"The Amazigh Chronicles" - Understanding the Amazigh Language and Flag (Part 4)

AZDEAN: Welcome back to another amazing episode of Destination Morocco podcast. In today's episode of the Amazigh Chronicles, we're going to discuss language and identity. And we welcome back Sam and Hiba. Welcome back to the podcast. You're very welcome. So the Amazigh language. I know we did the live Q& A and we talked about it a little bit We talked about Darija, but then we just mentioned a few words in in the Amazigh language Even though the three of us are almost from the same part, but we do speak different languages language.

Apparently, I thought we're all in the same team. So in today we're going to dig deep into the Amazigh language family and its dialect. So I'll start with you, Hiba. If you want to give us a description, some information for us and the listeners, please.

HIBA: Yeah, absolutely. Well, um, the Amazigh language is a linguistic mosaic composed of a myriad of dialects. The Amazigh have cultivated a linguistic legacy that reflects heavily their connection to their homeland. This is from one hand. On the other hand, the Amazigh language family is a group of interrelated closely Afro-Asiatic languages, and what we mean by Afro-Asiatic, which is a group of over 400 languages spoken over North Africa, the Horn of Africa, parts of Sahara and Sahel, as well as Western Asia.

And it is considered to be the word's primary language family. So, based on that, we could say that the Amazigh language, characterized by its ancient roots, it's different in dialects, as well as unique script known as Tifinagh. 

AZDEAN: Tifinagh. Okay. So when you talk about Tifinagh, um, I'm familiar with the word Tifinagh, but a lot of people might not know what Tifinagh is.

If you would explain it to us, then we'll go to Sam. And I'm leaving Sam at the end because he seems like he's on the left side of everything. 

HIBA: Yeah. Okay. Sure. When we talk about Tifinagh, we have to consider three main parts, uh, the first part which is the ancient origins. So, the Tifinagh script is one, as I said, of the oldest scripts.

It has been, uh, used by Yemezeren for centuries, and it is composed of 33 alphabets, uh, including 27 consonants and 6 vowels. Basically, it was developed as historians, denoted during the Phoenician period. That's why many of them said that, okay, the term means literally Phoenician letters. However, it might be older than that because, again, as historians, The, uh, script was founded on rocks and cave shelters, dating back like 3, 000 years, and so, yeah.

Then we have the verbal traditions. So, the Amazigh language has strong oral traditions with storytelling, poetry, and songs that pass down through generations. The last point, cultural identity. Language, in fact, plays a vital role in expressing the amazing culture of Imazigh people. 

AZDEAN: That's really, really incredible.

This is very, very amazing. So, um, can you explain to us, Sam, in your own words, the Tifinagh script? I know, you know, Heba has talked a little bit, if you can add something else. 

SAM: Sure. Thank you very much for this question. What I want just to mention here is the Amazigh or the Imazighan, they kept and they preserved their language, even though many circumstances they went through, through the eras, starting from thousands of years ago.

The language or the Amazon language is plus if you see the Greek language or the Russian language, for example, or the old Roman language, not nowadays European language, but the old Roman language is like similar to the, or the verbal language. Uh, I prefer to use Amazigh language or the than verbal language.

If you allow. Uh, then, uh, what I want to to mention here, I want to add something very important. The Amazigh. The Amazigh have like invasion of many ancient civilizations. We can start first with the Greeks. And then followed by the Romans, then followed by the Vandals, and then the Byzantines, then the Arabs, and recently, for the modern history, the Europeans.

But why the question why the Berbers or the Amazigh, they keep their own language? Even there is like a Greek language, there is like a Roman language, and there is the Phoenician language, but they keep their own language because, as Hiba mentioned, they use it all the time. Oral language. It was oral language.

We never write Tifinagh until 1992, when we created the Amazigh Amazal Congress by some leaders from Algeria, from Morocco, and from Libya. So they developed, they just have like a Tifinagh. As Hiba mentioned, there is 33 alphabets, but there is actually 38. And we have, like, five other alphabets that we use in some places and we don't use in other places, for example.

It looks like the traditional Chinese language versus simplified Chinese language. It's the same in the Amazigh language. 

