Languages of Algeria 944942 220577342 2008-06-20T15:06:04Z 80.25.121.159 /* Other */ {| border=1 align=right cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=300 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |+ | align="center" colspan="2"| <big><big><b>Languages of Algeria</b></big></big> |- | '''Official language'''|| [[Literary Arabic]] |- | '''Major native language'''|| [[Algerian Arabic]] 55% |- |'''Minority language'''|| [[Berber languages]] 45% |- | '''Main immigrant languages'''|| |- | '''Main foreign language'''|| [[French language|French]] |} [[Image:Kabylia-3lingual sign.jpg|thumb|185px|right|Trilingual welcome sign in Isser Municipality, ([[Boumerdès Province|Boumerdès]]) written in [[Arabic language|Arabic]], [[Kabyle language|Kabyle]] ([[Tifinagh]] script), and [[French language|French]].]] The [[official language]] of [[Algeria]] is [[Arabic language|Arabic]], as specified in its constitution since [[1963]]. In addition to this, [[Berber languages|Berber]] has been recognized as a "[[national language]]" by constitutional amendment since [[May 8]], [[2002]]. Between them, these two [[language]]s are the [[native language]]s of over 99% of Algerians, with Arabic spoken by about 55% and Berber by 45% <ref>[http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/AXL/AFRIQUE/algerie-1demo.htm http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/AXL/], Jacques Leclerc, ''L’aménagement linguistique dans le monde''.</ref>. [[French language|French]], though it has no official status, is still widely used in [[government]], culture, media (newspapers) and [[education]] (since [[primary school]]), due to [[French rule in Algeria|Algeria's colonial history]], and [[English Language|English]] is also taught from [[Middle school]]. ==Currently spoken languages== ===Arabic=== [[Arabic language|Arabic]] is the language of 55% of Algeria's population, particularly [[Algerian Arabic]] spoken by 50 %; in addition to this, non-native speakers learn Arabic at school, so in fact 83.2%{{Fact|date=July 2007}} of the population understands [[Standard Arabic]] or the Algerian Arabic dialect. In Algeria, as elsewhere, spoken Arabic differs very substantially from written Arabic; [[Algerian Arabic]] has a much-simplified vowel system, a substantially changed vocabulary with many new words and many words from [[Berber languages|Berber]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]], and [[French language|French]], and, like all [[Arabic dialect]]s, has dropped the [[case ending]]s of the written language. Within Algerian Arabic itself, there are significant local variations; [[Jijel Arabic]], in particular, is noteworthy for its pronunciation of ''qaf'' as ''kaf'' and its profusion of Berber [[loanword]]s, and the dialects of some ports show influence from [[Andalusi Arabic]] brought by refugees from [[al-Andalus]]. Algerian Arabic is part of the [[Maghrebi Arabic]] [[dialect continuum]], and fades into [[Moroccan Arabic]] and [[Tunisian Arabic]] along the respective borders. In the [[Sahara]] more conservative [[Bedouin]] dialects, grouped under the name [[Saharan Arabic]], are spoken; in addition, the many [[Sahrawi]] refugees at [[Tindouf]] speak [[Hassaniya|Hassaniya Arabic]]. Most [[Jew]]s of [[Algeria]] once spoke dialects of Arabic specific to their community, collectively termed "[[Judeo-Arabic language|Judeo-Arabic]]"; however, most came to speak [[French language|French]] in the colonial period even before emigrating to [[France]] and [[Israel]] after independence. ===Berber=== [[Image:Berber as percentage of total popn Algeria 1966.jpeg|thumb|right|200px|Percent speaking Berber in each ''[[wilaya]]'' in [[1966]]]] The [[Berber languages]] (or Berber language) are spoken in many parts of Algeria, but mainly in [[Kabylia]], in the [[Aurès]], and in the [[Sahara]] ([[Tuaregs]]); 45% of Algerians speak Berber. The Berber languages/dialects spoken in Algeria include: In the north: * [[Kabyle language|Kabyle]] in [[Kabylia]] about 5 million inhabitants in Algeria specially in Algiers, Bejaia, Tizi-Ouzou, Bouira, Setif, Boumerdes. * [[Chaouia language|Chaouia]] in the [[Aurès]] about 4 million inhabitants specially in Batna, Khenchela, Sétif, Souk Ahras, Oum-El-Bouaghi, Tebessa. * [[Chenoua language|Chenoua]] in [[Tipaza Province]] * [[Tarifit language|Tarifit]] around [[Arzew]] and Tlemcen, Sidi Belabes Probably extinct, in western Algeria: * [[Beni Snous]] * [[Achacha]] * [[Ouarsenis]] * [[Bel Halima]] * [[Haraoua]] In the Sahara: *[[Tumzabt language]] in the [[Mzab]] *[[Ouargli language]] at [[Ouargla]] * language of [[Touat]] and [[Gourara]] (called "Taznatit" by the Ethnologue, but that name is in fact used for most of the Zenati languages) * language of [[Touggourt]] and [[Temacine]] * [[Tidikelt language|Tidikelt]] * [[Tamahaq language|Tamahaq]], among the [[Tuareg]] of the [[Hoggar]] (see [[Tuareg languages]]) * "[[Tachelhit language|Tachelhit]]", the dialect of the western [[ksour]]s (see also [[Figuig]]). Despite the name, this is not the same as Moroccan [[Tashelhiyt language|"Tachelhit"]]). Until the [[Phoenicians]]' arrival, Berber was spoken throughout Algeria, as later attested by early [[Tifinagh]] inscriptions. Despite the growth of [[Punic]], [[Latin]], and later Arabic, it remained the main language of Algeria until the invasion of the [[Banu Hilal]] in the 11th century. ===French=== [[French language|French]] is a part of the standard school curriculum, and is widely understood; [[Ethnologue]] estimates indicate that 20% of the population can read and write it<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=FRN http://www.ethnologue.com/]</ref> other sources estimate much larger percentages. Some two-thirds of Algerians have a "fairly broad" grasp of French, and half speak it as a second language.