {{Lang|shi-latn|d}} "with". In the premodern language, both numerals took the gender of the counted noun, with the following noun in the plural (EA):

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|sin d mraw wag°marn|two with ten EA-horses|"twelve horses"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|snat d mrawt tfunasin|two with ten EA-cows|"twelve cows"}}
{{Col-end}}

In the modern language, fused forms have developed in which the first numeral is always masculine,<ref>Examples in Destaing (1920) sub {{Lang|fr|onze, douz}}, etc.</ref> while the following noun is in the singular, and connected with the preposition {{Lang|shi-latn|n}} "of":<ref>Galand (1988, 4.15).</ref>

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|sindmraw n wag°mar|twelve of EA-horse|"twelve horses"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|sindmrawt n tfunast|twelve of EA-cow|"twelve cows"}}
{{Col-end}}

==== Tens, hundreds, thousands ====
There are three inherited nouns to denote "a tensome", "a hundred" and "a thousand". These now seem to be obsolete, but they are well attested in the premodern manuscripts.<ref>See van den Boogert (1997:286–7).</ref> Morphologically, they are ordinary inflected nouns.

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
!width="120"|
!width="240" colspan="2"| Singular
!width="240" colspan="2"| Plural
|-
! ||EL || EA ||EL ||EA
|-
| "a tensome"   || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-a-mraw-t}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-mraw-t}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-mraw-in}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-mraw-in}}
|-
| "a hundred"   || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-miḍi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-miḍi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-i-maḍ}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-maḍ}}
|-
| "a thousand"  || {{Lang|shi-latn|ifḍ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|y-ifḍ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|afḍa-n}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|w-afḍa-n}}
|}

The tens, hundreds and thousand were formed by combining the numerals 1 to 10 with the numeral nouns:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-3}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|snat tmrawin|two EA-tensomes|"twenty"}}
{{Col-3}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|snat tmaḍ|two EA-hundreds|"two hundred"}}
{{Col-3}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|sin wafḍan|two EA-thousands|"two thousand"}}
{{Col-end}}

The numeral nouns are connected with the preposition {{Lang|shi-latn|n}} "of" to a noun, which is most often in the singular:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|timiḍi n wag°mar|EL-hundred of EA-horse|"a hundred horses"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|snat tmaḍ n wag°mar|two EA-hundreds of EA-horse|"two hundred horses"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|ifḍ n tfunast|EL-thousand of EA-cow|"a thousand cows"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|sin wafḍan n tfunast|two EA-thousands of EA-cow|"two thousand cows"}}
{{Col-end}}

In the modern language the Arabic tens are used, which have developed a separate feminine form:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|ɛcrin n wag°mar|twenty of EA-horse|"twenty horses"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|ɛcrint n tfunast|twenty of EA-cow|"twenty cows"}}
{{Col-end}}
The numerals between the tens are most frequently made with the Arabic numerals 1 to 10:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|xmsa w ɛcrin n wag°mar|five and twenty of EA-horse|"twenty-five horses"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|xmsa w ɛcrint n tfunast|five and twenty of EA-cow|"twenty-five cows"}}
{{Col-end}}

The Arabic hundreds and thousands are used in the modern language, taking the places of the original numeral nouns while the original syntax is maintained:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|miya n wag°mar|hundred of EA-horse|"a hundred horses"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|snat id miya n wag°mar|two PL hundred of EA-horse|"two hundred horses"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|alf n tfunast|thousand of EA-cow|"a thousand cows"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|sin walfiwn n tfunast|two EA-thousands of EA-cow|"two thousand cows"}}
{{Col-end}}

There is also a vigesimal system built on the Arabic numeral {{Lang|shi-latn|ɛcrin}} "twenty, score",<ref>Aspinion (1953:254).</ref> for example:

{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|sin id ɛcrint n tfunast|two PL score of EA-cow|"forty cows"}}

==== Ordinal numerals ====
''First'' and ''last'' are usually expressed with relative forms of the verbs {{Lang|shi-latn|izwur}} "to be first" and {{Lang|shi-latn|ggru}} "to be last":

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|tawriqqt izwarn|page which.is.first|"the first page"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|ussan gg°ranin|days which.are.last|"the last days"}}
{{Col-end}}

There are also agent nouns derived from these verbs which are apposed to a noun or used independently:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|aḍrf amzwaru|furrow the.first.one|"the first furrow"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|tucka d tamggarut|she.arrived hither the.last.one|"she arrived last"}}
{{Col-end}}

The other ordinals are formed by prefixing masc. {{Lang|shi-latn|wis-}}, fem. {{Lang|shi-latn|tis-}} to a cardinal numeral,<ref>Galand (1988, 4.18).</ref> which is then constructed with a plural noun in the usual manner:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|wis-kraḍ wussan|ORD-three EA-days|"the third day"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|tis-kraṭṭ twal|ORD-three EA-times|"the third time"}}
{{Col-end}}

The ordinal prefixes is also used with Arabic numerals and with the indefinite numeral:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|wis-xmsa w-ɛcrin n dulqqiɛda}} "the 25th [day] of [the month] Dhū al-Qaʿda"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|wis-mnnawt twal}} "the how-manieth time?"

Because four of the numerals 1 to 10 begin with {{Lang|shi-latn|s}}, the geminated {{Lang|shi-latn|ss}} that results from the prefixation of {{Lang|shi-latn|wis-}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|tis-}} (as in {{Lang|shi-latn|wissin}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|wissmmus}}, etc.) is often generalized to the other numerals: {{Lang|shi-latn|wissin}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|wisskraḍ}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|wisskkuẓ}}, etc.

=== Verbs ===
A Shilha verb form is basically a combination of a person-number-gender (PNG) affix and a mood-aspect-negation (MAN) stem.

==== Sample verb ====
The workings of this system are illustrated here with the full conjugation of the verb {{Lang|shi-latn|fk}} "to give". The perfective negative goes with the negation {{Lang|shi-latn|wr}} "not". The imperfective goes with the preverbal particle {{Lang|shi-latn|ar}} (except usually the imperative, and the relative forms).

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
!
! [[Aorist]]
! [[Perfective aspect|Perfective]]
! Perfective<br>negative
! [[Imperfective aspect|Imperfective]]
|-
| || || || ||
|-
| MAN stem→ || {{Lang|shi-latn|fk(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fki/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fki}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|akka}}
|-
| || || || ||
|-
| 1 sg. || {{Lang|shi-latn|fk-ɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fki-ɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur fki-ɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar akka-ɣ}}
|-
| 2 sg. || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-fk-t}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-fki-t}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur t-fki-t}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar t-akka-t}}
|-
| 3 sg.m. || {{Lang|shi-latn|i-fk}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|i-fka}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur i-fki}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar y-akka}}
|-
| 3 sg.f. || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-fk}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-fka}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur t-fki}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar t-akka}}
|-
| 1 pl. || {{Lang|shi-latn|n-fk}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|n-fka}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur n-fki}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar n-akka}}
|-
| 2 pl.m. || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-fki-m}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-fka-m}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur t-fki-m}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar t-akka-m}}
|-
| 2 pl.f. || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-fki-mt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|t-fka-mt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur t-fki-mt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar t-akka-mt}}
|-
| 3 pl.m. || {{Lang|shi-latn|fki-n}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fka-n}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur fki-n}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar akka-n}}
|-
| 3 pl.f. || {{Lang|shi-latn|fki-nt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fka-nt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur fki-nt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar akka-nt}}
|-
| || || || ||
|-
| Imperative || || || ||
|-
| 2 sg. || {{Lang|shi-latn|fk}} || || || {{Lang|shi-latn|akka}}
|-
| 2 pl.m. || {{Lang|shi-latn|fk-at}} || || || {{Lang|shi-latn|akka-y-at}}
|-
| 2 pl.f. || {{Lang|shi-latn|fk-amt}} || || || {{Lang|shi-latn|akka-y-amt}}
|-
| || || || ||
|-
| Relative || || || ||
|-
| sg. || || {{Lang|shi-latn|i-fka-n}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur i-fki-n}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|y-akka-n}}
|-
| pl. || || {{Lang|shi-latn|fka-n-in}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur fki-n-in}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|akka-n-in}}
|}

The verb {{Lang|shi-latn|fk}} "give" has the full complement of four different MAN stems:
*Aorist {{Lang|shi-latn|fk(i)}} ― {{Lang|shi-latn|fk}} in 1st, 2nd and 3rd singular, 1st plural, and the imperatives, but {{Lang|shi-latn|fki}} in 2nd and 3rd plural
*Perfective {{Lang|shi-latn|fki/a}} ― {{Lang|shi-latn|fki}} in 1st and 2nd singular, but {{Lang|shi-latn|fka}} with the other forms
*Perfective negative {{Lang|shi-latn|fki}} ― all forms
*Imperfective {{Lang|shi-latn|akka}} (an irregular formation) ― all forms

==== Person-number-gender affixes ====
There are two basic sets of PNG affixes, one set marking the subject of ordinary verb forms, and another set marking the subject of imperatives.

