Tamazight
Tamazight is documented on Dialect Atlas across 7 dialects, including Central Atlas Tamazight, Kabyle, Nafusi.
Dialects of Tamazight
- Central Atlas TamazightTamazight · BeraberThe Berber variety of the Middle Atlas mountains in central Morocco. Roughly 2.5 million speakers; the basis of much of the standardised Moroccan Tamazight taught in schools.
- KabyleTaqbaylitThe Berber variety of the Kabylie region in northern Algeria. The most documented and standardised Algerian Tamazight, with a strong written literary tradition.
- NafusiNafusi Berber · Jebel NafusaThe Berber variety of the Nafusa mountains in north-western Libya. Around 200,000 speakers; one of the few surviving Berber languages inside Libya.
- SiwiSiwa BerberThe easternmost surviving Berber language, spoken in the Siwa Oasis of western Egypt. Heavily restructured by Arabic contact; the only Tamazight variety inside Egypt.
- TamasheqTuareg BerberThe Berber variety of the Tuareg confederations across the central Sahara. Written historically in the Tifinagh script, which Tuareg communities have preserved continuously.
- TarifitRiffianThe Berber variety of the Rif region in northern Morocco. Heavily distinct from other Tamazight varieties in phonology, including a strong final-vowel reduction.
- TashelhitShilha · Soussian BerberThe Berber variety of the southern Atlas and Souss valley in Morocco. The most numerous Tamazight variety, with a literary tradition going back centuries.
Common comparisons
All comparisons →