Gurara language

In this article, we are going to explore Gurara language in depth and analyze its impact in different contexts. Gurara language is a topic that has captured the attention of many in recent years, and its relevance continues to increase. Since its appearance, Gurara language has generated passionate debates and sparked growing interest in its study. As we progress in this article, we will examine the importance of Gurara language in today's society, as well as its implications in different areas. We will dive into its origins, evolution and future prospects, offering a comprehensive and detailed view of Gurara language. Through a multidisciplinary approach, we aim to shed light on this topic and provide an exhaustive analysis that allows us to better understand its meaning and impact in today's world.

Gurara
تازناتيت (Taznatit) / ⵜⴰⵣⵏⴰⵜⵉⵜ
Native toAlgeria
RegionGourara (wilaya of Adrar)
Native speakers
26,000, including Tuwat (2014–2022)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3grr (included)
Glottologgour1247
Map of the ksour of Gourara by spoken language

Gurara (Gourara) is a Zenati Berber language spoken in the Gourara (Tigurarin) region, an archipelago of oases surrounding the town of Timimoun in southwestern Algeria. Ethnologue gives it the generic name Taznatit ("Zenati"), along with Tuwat spoken to its south; however, Blench (2006) classifies Gurara as a dialect of Mzab–Wargla and Tuwat as a dialect of the Riff languages.

Characteristics

Gurara and Tuwat are the only Berber languages to change r in certain coda positions to a laryngeal ħ;[2] in other contexts it drops r, turning a preceding schwa into a,[3] and this latter phenomenon exists also in Zenata Rif-Berber in the far northern Morocco.

There is inconclusive evidence for Songhay influence on Gurara.[4]

Ahellil

The local tradition of ahellil poetry and music in Gurara, described in Mouloud Mammeri's L'Ahellil du Gourara,[5] has been listed as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

References

  1. ^ Gurara at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
  2. ^ Basset, René (1887). "Notes de lexicographie berbère". Journal Asiatique. X (8): 390.
  3. ^ Kossmann, Maarten (1999). "Cinq notes de linguistique historique berbère". Études et Documents Berbères. 17: 131–152. doi:10.3917/edb.017.0131. S2CID 193269275.
  4. ^ Kossmann, Maarten (2004). "Is there a Songhay substratum in Gourara Berber?". In Kossmann, Maarten; Vossen, Rainer; Ibriszimow, Dymitr (eds.). Nouvelles études berbères: Le verbe et autres articles. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe. pp. 51–66.
  5. ^ Mammeri, Mouloud (1984). L'Ahellil du Gourara. Paris: M.S.H.