<ref>[http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/AXL/AFRIQUE/algerie-1demo.htm Algérie: situation géographique et démolinguistique<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> French is widely used in media and commerce. There is also a very small community of French native speakers, including [[pied-noir]]s who stayed behind, and people raised in French-speaking households. During the French colonisation, about one million French native speakers lived in Algeria. The pied-noirs developed a distinctive dialect, termed [[Pataouète]]. ===English=== [[English language|English]], because of its status as a global [[lingua franca]], is taught from the first year of [[Middle School]], and is occasionally used in signs and sometimes in official documents. However, only a tiny number of Algerians speak English, most of them younger people. ===Sub-Saharan African languages=== The [[Korandje language]] of the Saharan [[oasis]] of [[Tabelbala]] is a heavily Berber-influenced variety of [[Songhay languages|Songhay]], a language more widely spoken far to the south in [[Niger]]. Another northern Songhay language, [[Tadaksahak language|Tadaksahak]], may be spoken in parts of the far south; its nomadic speakers range over a wide area centered in northern [[Mali]]. There are also a few thousand [[Hausa language|Hausa]] speakers in the south. ===Sign languages=== [[Algerian Sign Language]] is used in Algeria by the deaf; it has sometimes been used on national TV. ==Formerly spoken languages== ===Other=== *[[Ladino language|Ladino]] was formerly spoken by some Algerian [[Jew]]s, particularly around [[Oran]], in the [[Tetuani]] dialect; however, most shifted to [[French language|French]] during the colonial period. * The [[Mediterranean Lingua Franca]] or Sabir, a mixture of many [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] languages, was once widespread as a means of communication with foreigners in the ports, including the slaves of the [[bagnio]]s and the European [[renegade]]s that joined the [[Barbary pirates]]; after [[1830]], it gradually disappeared, its functions taken over by French. * [[Spanish language|Spanish]] has a long history in [[Oran]], which was occupied by Spain between [[1509]] and [[1790]]; it has left some traces in that city's dialect. It was also spoken by [[pied-noir]]s immigrating from the Spanish Mediterranean. Also is spoken by saharauis in the Area of [[Tindouf|Tinduf]]. [[Latin]] itself, of course, was the language of the [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] occupation; it became widely spoken in the coastal towns, and [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] attests that in his day it was gaining ground over [[Punic]]. However, it gave way to [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and [[Berber languages|Berber]] after the [[Umayyads]]' conquest, leaving only a few [[loanword]]s in those two languages. ===Phoenician=== [[Phoenician languages|Phoenician]], particularly in its North African [[Punic]] form, was brought to Algeria by [[Carthage]]'s influence, and was widely spoken in its east for a time; [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] grew up speaking it, and quotes occasional phrases. However, by his time the language was losing ground to Latin, and no trace of it survives now (apart from occasional names of places). ===Ottoman Turkish=== [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rule after the 16th century brought a dominant minority of [[Turkic peoples|Turks]] to Algeria, particularly concentrated in the large cities; for a while, [[Ottoman Turkish]] became a major governmental language. However, over time these Turks gradually assimilated, and, while many families of partial Turkish descent remain in Algeria, none speak the language. ==References== <references/> ==External links== *[http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Algeria Ethnologue listing for Algeria] *[http://www.nzz.ch/english/background/2002/05/31_algeria.html Algeria's Unresolved Language Conflict] *[http://www.geocities.com/lameens/alg-lang.html A User's Guide to Algerian Languages] *[http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/algerie.htm Langues d'Algérie] *[http://www.panafril10n.org/wikidoc/pmwiki.php/PanAfrLoc/Algeria PanAfriL10n page on Algeria] *[http://www.dicodialna.com Algerian-Dardja Dictionary ] {{Africa in topic|Languages of}} [[Category:Languages of Algeria| ]] [[fr:Langues d'Algérie]]