Two suffixes (singular {{Lang|shi-latn|-n}}, plural {{Lang|shi-latn|-in}}) are added to the 3rd singular and masculine 3rd plural masculine verb forms respectively to make relative forms (also known as "participles"), as in {{Lang|shi-latn|i-fka-n}} "who gives", {{Lang|shi-latn|fka-n-in}} "who give".{{efn|Each relative form is now used for both genders. An obsolete feminine singular relative form {{Lang|shi-latn|t-…-t}} is found in some manuscript texts, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|tikki t-ɛḍm-t}} (gift which.is.glorious) "a glorious gift" (modern {{Lang|shi-latn|tikki y-ɛḍm-n}}).}}

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|width="130"|1 sg ||width="40"| ||align="center"|… ||width="40"| {{Lang|shi-latn|-ɣ}}
|-
|2 sg. ||align="right"| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-}} ||align="center"|… || {{Lang|shi-latn|-t}}
|-
| 3 sg.m. || align="right"| {{Lang|shi-latn|y-}} ||align="center"|… ||
|-
|3 sg.f. || align="right"| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-}} ||align="center"|… ||
|-
|1 pl. || align="right"| {{Lang|shi-latn|n-}} ||align="center"|… ||
|-
|2 pl.m. || align="right"| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-}} ||align="center"|… || {{Lang|shi-latn|-m}}
|-
|2 pl.f. || align="right"| {{Lang|shi-latn|t-}} ||align="center"|… || {{Lang|shi-latn|-mt}}
|-
|3 pl.m. || ||align="center"|… || {{Lang|shi-latn|-n}}
|-
|3 pl.f. || ||align="center"|… || {{Lang|shi-latn|-nt}}
|-
| || || ||
|-
| Imperative || || ||
|-
|2 sg. || ||align="center"|…||{{Lang|shi-latn|-Ø}}
|-
|2 pl.m. || ||align="center"|… ||{{Lang|shi-latn|-at}}
|-
| 2 pl.f. || ||align="center"|… ||{{Lang|shi-latn|-amt}}
|-
| || || ||
|-
| Relative || || ||
|-
| 3 sg. || align="right"|{{Lang|shi-latn|y-}} ||align="center"|… ||{{Lang|shi-latn|-n}}
|-
| 3 pl. || ||align="center"|… ||{{Lang|shi-latn|-n-in}}
|}

==== Mood-aspect-negation stems ====
A few verbs have just one MAN stem. The majority of verbs have two, three or four different MAN stems.<ref>A fifth MAN stem, the Imperfective negative, is sporadically found in manuscript texts (see Van den Boogert 1997:270).</ref> The Aorist stem serves as the [[Lemma (morphology)|citation form]] of a verb. The list below offers an overview of MAN stem paradigms. Around 15 paradigms of non-derived verbs can be recognized, based on the formation of the Perfective and the Perfective negative. Further subdivisions could be made on the basis of the formations of the Imperfective. All sections in the list contain a selection of verbs, except sections 12, 14, and 15, which contain a full listing.

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
!
!
! Aorist
! Perfective
! Perfective<br/>negative
! Imperfective

|-
| 1 || "laugh" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ḍssa}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ḍssa}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ḍssa}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ḍssa}}
|-
| || "bark" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ttaɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ttaɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ttaɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ttaɣ}}
|-
| 2 || "accompany" || {{Lang|shi-latn|mun}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mun}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mun}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-mun}}
|-
| || "sit" || {{Lang|shi-latn|skkiws}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|skkiws}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|skkiws}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|skkiwis, tt-skiwis}}
|-
| || "be crazy" || {{Lang|shi-latn|nufl}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|nufl}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|nufl}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-nuful}}
|-
| 3 || "enter" || {{Lang|shi-latn|kcm}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|kcm}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|kcim}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|kccm}}
|-
| || "graze" || {{Lang|shi-latn|frd}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|frd}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|frid}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ffrd}}
|-
| || "mention" || {{Lang|shi-latn|bdr}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|bdr}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|bdir}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|addr, tt-bdar}}
|-
| || "ascend, climb" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ɣly}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ɣly}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ɣliy}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|aqqlay}}
|-
| || "open, be open" || {{Lang|shi-latn|rẓm}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|rẓm}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|rẓim}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-nurẓum}}
|-
| 4 || "fall" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ḍr}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ḍr}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ḍir}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ṭṭar}}
|-
| || "hit" || {{Lang|shi-latn|wt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|wt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|wit}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|kkat}}
|-
| 5 || "break, be broken" || {{Lang|shi-latn|rẓ(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|rẓi/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|rẓi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|rẓẓa}}
|-
| || "eat" || {{Lang|shi-latn|cc(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|cci/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|cci}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ctta}}
|-
| || "give" || {{Lang|shi-latn|fk(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fki/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fki}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|akka}}
|-
| || "show, explain" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ml(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mli/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mli}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mmal}}
|-
| || "drink" || {{Lang|shi-latn|sw(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|swi/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|swi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ssa}}
|-
| || "call" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ɣr(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ɣri/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ɣri}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|aqqra}}
|-
| || "be; put" || {{Lang|shi-latn|g(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-gga}}
|-
| 6 || "sew" || {{Lang|shi-latn|gnu}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gni/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gni}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|gnna, gnnu, tt-gnu}}
|-
| || "go" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ftu}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fti/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fti}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|fttu, tt-ftu}}
|-
| || "go" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ddu}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ddi/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ddi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-dda, tt-ddu, tt-udu}}
|-
| || "divide" || {{Lang|shi-latn|bḍu}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|bḍi/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|bḍi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|aṭṭa}}
|-
| 7 || "be better" || {{Lang|shi-latn|af}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|uf}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|uf}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-afa}}
|-
| || "fly" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ayll}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|uyll}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|uyll}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-aylal}}
|-
| || "give back" || {{Lang|shi-latn|rar}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|rur}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|rur}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-rara}}
|-
| || "inherit" || {{Lang|shi-latn|kkas}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|kkus}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|kkus}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-kasa}}
|-
| 8 || "take" || {{Lang|shi-latn|amẓ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|umẓ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|umiẓ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-amẓ}}
|-
| || "steal" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ak°r}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ukr}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ukir}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-ak°r}}
|-
| || "help" || {{Lang|shi-latn|aws}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|iws}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|iwis}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-aws}}
|-
| || "run" || {{Lang|shi-latn|azzl}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|uzzl}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|uzzil}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-azzal}}
|-
| 9 || "find" || {{Lang|shi-latn|af(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ufi/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ufi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-afa}}
|-
| || "come" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ack(i)}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ucki/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ucki}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-acka}}
|-
| 10 || "flay" || {{Lang|shi-latn|azu}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|uzi/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|uzi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-azu}}
|-
| || "contain" || {{Lang|shi-latn|amu}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|umi/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|umi}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-amu}}
|-
| 11 || "hold, possess" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ṭṭf, ṭṭaf}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ṭṭf, ṭṭaf}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ṭṭif}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-ṭṭf, tt-ṭṭaf}}
|-
| || "take away" || {{Lang|shi-latn|kks, kkis}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|kks, kkis}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|kkis}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-kks, tt-kkis}}
|-
| || "go out" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ffɣ, ffuɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ffɣ, ffuɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ffiɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-ffɣ, tt-ffuɣ}}
|-
| 12 || "die" || {{Lang|shi-latn|mmt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mmut}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mmut}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-mttat}}
|-
| 13 || "be afraid" || {{Lang|shi-latn|iksuḍ, ksuḍ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ksaḍ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ksaḍ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-iksuḍ, tt-ksuḍ}}
|-
| || "be first, precede" || {{Lang|shi-latn|izwur, zwur}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|zwar}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|zwar}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-izwur, zgg°ur}}
|-
| 14 || "possess" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ili}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|li/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|li}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-ili}}
|-
| || "want" || {{Lang|shi-latn|iri}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ri/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ri}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-iri}}
|-
| 15 || "exist" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ili}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|lli/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|lli}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-ili}}
|-
| || "say" || {{Lang|shi-latn|ini}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|nni/a}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|nni}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-ini}}
|}

==== Uses of MAN stems ====
The table below is adapted from Kossmann (2012:40, table 2.12 Uses of MAN stems in Figuig Berber).

