Atlas languages

Atlas languages ​​are one of the three groups of the North Berber branch of languages, along with Zenith and Kabil . The Atlas languages ​​are divided into three subgroups: Shilkh, Tamazight and Senkhaj. It is traditionally believed that each of these subgroups is represented by one language, while the Shilkh and Tamazigh languages ​​are divided into a number of dialects, the differences between which make it difficult to understand ^{[~ 1]} . In reality, the main groups of dialects of tashelhita and tamazighta can be considered as independent languages. The language of Senhaj is genetically closer to the Shilkh than to the Tamazight languages.
The Atlas languages ​​group includes the following linguistic (or dialectic) associations:

• Shilkh languages ^[7] :
  • Staroshilhsky ;
  • Sussky ;
  • High Atlas shilhsky ;
  • Antiatlas Shilkh ;
  • Yuzhnoshilhsky ;
  • Jewish-Berber dialects .
• Tamazight languages ^[7] :
  • Middle Atlas Tamazight ;
  • East High Atlas Tamazigh ;
  • Demnatsky ;
  • Jewish-Berber dialects .
• Senhaja (Senhaja, Senhaja-srair) .

In the works of some researchers of the Berber languages, the Atlas group includes the language that occupies an intermediate position between the Atlas and Zenet groups in terms of their language characteristics. It is possible that it was originally a Zenet language that was strongly influenced by neighboring Tamazight dialects. In some classifications of the Berber languages, the Senhaj language is not included in the Atlas group, it is classified as the Zenithian reef languages , most likely the Senkhaj is a genetically Atlas language that has been strongly influenced by its neighboring Reef languages. The Old Schilch language is represented by ancient Berber written monuments, the earliest of which dates from 1145. Atlas dialects, conventionally called the Hebrew-Berber language (Hebrew-Berber dialects), differ from other dialects of tashelhit and tamazight only in the use of Hebrew writing and some borrowings from the Hebrew language ^{[~ 2]} .

According to the Ethnologue World Languages ​​Directory, the following languages ​​are included in the Atlas group ^[4] :

• Jewish-Berber language ( judeo-berber );
• Tachelhit ( tachelhit );
• Central Atlas tamazight ( tamazight , central Atlas ).

The classification of the British linguist Roger Blench in the Atlas group distinguishes two languages ^[8] :

• Tashelhit, (shilha) ( tachlit , shilha );
• Tamazight ( tamazight ).

According to the classification published in the work of S. A. Burlak and S. A. Starostin “Comparative historical linguistics”, three subgroups of languages ​​are distinguished in the Atlas group ^[5] :

• Seghrushen ;
• Shilkh (tashelheit) languages : Ntifa , Semlal , Baamrani ;
• Beber (tamazight) languages : Isayan , Izdeg , Ndir, messad.

In the classification of Berber languages ​​in the article “Berber-Libyan Languages” by A. Yu. Militarev , published in a linguistic encyclopedic dictionary , the Atlas group is considered as a dialect continuum , including two groups of Berber dialects ^[3] :

• Dialects of tashelchite ^[9] - tinduft , igliua , taserwalt , ida in semall , ntifa and others;
• Dialects of tamazighta , or Beraber ^[10] - Ait issdeg, Izayan , Beni Mild and others.

The language of senkhaj in the article "Berbero-Libyan languages" is included in the Zenet group.

Speakers of Atlas languages ​​and dialects inhabit the central regions of Morocco and the border regions of western Algeria with Morocco.
The Shilkh languages ​​are spoken southwest of the Tamazight languages, their range includes the western part of the High Atlas mountains, the Antiatlas mountains and the Sus river valley in the south of central Morocco and the west of Algeria (several villages along the border with Morocco in the west of Bechar province and north-west of Tindouf province ) Atlas languages ​​are a dialect continuum - in the northern and eastern regions of the Shilkh area, the languages ​​Shilkh and Tamazight are united by transitional dialects. The Tamazight range includes the eastern part of the High Atlas mountains, the mountains of the Middle Atlas and some lowland areas and foothills north of the Middle Atlas in central Morocco ^[13] . Native speakers of the Senkhaj language inhabit the southern slopes of the central part of the Er Reef Mountains north of the city of Taunat (it is possible that the language has already died out). The Jewish-Berber language has practically disappeared (only a few hundred representatives of the older generation in Israel who speak this language remain, until the 1950-1960s, speakers of Jewish-Berber dialects lived in Morocco among tamazigkhts in the mountains of the Middle Atlas and among shilkhs in the mountains of the High Atlas and in the valley of the Sousse). Some of the speakers of Atlas languages ​​live in Europe , mainly in France .

According to the Ethnologue handbook, the number of speakers of the tashelhit language is 3,890 thousand people (Morocco, 2004) ^[1] , the Tamazight language in Morocco - 2,340 thousand people (2004), the total Tamazight language - 2,490 thousand people ^{[ 2]} , in the language of Senkhaj - 40 thousand people (2011) ^[14] , in Jewish-Berber dialects - about 2 thousand people (1992) ^[15] . A. Yu. Militarev in the article “Berber-Libyan Languages” ( Great Russian Encyclopedia ) provides data on the number of speakers of Shilian languages ​​- about 4 million people and Tamazight languages ​​- over 3 million people ^[13] .

In the languages ​​of the Atlas group, in comparison with other Berber-Libyan languages, vocalism is presented in the most reduced form - for Atlas languages, a series of several consonants resulting from the loss of vowels are common.

As with all other Berber-Libyan languages, except Tuareg , Atlas languages ​​are characterized by numerous borrowings from the Arabic language ^[3] .

• Berbers

Comments

Sources

• Atlas MultiTree: A Digital Library of Language Relationships (2009). Archived June 4, 2013. (Retrieved June 4, 2013)
• Maps of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara . Ethnologue: Languages ​​of the World (17th Edition) (2013). - Map of the languages ​​of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Western Sahara. Archived May 23, 2013. (Retrieved June 4, 2013)