The extension of Tashelhiyt and its seniority

Tashelhiyt, one of the Amazigh language in Morocco, must be spoken in a vast northern space African. The current surface of Tashelhiyt which is limited to the valley of Suss, the Anti-Atlas and the Western Atlas in fact only the last refuge would be where this language was folded up on itself since centuries. It is a hasty conclusion which I allow it to make after having consulted series of recent works. In Rif it exist a small linguistic island area isolated from the remainder of the Zenati language of Rif.

This small island in the process of fast disappearance, concerns certainly Tashelhiyt. The consulted works are: of the enigmas. Arabo-Amazigh lexicons of the XVII Th century. Centuries. In this work (the revelation of the enigmas.), the author presents an old dictionary dating from 11th. Century or appeared a list of Amazigh words of the Tashelhiyt language. Then, he wonders how the author of this dictionary Ibn Tunart, native of Qala' has Beni Hammad in current Algeria, could talk an old dialect which is supposed to be only spoken in the western southern part of Morocco.

The two lexicons come from a bilingual lexicon heading Kitab Al-asma “Lives of the names”, compiled by Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Ja' far Al-Qaysi in year 1145. This lexicon or rather dictionary, whose author is commonly known under the name of Ibn Tunart, is mentioned by have-Susi (Mokhtar Soussi, 1900-1963, red.) like a “tarjamat alfaz 3arabiyya Bi-chelh' has” (translation Arab in Chelha) One can find details on the life of Ibn Tunart in several biographical dictionaries. Ibn Tunart was born into 1058 A Qal' At Bani Hammad, in the north of Algeria. He went has the school in Bougie and Algiers, studied in Cordova in Andalusia and, later, followed the occupation of judge and of teacher in Fez, or he died into 1172. Four drafting different from “Kitab Al-asma” were preserved in the manuscripts dating from 17 century. They are all the four of the author himself. The fourth, most important, contains more than 2.500 Arab entries with their translation into Amazigh. The entries are classified by subject (the human body, the domestic animals, plants…).

This classification was probably inspired by the “Muxassas” of Ibn Sida (Mr. 1066), encyclopaedic dictionary classifies by subjects. All the other much known Arab dictionaries, like the “Jamhara” of Ibn Durayd and the “Sah' ih'” of Al-Jawhari are classified alphabetically. Of all the modern Amazigh languages, that which approaches more of old Amazigh used by Ibn Tunart is the Tashelhiyt. That appears clearly through the vocabulary of Ibn Tunart who’s more share of the words can be found in the modern tachelhit and who contains typical words Tashelhiyt like “aghwy” (calf), “afulekey” (beauty), “asengar” (millet”, “asid” (ostrich), “tigemmi” (house), “idgam” (yesterday) and “dar” (at), all like morphological features, the such pronominal affix of the second nobody of the singular “you… - and”, the pronominal suffix of the person of female plural” - wnet ", the prefix deictic “deg. .” and the conclusive suffix “elli”. Several of these words and affixes can be found in one or more other Amazigh speeches, but the Tashelhiyt is the only language or one meets them at the same time all.

There are several words which do not appear in the Amazigh one of Ibn Tunart and the Tashelhiyt premoderne of the handwritten texts, for example “will kasra” (only), “wala” (very”), “ayseladd” (except). One can find passages write in this same Amazigh old in the anonymity “Kitab Al-ansab” (Book of the genealogies) and in the Al-Baydaq memories (XIIe. and XIIIe. centuries). A point remains has to clear up: how Amazigh born in Algeria, could he speak what seems to be an old form of the Tashelhiyt. In theory one can consider that Ibn Tunart did not speak the Amazigh and using the language about his students of Fès, but that is improbable. A thorough investigation of this question must be pays has a later date.