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! MAN stem
! Main context in which MAN stem is used
! Examples
! Translation
|-
| Aorist || imperative<br />consecutive || {{Lang|shi-latn|amẓ}}<br />{{Lang|shi-latn|y-amẓ}} || "take!"<br />"(and then) he took"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ad}} + Aorist || non-realized || {{Lang|shi-latn|ay y-amẓ}} || "that he take"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|rad}} + Aorist || future || {{Lang|shi-latn|ray y-amẓ}} || "he will take"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ur}} + Aorist || negated consecutive || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur y-amẓ}} || "(and then) he didn't take"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ad}} + {{Lang|shi-latn|ur}} + Aorist || negated imperative || {{Lang|shi-latn|ad ur t-amẓ-t}} || "don't take!"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ur}} + {{Lang|shi|rad}} + Aorist || negated future || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur ray y-amẓ}} || "he will not take"
|-
| Perfective || past action<br />state (including resultant state) || y-umẓ<br />i-rɣa || "he took"<br />"it was hot, it is hot"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ur}} + Perfective Negative || negated past action<br />negated state || {{Lang|shi-latn|ur y-umiẓ}}<br />{{Lang|shi-latn|ur i-rɣi}} || "he did not take"<br />"it was not hot, it is not hot"
|-
| Imperfective || habitual/iterative imperative || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-amẓ}} || "always take!"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ad}} + Imperfective || habitual/iterative imperative || {{Lang|shi-latn|at tt-amẓ-t}}{{efn|Imperfective 2sg. {{Lang|shi-latn|t-tt-amẓ-t}} is usually realized as {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-amẓ-t}}.}} || "you must always take"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ad}} + {{Lang|shi-latn|ur}} + Imperfective || negated habitual/iterative imperative || {{Lang|shi-latn|ad ur tt-amẓ-t}} || "you should never take"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ar}} + Imperfective || simultaneous action (progressive)<br />habitual, iterative, durative || {{Lang|shi-latn|ar i-tt-amẓ}} || "he is taking, he always takes"
|-
| {{Lang|shi-latn|ur}} + {{Lang|shi-latn|ar}} + Imperfective || negated simultaneous action<br />negated habitual, iterative, durative || ur a y-tt-amẓ, ur aɣ i-tt-amẓ{{efn|The imperfective preverbal particle {{Lang|shi-latn|ar}} changes to {{Lang|shi-latn|a}} or {{Lang|shi-latn|aɣ}} (depending on the dialect) after the negation.}} || "he is not taking, he never takes"
|}

==== Stative verbs ====
Shilha has around twenty [[stative verb]]s which are still recognizable as a separate type of verb on the basis of their MAN stem paradigms. In earlier stages of the language, these verbs had their own separate set of PNG markers, which are sporadically found in premodern manuscripts:<ref>See van den Boogert (1997:271–272). There are many other stative verbs  which do not belong to this separate type, such as {{Lang|shi-latn|rɣ}} "to be hot", {{Lang|shi-latn|uggug}} "to be distant", and all stative verbs borrowed from Arabic such as {{Lang|shi-latn|ḥlu}} "to be sweet".</ref>
:{{Lang|shi-latn|iḍ ɣzzif}} "the night, it is long" (cf. modern {{Lang|shi-latn|iḍ i-ɣzzif}})
:{{Lang|shi-latn|rẓag-t isafarn}} "medicines are bitter" (cf. modern {{Lang|shi-latn|rẓag-n isafarn}})
In the modern language, these verbs take the regular PNG markers. Only the original singular relative form without prefix {{Lang|shi-latn|y-}} may still be encountered, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|adrar mqqur-n}} or {{Lang|shi-latn|adrar i-mqqur-n}} (mountain which.is.big) "big mountain". Stative verbs do not have a separate Perfective negative form. The table shows a selection of stative verbs.

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
!
! Aorist
! Perfective
! Imperfective
|-
| "be few" || {{Lang|shi-latn|idrus}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|drus}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-idrus}}
|-
| "be many" || {{Lang|shi-latn|igut}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|ggut}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-igut}}
|-
| "be small, young" || {{Lang|shi-latn|imẓiy}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mẓẓiy}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-imẓiy}}
|-
| "be big, old" || {{Lang|shi-latn|imɣur}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|mqqur}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-imɣur}}
|-
| "be yellow" || {{Lang|shi-latn|iwriɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|wraɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-iwriɣ}}
|-
| "be red" || {{Lang|shi-latn|izwiɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|zgg°aɣ}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|tt-izwiɣ}}
|}

====Verbal deictic clitics====
There are two deictic clitics which are used with verbs to indicate movement toward or away from the point of reference: centripetal {{Lang|shi-latn|d}} "hither" and centrifugal {{Lang|shi-latn|nn}} "thither":

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|ur issin man ass '''d''' wrrin
|not he.knew which EL-day hither they-return
|"he knew not on which day they would return (toward him)"}}

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|nɣiɣ awn babatun luḥɣ '''nn''' ixf nns ɣ wanu
|I.killed father-your I.threw tither EL-head of.him in EA-waterhole
|"I killed your father and threw his head (away from me) into a waterhole"}}

The use of these clitics is compulsory (idiomatic) with certain verbs. For example, the verb {{Lang|shi-latn|ack}} "come" almost always goes with the centripetal particle, and {{Lang|shi-latn|af}} "find" with the centrifugal clitic:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|yucka '''d''' darsn yan urqqas zɣ Ɛli Umḥawc
|he.came hither one EA-messenger from Ali Oumhaouch
|"a messenger came to their place from Ali Oumhaouch"}}

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|igg°z s wanu yaf '''nn''' ixf n izimmr
|he.descended to EA-waterhole he.finds tither EL-head of EA-ram
|"he descended into the waterhole and found the head of a ram"}}

When the verbal deictic clitics occur after an object pronoun, they change to {{Lang|shi-latn|id}} and {{Lang|shi-latn|inn}}:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|iga tn '''id''' ɣ yan uqqrab
|he.put them hither in one EA-pouch
|"he put them in a pouch"}}

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|ar tn '''inn''' nttgga ɣ txibit
|them tither we.are.putting in EA-jar
|"we usually put them in a jar"}}

