Tamahaq language
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 changes, 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."[2] PhonologyVowels
Consonants
OrthographyTamahaq is written in Tifinagh, an abjad of 25 letters. Like other abjads such as Hebrew and Arabic, it is written from right to left.[3] Vowels
Consonants
GrammarNounsTamahaq nouns belong to two noun classes, traditionally called "masculine" and "feminine", each potentially inflecting for two numbers, singular and plural.[5] In general, singular masculine nouns begin with a vowel (a, ă, e, i, u, or o), plural masculine nouns begin with the sound i, and feminine singular and plural nouns begin with the sound t.[5] There are a few exceptions to these rules:[6]
Feminine nouns can often be formed from masculine nouns by adding /t/ to the beginning and end.[6] VarietiesThere are three main varieties of Tamahaq:[7]
Blench (2006) regards Tahaggart and Ghat as distinct Tuareg languages. References
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