Tamahaq language
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Tamahaq also known as (Tahaggart Tamahaq or Tamahaq Tahaggart) is the only known Northern Tuareg language, spoken in Algeria, western Libya and northern Niger. It varies little from the Southern Tuareg languages of the Aïr Mountains, Azawagh and Adagh. The differences mostly consist of sound substitutions, such as Tamahaq instead of Tamajaq or Tamasheq. This language is “one of the sister languages spoken by the inhabitants of many districts of the Atlas range of mountains from Egypt to the Western shores of Morocco, and which are all included in the general term Berber.”Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Orthography
The Tuareg write from right to left, like other abjads such as Hebrew and Arabic. The alphabet is called “Tifinagh” and contains 25 letters.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Phonology
Vowels
| Tifinagh | IPA equivalent |
|---|---|
| ⴰ (tegherit) | a, |
| ⵢ/ⵉ (yay) | ʝ, i |
| ⵓ (yaw) | w, u |
Consonants
| Tifinagh | IPA equivalent[1] |
|---|---|
| ⵀ (yab) | b |
| ⵜ (yat) | t |
| ⵋ (yaj) | ʒ |
| ⴶ (yag) | dʒ |
| ⵆ (yax) | χ |
| ⴷ (yad) | d |
| ⵔ (yar) | ɾ |
| ⵣ (yaz) | z |
| ⵟ (yaṭ) | tˤ |
| ⴾ (yak) | k |
| ⵍ (yal) | l |
| ⵎ (yam) | m |
| ⵏ (yan) | n |
| ⵌ (yaẓ) | zˤ |
| ⴹ (yaḍ) | dˤ |
| ⵗ (yaɣ) | ɣ |
| ⴼ (yaf) | f |
| ⵈ (yaq) | q |
| ⵙ (yas) | s |
| ⵛ (yaš) | ʃ |
| ⵂ (yah) | h |
| ⴳ (yag) | ɡ, ġ |
Grammar
Nouns
Tamahaq nouns belong to two noun classes, traditionally called masculine and feminine, each potentially inflecting for two numbers: singular and plural.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
General rules of Thumb:
- Singular Masculine nouns begin with one of the vowel sounds : a, ă, e, i, u, o.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Plural masculine nouns begin with the sound i.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Feminine singular and plural nouns begin a t.Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
There are a few exceptions to these rules:Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Certain masculine names, no matter whether plural or singular, begin with a consonant e.g. ⵢⵜ (ti) – father Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Some singular Masculine names begin with u and this sound follows through in the plural nouns too e.g. ⵓ (ul) - heart Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- If a masculine singular noun begins with a short sound, it may be represented as ă, and this rule follows through to the plural: e.g. ⵓ (ălu) sing.- ⵏⵓⵍ (ălwăn). Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Some plural masculine names begin with the sound a: e.g. ⵏⵓⵔ (arăwăn) (new born babies) Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
- Some feminine names (plural or singular) don’t begin with a t: e.g. ⴰⵎⵜⵓ (wălătma) – sister / ⴰⵎ (ma)- mother Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
We can also obtain feminine names by adding a T to the beginning and end of a masculine name (although this is not always the case, there are exceptions).Script error: No such module "Footnotes".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Varieties
There are three main varieties of Tamahaq:[2]
- Tahaggart, spoken around the Ahaggar Mountains in southern Algeria by the Kel Ahaggar confederation
- Ajjer, spoken by the Kel Ajjer confederation
- Ghat, spoken around Djanet in southeast Algeria and Ghat in Libya.
According to Blench (2006), Tahaggart and Ghat are distinct Tuareg languages.
References
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