=== Possession ===
==== Within a noun phrase ====
A possessive construction within a noun phrase is most frequently expressed as Possessee {{Lang|shi-latn|n}} Possessor. The preposition {{Lang|shi-latn|n}} "of" requires a following inflected noun to be in the annexed state. This kind of possessive construction covers a wide range of relationships, including both alienable and inalienable possession, and most of them not involving actual ownership:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|anu n Dawd}} "Daoud's waterhole"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|imi n tsraft}} "the entrance of the grain silo"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tarwa n Brahim}} "Brahim's children"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ig°dar n idqqi}} "pots of clay"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|imikk n tisnt}} "a little salt"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|atig n usngar}} "the price of maize"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tiɣ°rdin n imkli}} "after lunch"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|lmdint n Ssnbul}} "the city of Istanbul"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|aɣllay n tafukt}} "the rising of the sun"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|aɣaras n ssk°ila}} "the road to school"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ddin n Wudayn}} "the religion of the Jews"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|lqqiṣt n Yusf}} "the story of Joseph"
Many such possessive constructions are compounds, whose meaning cannot be deduced from the ordinary meaning of the nouns:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|aɣaras n walim}} "road of straw: the Milky Way"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|imi n wuccn}} "mouth of jackal: a length measure"{{efn|The distance between the outstretched tips of thumb and little finger.}}
:{{Lang|shi-latn|talat n tilkin}} "ravine of lice: nape, back of the neck"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tassmi n ifrgan}} "needle of hedges: kind of bird"
The possessor can itself be a possessee in a following possessive construction:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|lmudda n tgldit n Mulay Lḥasan}} "the era of the reign of Moulay Lahcen"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|luqt n warraw n wulli}} "the time of the giving birth of the sheep and goats"
As a rule, the preposition {{Lang|shi-latn|n}} assimilates to, or fuses with, a following {{Lang|shi-latn|w}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|y}}, {{Lang|shi-latn|l}} or {{Lang|shi-latn|m}}:{{efn|For the sake of transparency, the preposition "of" is consistently transcribed as {{Lang|shi-latn|n}} in the examples in this article. Unassimilated realizations occur in deliberate speech.}}
:{{Lang|shi-latn|awal n w-aɛrab-n}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|awal w waɛrabn}} "the language of the Arabs"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|a-ḍbib n y-isa-n}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|aḍbib y yisan}} "horse-doctor"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|luq-t n w-nẓar}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|luqt unẓar}} "the season of rain"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|a-gllid n y-muslm-n}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|agllid imuslmn}} "the king of the Muslims"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|addag n litcin}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|addag l litcin}} "orange tree"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|a-sngar n miṣr}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|asngar m Miṣr}} "maize of Egypt"
The possessor can also be expressed with a pronominal possessive complement. This consists of a pronominal suffix added to the preposition, which then takes the shape {{Lang|shi-latn|nn-}} (see {{section link| |Pronouns}}). The form of the 1st singular possessive complement is anomalous: {{Lang|shi-latn|nw}} after a vowel, and {{Lang|shi-latn|inw}} after a consonant (or, in some dialects, {{Lang|shi-latn|niw}}):
:{{Lang|shi-latn|agayyu nu}} "my head"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ifassn inu}} "my hands"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|aḍar niw}} "my leg"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|aqqrab nnk}} "your (sg.m.) pouch"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|lumur nnm}} "your (sg.f.) affairs"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|timlsa nns}} "his clothes"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|rriy nns}} "her opinion"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|aḍu nns}} "its smell"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|adjarn nnɣ}} "our neighbours"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tawwuri nnun}} "your (pl.m.) occupation"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|timddukkal nnunt}} "your (pl.f.) friends"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|lmɛict nnsn}} "their (m.) livelihood"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|tik°yaḍ nnsnt}} "their (f.) locks of hair"

==== Within a clause ====
There are two ways to express possession within a clause. The most common way is to use the "exist with" construction:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|tlla dars yat txsayt
|she.exists with.him one EA-pumpkin
|"he has a pumpkin"}}

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|ur dari ylli wmya ma nn lssaɣ
|not with.me it.exists EA-anything what thither I.wear
|"I've got nothing to wear"}}

The verb {{Lang|shi-latn|ili}} "exist" (perfective {{Lang|shi-latn|lli/a}}) is usually omitted, leaving a [[verbless clause]]:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|darnɣ argan ar inkkr ɣ tagant
|with.us EL-argan it.is.growing in EA-forest
|"we have an argan tree growing in the forest"}}

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|is ur dark kra yaḍnin?
|question not with.you something other
|"don't you have something different?"}}

Alternatively, the verb {{Lang|shi-latn|ṭṭf, ṭṭaf}} "hold, possess" can be used:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|iṭṭaf yan uɣyul immuddu srs
|he.possesses one EA-donkey he.travels with.it
|"he has a donkey which he travels with"}}

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|nkki wr ṭṭifɣ luraqq inu
|I not I.possess papers of.me
|"[as for] me, I haven't got my papers"}}

In addition, there is the verb {{Lang|shi-latn|ili}} "possess" (perfective {{Lang|shi-latn|li/a}}), whose use is restricted to (inalienable) part-whole relationships and kinship relationships:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|liɣ alln ɛdlnin
|I.possess EL-eyes which.are.good
|"I have good eyes"}}

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|lan sḍis tarwa
|they.possess six EA-children
|"they have six children"}}

In al its usages {{Lang|shi-latn|ili}} can be replaced with {{Lang|shi-latn|ṭṭaf}} or the "exist with" construction, but not the other way around:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|azrg ila yan uskti |c1= (or {{Lang|shi-latn|azrg iṭṭaf yan uskti}})
|EL-hand-mill it.possesses one EA-handle
|"a hand-mill has one handle"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|ṭṭafɣ snat tg°mma |c1= (not *{{Lang|shi-latn|liɣ snat tg°mma}})
|I.possess two EA-houses
|"I have two houses"}}

==== Possessed nouns ====
These are a subtype of uninflected nouns. As with proper names, gender is not transparently marked on possessed nouns, which take gender agreement according to the natural sex of the referent. Plurals are either suppletive or made with the preposed pluralizer {{Lang|shi-latn|id}}. Most possessed nouns are consanguinal kinship terms which require a possessive suffix (the table contains a selection).

{|class="wikitable" border="1"
!width="350"| ||width="120"| Singular ||width="120"| Plural || Remarks
|-
| "the mother(s) of"    || {{Lang|shi-latn|ma-}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|id ma-}}||
|-
| "the father(s) of"    || {{Lang|shi-latn|baba-}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|id baba-}}||
|-
| "the daughter(s) of"  || {{Lang|shi-latn|ylli-}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|ysti-}}||
|-
| "the son(s) of"   || {{Lang|shi-latn|yiw-, yu-, ywi-}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|(t-arwa)}}|| the plural is a pl.m. inflected noun "sons, offspring"
|-
| "the sister(s) of"    || {{Lang|shi-latn|wlt-ma-}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|yst-ma-}}|| compound, lit. "the daughter(s) of the mother of"
|-
| "the brother(s) of"   || {{Lang|shi-latn|g°-ma-}}|| {{Lang|shi-latn|ayt-ma-}}|| compound, lit. "the son(s) of the mother of"
|-
| "grandmother: the mother of the mother of"    || {{Lang|shi-latn|jdda-}}|| || Arabic loan
|-
| "grandfather: the father of the mother of"    || {{Lang|shi-latn|ti-ma-}}|| || compound
|-
| "grandmother: the mother of the father of"    || {{Lang|shi-latn|tabt-ti-}}|| || compound
|-
| "grandfather: the father of the father of"    || {{Lang|shi-latn|jddi-}}|| || Arabic loan
|}

These kinship terms cannot occur without pronominal suffix. Example:

{|class="wikitable" border="1"
|width="120"|{{Lang|shi-latn|ultma-Ø}}|| width="200"|"my sister"
|-
|{{Lang|shi-latn|ultma-k}} || "your (sg.m.) sister"
|-
|{{Lang|shi-latn|ultma-m}} || "your (sg.f.) sister"
|-
|{{Lang|shi-latn|ultma-s}} || "her sister, his sister"
|-
|{{Lang|shi-latn|istma-t-nɣ}} || "our sisters"
|-
|{{Lang|shi-latn|istma-t-un}} || "your (pl.m.) sisters"
|-
|{{Lang|shi-latn|istma-t-unt}} || "your (pl.f.) sisters"
|-
|{{Lang|shi-latn|istma-t-sn}} || "their (m.) sisters"
|-
|{{Lang|shi-latn|istma-t-snt}} || "their (f.) sisters"
|}

If these nouns are part of an NP-internal possessive construction, possession must be indicated twice:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3|baba-s n tslit|father-her of EA-bride|"the father of the bride"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3|yiwi-s n g°ma-Ø|son-his of brother-my|"my brother's son"}}
{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|indent=3|illi-s n wasif|daughter-its of EA-river|"the daughter of the river: fever" (compound)}}

The suffix must also be added when possession is expressed in a clause:

{{interlinear|lang=shi-latn|number=ex:
|ur iṭṭif abla yat ultma-s
|not he.possesses except one sister.his
|"he only has one sister"}}

Some kinship terms are not possessed nouns but inflected nouns which take possessive complements (see examples above).

