Ethnologue.com home

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
16th edition

Ethnologue: Languages of the World
US$ 100.00
Add to cart

Preview print edition

Most Recent
SIL Publications
Reduced Price SIL Publications


ABOUT SSL CERTIFICATES
Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Africa > Morocco > Tamazight, Central Atlas

Tamazight, Central Atlas

A language of Morocco

ISO 639-3: tzm

Population  3,000,000 in Morocco (1998). Population total all countries: 3,150,000.
Region  Middle Atlas, High Atlas, east High Atlas Mountains. 1,200,000 in rural areas between Taza, Khemisset, Azilal, Errachidia; 100,000 outside language area. Also in Algeria, France.
Language map  Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara
Alternate names   Central Shilha, Middle Atlas Berber, Shilha
Dialects  Central Atlas, South Oran. Much variety in dialects. May be more than one language.
Classification  Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Northern, Atlas
Language use  One of the major Berber languages. 40% monolingual. Others use Arabic as L2.
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: Men 25%, women 5%. Bible portions: 1919–1981.
Writing system  Arabic script. Latin script. Tifinagh (Berber) script.
Comments  65% live in rural areas, 10% live outside the traditional area. VSO (for Berber).

Also spoken in:

Algeria

Language name   Tamazight, Central Atlas
Region  West Atlas moutains area, adjacent valleys to Taza, Rabat area, south near Morocco border.
Language map  Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara
Alternate names  Central Shilha, Middle Atlas Berber
Dialects  South Oran.
Language use  A widely used Berber language.
Comments  ‘Berber’ is the name of the people. Muslim.