AZDEAN: Yeah. Oh, that's a lot of information. Thank you for that. Um, I did not know a lot of that as well. So, uh, this is really, really informative. Uh, when we talk about the languages and the Berbers, um, you know, versus there's a lot of civilizations that existed in the past, but they're all gone, but the Berber are still around, and still they're keeping their tradition. You know, for me, I speak it, but I do not write it. So it's very important to mention that the written part of it was created back in 1992, which is not really a long time ago. So for me, I learned it just, you know, verbally, my parents, my friends in the mountains, in the village, and so forth.

So, uh, the other thing that I want to talk about, when we talk about the Amazigh language, and we mentioned this on the first episode, it's really, really diverse. Hiba, can you give us a little bit on this topic, the diversity of the Amazigh language? I know we have mentioned it in the past, but just Let's do an overview, please.

HIBA: The Amazigh language, basically, as you said, is characterized by its diversity. So, we can classify it between three categories. We have the Northern Berber. This includes dialects spoken in Morocco. Algeria, such as Tarifit in Morocco, and Taqbayrit and Tashewit in Algeria. Also, we have Central Berber, and predominantly spoken in central regions of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, as well as Egypt.

So, we have Tamazight and Tashlehit. In central Morocco, central and southwestern Morocco. Then we have Tumzabt in Algeria, central Algeria. Then we have also Siwi in Egypt. The last category called nomadic or nomad-pastoralist. So in the Saari region, spanning across countries like Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Burkina, Faso, Mauritania, and so on.

SAM: They won't just emphasize on what Heba said about, when we say Taqbeilit, it refers to the tribes. And for example, we say Tarifit, it refers to the reef mountains in Morocco, and Taqbelit to the Qabel tribes, Qabel or Qabeli tribes in Algeria. For example, Siwia refers to Siwa Sahara in Egypt, and Tamzabit refers to Mzab, which is a tribe, a big tribe inside Algeria, and the Twerig is a nomad tribe.

Nomadic part because those people they living in the Sahara. This is why we told them the Tuareg or the Tuareg in Arabic or in dialect language. 

AZDEAN: That's really, really good. Okay. So now this is in general, we've talked about, I remember we've talked about this as well on, on the first part, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and then the desert in Egypt.

So let's talk about, The languages that are spoken specifically in Morocco. What people can expect or if they want to learn, you know, a word or two when they visit Morocco, for example, I know we have the Northern side, we have the middle side, then we have the Southern part of Morocco as well. So can we talk specifically about those languages and the diversity of those languages?

And I'll start with you, Hiba, first, if you would, please. 

HIBA: Absolutely, I just want to mention that the term Temezirte, because it might be, people may be confused. The term Temezirte refers to the Amazigh language as a whole, spoken across North Africa. However, It refers to a specific variety spoken in Morocco.

So, that variety also may divide it into dialects, and these dialects may divide it also into other sub dialects, from region to region. So, the Shlijit is, I think, the most spoken dialect in Morocco. Statistics say that about 7 million Moroccans speak this variety, which has been taught in schools. and characterized by its influence on the Moroccan Derija.

Also, we have Tarifid, as I've mentioned before, and Tarifid characterized by being complex a bit from the other dialects. According to statistics, again, about 4 million people speak this unique dialect. Okay, 

AZDEAN: perfect. so much for that, Hiba. 

SAM: In the middle Atlas Mountains, they speak another language, which is not , and it's not , it's called te, which is the noun came from te, and it's specifically to the so southeast.

and the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco. Uh, I agree with Hiba because Tarifid, for example, is a small dialect in Morocco because it's spoken only in the northern part of Morocco. And Tashlehid is big because it's spoken. We can mention, for example, Marrakech, Agadir, or Sousmessa and Agadir and around the region of western, western part, which is Tata, for example, and, uh, Warzazat, Zagora, for example.

It's easier. To speak, Dhan Tarifiit and Dhan Tamazight. Tashlihit is the easiest one because it's, there is many common words between it and the dialect Moroccan Darija. 

HIBA: I just want to add something, that these dialects are used across diverse cultures. Multimedia platforms, uh, so you can hear it on television, press, as well as radio and social media platforms.

AZDEAN: Thank you. Actually, that was, that was going to be my next question because I'm not sure about Sam, but Hiba, I know you're probably very young at that time. When I was growing up in Morocco, there's, uh, the Amazigh language, our people, if you would, there's not a lot of programs on TV or the news. Even when you go to the film industry, we have always been almost, I wouldn't say, uh, ignored, but we felt not equally to the main what's on TV or what's on movies and stuff like that.