Another group of possessed nouns require a following noun phrase, occurring only in an NP-internal possessive phrase. A following inflected noun must be in the EA.

{|class="wikitable" border="1"
!width="240"| ||width="95"| Singular ||width="95"| Plural
|-
| "the son(s) of, native(s) of" || {{Lang|shi-latn|w}}  || {{Lang|shi-latn|ayt}}
|-
| "the female native(s) of" || {{Lang|shi-latn|wlt}} || {{Lang|shi-latn|yst}}
|}

These four possessed nouns occur as first element in compound kinship terms (see above; {{Lang|shi-latn|w}} then becomes {{Lang|shi-latn|g°}} in {{Lang|shi-latn|g°-ma-}} "the brother of"). They also serve to indicate descent, origin and ethnicity:
: {{Lang|shi-latn|Ḥmad u Musa}} "Ahmed son of Moussa" (name of a [[Sidi Ahmed Ou Moussa (saint)|famous saint]])<ref>The possessed noun {{Lang|shi-latn|wlt}}, the feminine counterpart of {{Lang|shi-latn|w}}, is not used in genealogies; thus, Fadma the daughter of Moussa is {{Lang|shi-latn|Faḍma Musa}}, not *{{Lang|shi-latn|Faḍma wlt Musa}} (cf. Aspinion 1953:30).</ref>
:{{Lang|shi-latn|u Brayyim}} "member of the Aït Brayyim ethnic group"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|u bṛṛa}} "native of outside: a foreigner"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|u Trudant}} "a native of Taroudant"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ayt Ugrsif}} "the natives of Aguercif"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ult Uglu}} "native woman of Aglou"
:{{Lang|shi-latn|ist Tfrawt}} "the women of Tafraout"
When {{Lang|shi-latn|w}} is followed by another (phonemic) {{Lang|shi-latn|w}} the result is {{Lang|shi-latn|gg°}}:
: {{Lang|shi-latn|w Wijjan}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|Gg°ijjan}} "native of Ouijjane" (also surname: Gouijjane)
: {{Lang|shi-latn|a-rgaz w w-rgaz}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|argaz gg°rgaz}} "a man, son of a man: a man of virtue"
{{Lang|shi-latn|Ayt}} occurs in many Shilha ethnonyms:
:{{Lang|shi-latn|Ayt Bubkr}} "the Sons of Boubker" (Aït Boubker), singular {{Lang|shi-latn|U Bubkr}}
:{{Lang|shi-latn|Ayt Wafqqa}} "the Sons of Ouafka" (Aït Ouafka), singular {{Lang|shi-latn|w Wafqqa}} → {{Lang|shi-latn|Gg°afqqa}}

==== Proprietive and privative elements ====
The proprietive elements masc. {{Lang|shi-latn|bu}} "he with, he of" and fem. {{Lang|shi-latn|mm}} "she with, she of" are borrowed from Arabic (original meaning "father of", "mother of"). They are used as formative elements and require a following inflected noun to be in the annexed state. The plural is formed with the pluralizer {{Lang|shi-latn|id}}:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|bu sa yiwaliwn|{he of} seven EA-words|"a liar"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|bu tagant|{he of} EA-forest|"wild boar"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|bu tbratin|{he with} EA-letters|"postman"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|id bu waga|PL {he with} EA-bucket|"French soldiers (wearing a [[kepi|képi]])"}}
{{Col-end}}

In many cases, {{Lang|shi-latn|bu}} fuses with a following nominal prefix:

{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|bu w-marg → bumarg|{he with} EA-poetry {} {"a poet"}|}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|bu y-g°ra → {Biyg°ra, Big°ra}|{he with} EA-frogs {} {"[[Biougra]]" (place-name)}|}}

The feminine {{Lang|shi-latn|mm}} is encountered less frequently:

{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|mm igrtal|{she with} EA-mats|"prayer room in a mosque"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|mm lɣrur|{she with} delusion|"the world, worldly existence"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|id mm ifalan|PL {she with} EA-threads|"needles"}}

The privative elements masc. {{Lang|shi-latn|war}} "he without" and fem. {{Lang|shi-latn|tar}} "she without" are made up of a gender prefix (masculine {{Lang|shi-latn|w-}}, feminine {{Lang|shi-latn|t-}}) and an element {{Lang|shi-latn|ar}} which is probably related to the negation {{Lang|shi-latn|wr}} "not". They do not require the annexed state, and should probably be translated as "who does not have", with the following noun phrase as object:

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|war acrik|{he without} EL-partner|"God"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|id war tawwuri|PL {he without} EL-job|"the unemployed"}}
{{Col-2}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|tar azal|{she without} EL-daylight|"wide-brimmed hat"}}
{{interlinear|indent=2|lang=shi|tar laman|{she without} certainty|"the world, worldly existence"}}
{{Col-end}}

== Lexicon ==
{{See also|Berber_languages#Lexicon}}
Tashlhiyt, like other Berber languages, has a small number of loanwords from [[Phoenician language|Phoenician-Punic]], [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], and [[Aramaic]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kossmann |first=Maarten G. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/858861608 |title=The Arabic influence on Northern Berber |date=2013 |isbn=978-90-04-25309-4 |location=Leiden |pages=57–60 |oclc=858861608}}</ref> There are also Latin loans from the time of the [[Roman Empire|Roman empire]], although the region in which Tashlhiyt is spoken was never in the empire's territory.<ref name=":50">{{Cite book |last=Kossmann |first=Maarten G. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/858861608 |title=The Arabic influence on Northern Berber |date=2013 |isbn=978-90-04-25309-4 |location=Leiden |pages=63–72 |oclc=858861608}}</ref>

Most Tashlhiyt loanwords are Arabic in origin. [[Maarten Kossmann]] estimates that about 6% of the basic Tashlhiyt lexicon is borrowed from Arabic; [[Salem Chaker]] estimates that 25% of the stable lexicon overall is borrowed from Arabic.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kossmann |first=Maarten G. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/858861608 |title=The Arabic influence on Northern Berber |date=2013 |isbn=978-90-04-25309-4 |location=Leiden |pages=107–110 |oclc=858861608}}</ref>

Although some nouns denoting typically Islamic concepts such as {{Lang|shi-latn|timzgida}} "mosque", {{Lang|shi-latn|taẓallit}} "ritual prayer", {{Lang|shi-latn|uẓum}} "fasting", which certainly belong to the very oldest layer of Arabic loans,<ref>Van den Boogert and Kossmann (1997).</ref> are fully incorporated into Shilha morphology, many equally central Islamic concepts are expressed with unincorporated nouns, for example {{Lang|shi-latn|lislam}} "Islam", {{Lang|shi-latn|lḥajj}} "pilgrimage to Mecca", {{Lang|shi-latn|zzka}} "alms tax". It is possible that during the early stages of islamization such concepts were expressed with native vocabulary or with earlier, non-Arabic loans.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Boogert |first=Nico van den |last2=Kossmann |first2=Maarten |date=1997 |title=Les Premiers Emprunts Arabes en Berbère |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/arab/44/2/article-p317_8.xml |journal=Arabica |volume=44 |issue=2 |page=317 |quote=Les nouveaux-convertis ne parlaient pas l'arabe et il fallut fabriquer un vocabulaire religieux dans leur propre langue, le berbère}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kossmann |first=Maarten Gosling |title=The Arabic influence on Northern Berber |date=2013 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-25308-7 |series=Studies in Semitic languages and linguistics |location=Leiden Boston |pages=76-77 |quote=The present distribution of many specifically Berber terms for Islamic religious concepts suggests that a uniform Berber Islamic terminology was consciously created in order to meet this need, no doubt by early missionaries. […] There are three types of Islamic religious terms which are possibly part of the earliest stratum of missionary activity: newly coined terms or terms taken over from Berber; ancient Christian or Jewish terms mainly from Latin (or maybe Greek); and Arabic terms.}}</ref> One such term which has survived into the modern era is {{Lang|shi-latn|tafaska}} "ewe for slaughter on the (Islamic) [[Eid al-Adha|Feast of Immolation]]",{{efn|The Feast of Immolation itself is known in Shilha as {{Lang|shi-latn|lɛid n tfaska}} "the feast of the sacrificial ewe".}} from {{Lang|la|pascha}},{{efn|Pronounced in classical times as {{IPA|[paskʰa]}} or {{IPA|[paska]}}.}} the Latinized name of the Jewish festival of [[Passover]] (''Pesaḥ'') or, more specifically, of the [[Passover sacrifice|paschal lamb]] (''qorbān Pesaḥ'') which is sacrificed during the festival.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stroomer |first=Harry |title=Dictionnaire Berbère tachelhiyt - français: Tome 4 T- Z |date=2025 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-70047-5 |series=Handbook oriental studies |location=Leiden |pages=2355 |quote=lʕid n tfaska « la fête du mouton»}}</ref> Another example is {{Lang|shi-latn|ibkkaḍan}} "sins", obsolete in the modern language, but attested in a premodern manuscript text,<ref>Aẓnag (late 16th century), {{Lang|shi-latn|Lɛqayd n ddin}}, in the phrase {{Lang|shi-latn|ingaẓn n tarwa…da ssiridn ibkkaḍan}} "the pains of childbirth are washing away the sins".</ref> whose singular {{Lang|shi-latn|abkkaḍu}} is borrowed from Romance (cf. Spanish {{Lang|es|pecado}}, Latin {{Lang|la|peccātum}}; modern Shilha uses {{Lang|shi-latn|ddnub}} "sins", from Arabic).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stroomer |first=Harry |title=Dictionnaire berbère tachelḥiyt - français |date=2025 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-70049-9 |series=Handbook of Oriental studies = Handbuch der Orientalistik. Section one, The Near and Middle East |location=Boston |pages=40, 710 |quote=abkkaḍu, pl. ibkkaḍan ‖ «péché » [...] ddnb, pl. ddnub ‖ ◊ 1. « ①péché »}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kossmann |first=Maarten G. |title=The Arabic influence on Northern Berber |date=2013 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-25308-7 |series=Studies in Semitic languages and linguistics |location=Leiden ; Boston |pages=67 |language=en |quote=[...] one suspects that abǝkkaḍ, as a Christian term, is a relatively late borrowing.}}</ref>

