Tamazight

See also: tamazight

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Central Atlas Tamazight ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ (tamaziɣt), the feminine form of ⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ (amaziɣ).

The construction ⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ (maziɣ) suggests that is an ancient verbal adjective of the Proto-Berber verb *MZƔ "to be noble", attested in Tamazight mmuzeɣ (“to be prestigious”) and Tamajeq mujeɣ (“to be noble, brave”).

This has caused some authors to translate Tamazight as "the noble language". In any case, ⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ (maziɣ) is an ethnonym for the Amazigh people today, and it has been historically the case for a number of Amazigh groups in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya and under variant forms amongst the Tuareg. Tamazight is, naturally, the name of the language of the Imazighen.

Pronunciation

• enPR: ˈtăʹm-ə-zĭgt, IPA^(key): /ˈtæm.ə.zɪɡt/
• enPR: ˈtăʹm-ə-zīt, IPA^(key): /ˈtæm.ə.zaɪt/ (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this pronunciation?)

Proper noun

Tamazight

1. The continuum of closely-related Amazigh languages spoken in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and other parts of northern Africa.
2. A specific continuum of mutually intelligible dialects spoken mainly by the Imazighen of the Middle Atlas and High Atlas regions in Morocco.

Derived terms

• Central Atlas Tamazight

 

Further reading

• Ethnologue entry for Central Atlas Tamazight, tzm ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Kabyle, kab ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Tagargrent, oua ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Tidikelt Tamazight, tia ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for Temacine Tamazight, tjo ⁠