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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Mauritania > Hassaniyya

Hassaniyya

A language of Mauritania

ISO 639-3: mey

Population  2,770,000 in Mauritania (2006), increasing. Population total all countries: 3,123,190.
Region  Also in Algeria, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Western Sahara.
Language map  Mauritania
Alternate names   Hasanya, Hasanya Arabic, Hassani, Hassaniya, Hassaniyya Arabic, Klem El Bithan
Dialects  Not intelligible with other Arabic varieties. The ‘Nemadi’ (Ikoku) are an ethnic group of 200 (1967) that speak Hassaniyya, but they have special morphemes for dogs, hunting, and houses. They are nomadic between Mali and Mauritania.
Classification  Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
Language use  Language of wider communication. Vigorous. All domains. All ages. Positive attitude.
Language development  Literacy rate in L1: 5%. Literacy rate in L2: 40% Arabic [arb]; 25% French. Radio programs. Dictionary.
Writing system  Latin script.
Comments  Are called ‘Maures’ (‘Moors’). White Maure are called ‘Bithan’, which may also be used for Maures in general. Black Maures are called ‘Haratine’. Pastoralists; traders. Muslim.

Also spoken in:

Mali

Language name   Arabic, Hasanya
Population  106,000 in Mali (1991).
Region  Nioro and Nara.
Language map  Mali, Enlarged Area
Alternate names  Hassani, Hassaniyya, Maure, Mauri, Moor, Suraka, Suraxxé
Language use  National language.
Comments  Are called ‘Maures’ (‘Moors’). The language is called ‘Suraka’ by the Bambara and ‘Suraxxé’ by the Soninke. Hunter-gatherers. Muslim.
 

Morocco

Language name   Arabic, Hassaniyya
Population  40,000 in Morocco (1995).
Region  South from Laayoune.
Language map 
Alternate names  Hasanya, Hassani, Maure, Mauri, Moor, Sahrawi, Sulaka
 

Niger

Language name   Arabic, Hassaniyya
Population  10,000 in Niger (1998).
Language map  Niger
Alternate names  Hasanya, Hassani, Maure, Mauri, Moor, Sulaka
Comments  Muslim.
 

Senegal

Language name   Hassaniyya
Population  7,190 in Senegal (2006).
Region  Northwest corner.
Alternate names  Hasanya, Hassani, Hassaniya, Klem El Bithan
Language use  Official language. National language.
 

Western Sahara

Language name   Arabic, Hassaniyya
Language map  Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara
Alternate names  Hasanya, Hassani, Maure, Mauri, Moor, Sahrawi, Sulaka
Language use  Official language.