Tashlhiyt numerals 5 to 9 may be loanwords, although their origin is unclear; they do not seem to originate from Phoenician-Punic or Arabic.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kossmann |first=Maarten G. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/858861608 |title=The Arabic influence on Northern Berber |date=2013 |isbn=978-90-04-25309-4 |location=Leiden |pages=61 |oclc=858861608}}</ref> Additionally, all Tashlhiyt numerals agree in gender, whereas Arabic numerals do not.<ref name=":17">{{Cite book |last=Kossmann |first=Maarten |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/795895594 |title=The Afroasiatic languages |date=2012 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |others=Zygmunt Frajzyngier, Erin Shay |isbn=978-1-139-42364-9 |location=Cambridge |pages=64 |chapter=Berber |oclc=795895594}}</ref>

== Secret languages ==
Destaing<ref>Destaing (1920:21).</ref> mentions a secret language ([[Cant (language)|argot]]) called {{Lang|shi-latn|inman}} or {{Lang|shi-latn|tadubirt}} which is spoken by "some people of Souss, in particular the descendants of Sidi Ḥmad u Musa." He quotes an example: {{Lang|shi-latn|is kn tusat inman?}} "do you speak the secret language?"

Two secret languages used by Shilha women are described by Lahrouchi and Ségéral. They are called {{Lang|shi-latn|tagnawt}} (cf. Shilha {{Lang|shi-latn|agnaw}} "deaf-mute person") and {{Lang|shi-latn|taɛjmiyt}} or {{Lang|shi-latn|taqqjmiyt}}. They employ various processes, such as reduplication, to disguise the ordinary language.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lahrouchi |first1=Mohamed |last2=Ségéral |first2=Philippe |date=July 2009 |title=Morphologie gabaritique et apophonie dans un langage secret féminin (taqjmit) en berbère tachelhit |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0008413100001262/type/journal_article |journal=Canadian Journal of Linguistics |language=en |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=291–316 |doi=10.1017/S0008413100001262 |s2cid=197667081 |issn=0008-4131}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ségéral |first1=Philippe |last2=Lahrouchi |first2=Mohamed |date=2010-06-01 |title=Peripheral vowels in Tashlhiyt Berber are phonologically long: Evidence from Tagnawt, a secret language used by women |url=https://brill.com/abstract/journals/aall/2/1/article-p202_6.xml |journal=Brill's Annual of Afroasiatic Languages and Linguistics |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=204 |doi=10.1163/187666310X12688137960740 |issn=1876-6633}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Cited works and further reading ==
*{{cite journal | author=Agrour, R. | year=2012 | title=A contribution to the study of an itinerant word: Chleuh | journal=Cahiers d'études africaines | volume=208 | issue=4 | pages=i-xliii | url= https://www.cairn-int.info/article-E_CEA_208_0767--a-contribution-to-the-study-of-an.htm}}
*{{cite book | author=Amard, P. | title=Textes berbères des Aït Ouaouzguite | year=1997 | publisher=Edisud | location=Edités et annotés par Harry Stroomer. Aix-en-Provence | isbn=2-85744-960-7}}
*{{cite book | author=Amarīr, ʿU. | title=al-Shiʿr al-āmāzīghī al-mansūb ilā Sīdī Ḥammū al-Ṭālib | location=Casablanca | publisher=Maktabat Provence (in Arabic and Shilha)| year=1987}}
*{{cite book | author=Applegate, J.R. | title=An outline of the structure of Shilḥa | year=1958 | publisher=American Council of Learned Societies | location=New York | url=http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED089543}}
*{{cite book | author=Aspinion, R. | title=Apprenons le berbère. Initiation aux dialectes chleuhs | location=Rabat | publisher=Moncho | year=1953}}
*{{cite book | author=Bellakhdar, J. | title=La pharmacopée marocaine traditionnelle | location=N.p. | year=1997 | publisher=Ibis Press | isbn=2-910728-03-X}}
*{{cite journal | author=Boogert, N. van den | year=1989 | title=Some notes on Maghribi script | journal=Manuscripts of the Middle East | volume=4 | pages=30–43 | url=http://www.islamicmanuscripts.info/reference/articles/boogert_notes_maghribi_script.PDF}}
*{{cite book | author=Boogert, N. van den | year=1997 | title=The Berber literary tradition of the Sous | location=De Goeje Fund, Vol. XXVII. Leiden | publisher=NINO | isbn=90-6258-971-5}}
*{{cite book | author=Boogert, N. van den | year=1998 | title=La révélation des énigmes. Lexiques arabo-berbères des xvii<sup>e</sup> et xviii<sup>e</sup> siècles | series=Travaux et documents de l'Irémam, no. 19 | location=Aix-en-Provence | publisher=Irémam | isbn=2-906809-18-7}}
*{{cite book | author=Boogert, N. van den | year=2000 | editor=Chaker, S. |editor2=Zaborski, A. | chapter=Medieval Berber orthography | title=Etudes berères et chamito-sémitiques, Mélanges offerts à Karl-G. Prasse | publisher=Peeters (pp. 357–377) | location=Paris and Louvain | isbn=978-90-429-0826-0}}
*{{cite book | author=Boogert, N. van den | year=2002 | editor=Naït-Zerrad, K. | chapter=The names of the months in medieval Berber | title=Articles de linguistique berbère. Mémorial Werner Vycichl | location=Paris | publisher=L'Harmattan (pp. 137–152) | isbn=2747527069}}
*{{cite journal |author1=Boogert, N. van den |author2=Kossmann, M. |name-list-style=amp | year=1997 | title=Les premiers emprunts arabes en berbère | journal=Arabica | volume=44 |issue=2 | pages=317–322 | doi=10.1163/1570058972582506|hdl=1887/4151 | url=https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/4151/1267577_034.pdf?sequence=1 | hdl-access=free}}
*{{cite book | author=Boukous, A. | title=Langage et culture populaires au Maroc. Essai de sociolinguistique | year=1977 | location=Casablanca | publisher=Dar El Kitab (the bland title hides a book on Shilha containing, among others, nine narrative texts with translations, pp. 152–289)}}
*{{cite book | author=Boumalk, A. | year=2004 | title=Manuel de conjugaison du tachelhit | location=Paris | publisher=L'Harmattan | isbn=2747555275}}
*{{cite book |author1=Boumalk, A. |author2=Bounfour, A. |name-list-style=amp | year=2001 | title=Vocabulaire usuel du tachelhit (tachelhit-français) | location=Rabat | publisher=Centre Tarik Ibn Zyad | isbn=9954022899}}
*{{cite book | author=Cid Kaoui, S. | year=1907 | title=Dictionnaire français-tachelh'it et tamazir't (dialectes berbères du Maroc) | location=Paris | publisher=Leroux | url=https://archive.org/details/dictionnairefra00kaougoog}}
*{{cite book | author=Colin, G.S. | year=1993 | title=Le dictionnaire Colin d'arabe dialectal marocain | location=Vol. 1–8. Edited by Z.I. Sinaceur. Rabat | publisher=Al Manahil, Ministère des affaires culturelles | isbn=9981-832-03-0}}
*{{cite journal |author1=Dell, F. |author2=Elmedlaoui, M. |name-list-style=amp | year = 1985 | title=Syllabic consonants and syllabification in Imdlawn Tashlhiyt Berber | journal=Journal of African Languages and Linguistics | volume=7 |issue=2 | pages=105–130 | doi=10.1515/jall.1985.7.2.105|s2cid=29304770 }}
*{{cite book |author1=Dell, F. |author2=Elmedlaoui, M. |name-list-style=amp | year=2002 | title=Syllables in Tashlhiyt Berber and in Moroccan Arabic | location=Dordecht, Boston, London | publisher=Kluwer | isbn=978-1-4020-1077-4}}
*{{cite book |author1=Dell, F. |author2=Elmedlaoui, M. |name-list-style=amp | year=2008 | title=Poetic metre and musical form in Tashelhiyt Berber songs | location=Köln | publisher=Köppe | isbn=978-3-89645-398-3}}
*{{cite book | author=Destaing, E. | year=1920 | title=Etude sur la tachelḥît du Soûs. Vocabulaire français-berbère | location=Paris | publisher=Leroux (reprinted 1938) | url=http://www.ayamun.com/destaing.pdf}}
*{{cite book | author=Destaing, E. | year=1937 | title=Textes arabes en parler des Chleuḥs du Sous (Maroc) | location=Paris | publisher=Geuthner}}
*{{cite book | author=Destaing, E. | year=1940 | title=Textes berbères en parler des Chleuhs du Sous (Maroc) | location=Paris | publisher=Geuthner (contains the same texts as Destaing 1937, which see for the translations)}}
*{{cite book | author=Dixon, R.M.W. | year=2010 | title=Basic linguistic theory. Volume 1, Methodology | location=Oxford | publisher=Oxford University Press | isbn=978-0-19-957106-2}}
*{{cite book |author1=Fox, M. |author2=Abu-Talib, M. |name-list-style=amp | year=1966 | title=A dictionary of Moroccan Arabic | location=Washington | publisher =Georgetown University Press | isbn=0-87840-007-9}}
*{{cite book | author=Galand, L. | year=1988 | editor=D. Cohen | chapter=Le berbère | title=Les langues dans le monde ancien et moderne. Troisième partie, Les langues chamito-sémitiques | publisher=CNRS (pp. 207–242) | location=Paris | isbn=2-222-04057-4}}
*{{cite book | author=Galand-Pernet, P. | year=1972 | title=Recueil de poèmes chleuhs | location=Paris | publisher=Klincksieck | isbn=2-252-01415-6}}
*{{cite book | author=Gg°ijjan, Lḥusin bn Iḥya | year=2002 | title=Amarg n Faṭima Tabaɛmrant | publisher=al-Jamʿīyah al-maghribīyah li-l-baḥth wa-l-tabādul al-thaqāfī (in Shilha) | location=Rabat}}
*{{cite book | author=Ibáñez, E. | year=1954 | title=Diccionario Español-Baamarani (dialecto Bereber de Ifni) | location=Madrid | publisher=Instituto de Estudios Africanos | url=https://archive.org/details/DiccionarioEspanolBaamraniEstebanIbanez1954}}
*{{cite book | author=Jordan, A. | year=1934 | title=Dictionnaire berbère-français (dialectes tašelhait) | location=Rabat | publisher=Omnia}}
*{{cite book | author=Jordan, A. | year=1935 | title=Textes berbères, dialecte tachelhait | location=Rabat | publisher=Omnia}}
*{{cite book | author=Jouad, H. | year=1983 | title=Les éléments de la versification en berbère marocain, tamazight et tachlhit | location=Paris | publisher=Thèse en vue du Doctorat de 3ème cycle}}
*{{cite book | author=Jouad, H. | year=1995 | title=Le calcul inconscient de l'improvisation. Poésie berbère. Rythme, nombre et sens | location=Paris, Louvain | publisher=Peeters | isbn=9789068317503}}
*{{cite book | author=Justinard, L. | year=1914 | title=Manuel de berbère marocain (dialecte chleuh) | location=Paris | publisher=Librairie orientale & américaine | url=https://archive.org/details/justinard}}
*{{cite book | author=Justinard, L. | year=1954 | title=Un petit royaume berbère: le Tazeroualt. | location=Paris | publisher=Librairie orientale & américaine}}
*{{cite book | author=Kossmann, M. | year=2012 | chapter=Berber | title=The Afroasiatic languages | editor=Frajzyngier, Z. |editor2=Shay, E. | location=Cambridge | publisher=Cambridge University Press (pp. 18–101) | isbn=978-0-521-86533-3}}
*{{cite book | author=Kossmann, M. | year=2013 | title=The Arabic influence on Northern Berber | location=Leiden | publisher=Brill | isbn=978-90-04-25308-7}}
*{{cite book |author1=Kossmann, M.G. |author2=Stroomer, H.J. |name-list-style=amp | year=1997 | chapter=Berber phonology | title=Phonologies of Asia and Africa | editor=Kaye, A.S. | location=Vol. 1. Winona Lake, Indiana | publisher=Eisenbrauns (pp. 461–475) | isbn=1-57506-017-5}} 
*{{cite journal|last1=Lahrouchi|first1=Mohamed|last2=Ségéral|first2=Philippe|date=July 2009|title= Morphologie gabaritique et apophonie dans un langage secret féminin (taqjmit) en berbère tachelhit|journal=Canadian Journal of Linguistics|volume=54|issue=2|pages=291–316|doi=10.1017/S0008413100001262|s2cid=220973309|issn=0008-4131|url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00437910/file/Morphologie%20gabaritique%20et%20apophonie%20dans%20un%20langage%20secret%20f%C3%A9minin%20en%20berb%C3%A8re%20tachelhit%20version%20finale.pdf|name-list-style=amp}}
*{{cite journal | author=Lahrouchi, Mohamed | year=2010 | title= On the Internal Structure of Tashlhiyt Berber Triconsonantal Roots | journal=Linguistic Inquiry | volume=41 | issue=2 | pages=255–288 | doi=10.1162/ling.2010.41.2.255 | s2cid=45938533 | url=https://hal.science/hal-00633007/file/On_the_Internal_Structure_of_Tashlhiyt_Berber_roots_LI.pdf }}
*{{cite book | author=Lamzoudi, M. | year=1999 | title=Guide d'initiation au dialecte berbère Tachelḥit | location=Casablanca | publisher=Najah El Jadida}}
*{{cite book | author=Laoust, E. | year=1920 | title=Mots et choses berbères. Notes de linguistique et d'ethnography, dialectes du Maroc | location=Paris | publisher=Challamel}}
*{{cite book | author=Laoust, E. | year=1936 | title=Cours de berbère marocain. Dialectes du Sous du Haut et de l'Anti-Atlas | location=Deuxième édition revue et corrigée. Paris | publisher=Société d'éditions géographiques, maritimes et coloniales (first ed. Paris: Challamel, 1921)}}
*{{cite book | author=Mármol Carvajal, L. del | year=1573 | title=Primera parte de la descripcion general de Affrica | location=Granada | publisher=Rene Rabut | url= https://digibug.ugr.es/handle/10481/5858}}
*{{cite book | author=El Mountassir, Abdallah | year=2003 | title=Dictionnaire des verbes tachelhit-français | location=Paris | publisher=L'Harmattan | isbn=2747535770}}
*{{cite book | author=El Mountassir, Abdallah | year=2009 | title=Méthode de tachelhit, langue amazighe (berbère) du sud du Maroc | location=Paris | publisher=L'Asiathèque | isbn=978-2915255843}}
*{{cite book|last=El Mountassir, Abdallah |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1141568167|title=Metodo di tachelhit : lingua amazigh (berbera) del Sud del Marocco : asselmd n-tchelhit|date=2017|publisher=Unior|others=Di Tolla, Anna Maria.|isbn=978-88-6719-148-2|location=Napoli|oclc=1141568167}}
*{{cite book | author=Peace Corps Morocco | year=2011 | title=Tashlheet textbook | url= http://friendsofmorocco.org/learnTashlheet.htm}}
*{{cite book | author=Podeur, J. | year=1995 | title=Textes berbères des Aït Souab, Anti-Atlas, Maroc | location=Edités et annotés par N. van den Boogert, M. Scheltus, H. Stroomer. Aix-en-Provence | publisher=Edisud | isbn=2-85744-826-0}}
*{{cite journal | author=Ridouane, R. | year=2008 | title=Syllables without vowels. Phonetic and phonological evidence from Tashelhiyt Berber | journal=Phonology | volume=25 | issue=2 | pages=321–359 | doi=10.1017/S0952675708001498 | s2cid=16558373 | url= https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00382862/document}}
*{{cite book | author=Roettger, T.B. | year=2017 | title=Tonal placement in Tashlhiyt. How an intonation system accommodates to adverse phonological environments | location=Berlin | publisher=Language Science Press (open access publication)| url=http://langsci-press.org/catalog/book/137 | isbn=978-3-944675-99-2}}
*{{cite book | author=Roux, A. | year=2009 | title=La vie berbère par les textes, parlers du sud-ouest marocain (tachelhit) | location=Ethnographic texts re-edited, translated into English by John Cooper. Köln | publisher=Köppe | isbn=978-3-89645-923-7}} 
*{{cite book | author=Stricker, B.H. | year=1960 | title=L'Océan des pleurs. Poème berbère de Muḥammad al-Awzalî | location=Leyde | publisher=E.J. Brill (Shilha text in Arabic script)}}
*{{cite book | author=Stroomer, H. | year=1998 | chapter=Dialect differentiation in Tachelhiyt Berber (Morocco) | title=Actes du 1er Congrès Chamito-Sémitique de Fès | pages=37–49 | publisher=Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Faculté des lettres et des sciences humaines | isbn= 998187812X}}
*{{cite book | author=Stroomer, H. | year=2001a | chapter=A Tashelhiyt Berber tale from the Goundafa region (High Atlas, Morocco) | title=New Data and New Methods in Afroasiatic Linguistics: Robert Hetzron in Memoriam | editor=Zaborski, A. | location=Wiesbaden | publisher=Harrassowitz (pp. 183–193) | isbn= 978-3-447-04420-2}}
*{{cite book | editor=Stroomer, H. | year=2001b | title=Textes berbères des Guedmioua et Goundafa (Haut Atlas, Maroc). Basés sur les documents de F. Corjon, J.-M. Franchi et J. Eugène | location=Aix-en-Provence | publisher=Edisud | isbn=2-7449-0263-2}}
*{{cite book | author=Stroomer, H. | year=2001c | title=An anthology of Tashelhiyt Berber folk tales (South Morocco) | location=Köln | publisher=Köppe | isbn=3-89645-381-5}}
*{{cite book | author=Stroomer, H | year=2002 | title=Tashelhiyt Berber folktales from Tazerwalt (South Morocco). A linguistic reanalysis of Hans Stumme's Tazerwalt texts with an English translation | location=Köln | publisher=Köppe | isbn=3-89645-383-1}} 
*{{cite book | author=Stroomer, H. | year=2003 | title=Tashelhiyt Berber texts from the Ayt Brayyim, Lakhsas and Guedmioua region (south Morocco) | location=Köln | publisher=Köppe | isbn=3-89645-384-X}}
*{{cite book | author=Stroomer, H. | year=2004 | title=Tashelhiyt Berber texts from the Ida u Tanan (south Morocco) | location=Köln | publisher=Köppe | isbn=3-89645-388-2}}
*{{cite book | author=Stroomer, H. | year=2008 | chapter=Three Tashelhiyt Berber texts from the Arsène Roux archives |editor1=Lubitzky, A. |display-editors=etal | title=Evidence and Counter-Evidence. Essays in Honour of Frederik Kortlandt. Vol. 2 | location=Amsterdam | publisher=Rodopi (pp. 389–397) | isbn=978-90-420-2471-7}}
*{{cite book |author=Stroomer, H. |title=Dictionnaire tachelhit-français |date=2025 |publisher=[[Brill_Publishers|Brill]] |isbn=978-90-04-70049-9 |volume=1}}
*{{cite book |author=Stroomer, H. |title=Dictionnaire tachelhit-français |date=2025 |publisher=[[Brill_Publishers|Brill]] |isbn=978-90-04-70051-2 |volume=2}}
*{{cite book |author=Stroomer, H. |title=Dictionnaire tachelhit-français |date=2025 |publisher=[[Brill_Publishers|Brill]] |isbn=978-90-04-70045-1 |volume=3}}
*{{cite book |author=Stroomer, H. |title=Dictionnaire tachelhit-français |date=2025 |publisher=[[Brill_Publishers|Brill]] |isbn=978-90-04-70047-5 |volume=4}}
*{{cite journal | author=Stumme, H. | year=1894 | title= Elf Stücke im Šílḥa-Dialekt von Tázĕrwalt | journal=Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft | volume=48 | pages=381–406 | url=http://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/dmg/periodical/titleinfo/62778}}
*{{cite book | author=Stumme, H. | year=1895 | title=Märchen der Schlūḥ von Tázerwalt | location=Leipzig | publisher=Hinrichs | url=https://archive.org/details/mrchenderschluv00stumgoog}}
*{{cite book | author=Stumme, H. | year=1899 | title=Handbuch des Schilḥischen von Tazerwalt | location=Leipzig | publisher=Hinrichs | url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k84081d}}
*{{cite journal | author=Stumme, H. | year=1907 | title=Mitteilungen eines Shilḥ über seine marokkanische Heimat | journal=Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft | volume=61 | pages=503–541 | url=http://menadoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/dmg/periodical/titleinfo/63781}}

==Various online articles==
*{{cite web|url= http://www.icphs2007.de/conference/Papers/1768/1768.pdf |title=Syllable structure as coupled oscillator modes: evidence from Georgian vs. Tashlhiyt Berber }}&nbsp;{{small|(690&nbsp;KB)}}
*{{cite web|url= http://mlahrouchi.free.fr/papers/abstract-Lahrouchi-IGGXXXI.pdf |title=Regular and Irregular Imperfective conjugations in Berber languages }}&nbsp;{{small|(140&nbsp;KB)}}
*{{cite web|url= http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/38/49/49/PDF/Ridouane-et-al_ICPHS07.pdf |title=Laryngeal behavior in voiceless words and sentences: a photoelectroglottographic study }}&nbsp;{{small|(350&nbsp;KB)}}
*John Coleman, [http://www.phon.ox.ac.uk/~jcoleman/TPS.html "Epenthetic vowels in Tashlhiyt Berber"] (includes sound samples)

== External links ==
{{InterWiki|code=shi}}
*[http://wals.info/languoid/lect/wals_code_tas World atlas of language structures (WALS) – Tashlhiyt] (data not entirely accurate)

{{sister bar|auto=1|d=Q34152|c=category:Tachelhit|wikt=Category:Tashelhit language|voy=Tashelhit phrasebook|iw=shi}}
{{Berber languages|state=collapsed}}
{{Languages of Morocco}}

<section begin="list-of-glossing-abbreviations"/><div style="display:none;">
EL:free state ("état libre")
EA:annexed state ("état d'annexion")
ORD:ordinal numeral
</div><section end="list-of-glossing-abbreviations"/>

[[Category:Berber languages]]
[[Category:Berbers in Morocco]]
[[Category:Languages of Morocco]]
[[Category:Shilha language| ]]