Nowadays, it's the, the situation is a little bit better. It's a little different. There's improvement, but there's always more room for improvement when it comes to that. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, but it's really good to see you. us on TV to see us fitting just like everybody else. Uh, so, uh, the Amazigh people are super hospitable, very nice people, very talented people, and there's no difference between us and anybody else.

So, uh, just wanted to, to mention that. 

SAM: All we say now in Tamazight, or the improvement of Amazigh people, especially in terms of media, as you mentioned, uh, Azdean, and, uh, it's just because, thanks to the associations, thanks to the writers, thanks to the people, independent people, including, and they want to thank a man here, which is Mohamed Shafiq, and they want to thank him very, very much.

because he is the one who dedicated his life to the Amazigh language, especially in terms of dictionary, in terms of the conjunction and the grammar, Amazigh grammar, especially. And he did an amazing and exceptional work. And thank you very much to him and to other writers worldwide, especially in Morocco and Algeria and Libya.

AZDEAN: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Now we're going to transition into the flag. We know the flag, we've seen it, we grew up with it, but I have no idea what it means in terms of the symbol, in terms of the color, the significance of them. So, I want to go with Hiba first and see, um, what is the significance of the flag?

of the symbol of the flag. And what does the flag mean? And also what are those colors in the Amazigh flag mean? And also when we say Amazigh, if you can refresh our minds, please, with us, it extends, you know, from what part until what part, so people will have an idea of what we're talking about in terms of the location, geolocation, please.

HIBA: Absolutely. Okay. Well, the Amazigh flag is a prominent element in the Amazigh culture, of course. It is a tool that serves them to maintain their identity, their dignity, their cultural pride as well. It is often characterized by its vibrant colors and the distinctive symbols. So, three main colors we have on, on the top, the blue color.

The blue color in the Amazigh flag stands for the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. And, um, it symbolizes the connection of the Amazigh to their region of waters. Then we have the green color, which is in the middle of the flag. So, uh, the green symbol refers to the fertile land and the richness of the Amazigh lands.

That also signifies the deep connection as well of the Amazigh with their homeland. Then at the end we have the yellow color. The yellow color is often associated with the vast Sahara desert, which is an integral part, of course, of the Amazigh homeland. This is from one hand. On the other hand, some say that it stands for the sun, the color of the sun, and the sun is a crucial element and creator because the Amazigh in the past were worshipping these specific creators, so it has a significant role for them.

SAM: As I said, am the most important for them is their language, their identity, and their land. Okay, so the the flag, it's not just a fabric. 

AZDEAN: Yeah, 

SAM: it's not just a fabric, it's, it's meaning, it's life of the Berbers. So we said, uh, from the sea, the oceans, both oceans in the Mediterranean and Atlantic. to the green in the middle, which is, which is logic because the Amazigh people have a relationship, strong relationship with their land, especially with the agriculture.

Because as we say, the Amazigh calendar started in January, January the 13th, and it's always related to the land and to the agriculture. For the yellow color, as Hiba mentioned, it's to the sand, to the Sahara, to the vast Sahara, where the Amazigh, or especially the Tuareg people, lived and still live in till nowadays.

AZDEAN: You know, when we look at the, the Amazigh flag, there's, there's, Like a sign or a design inside the flag and I didn't know what that meant It looks like a man. It looks like a drawing Can you tell us what that symbol means Heba, please? 

HIBA: Yeah, you will always of course notice this specific symbol on the flag We call it Yaz or Aza which stands for Z in the Latin script This prominent symbol is like a tool by which Berbers represent their language.

We know the significance and importance of the language for them. So they show it to people and maintain it in the flag. 

AZDEAN: Okay. Yeah. Very interesting. Sam, anything else to add? 

SAM: Yes, please. This is the symbol of the Amazigh. The symbol inside the flag, which means three main things. Afghan, Afghan. al-kel, Awel. Okay.

Afghan means people, men, al-kel, land, al-wel, language. This is the three main pillars, if we can say main pillars of the Amazigh or Imaziran, which is the indigenous people of Africa. 

AZDEAN: That's really, really interesting. I did not know that. Wow, so I want to ask Sam and Hiba, if you have anything else to add to what we have discussed or anything you would like the audience to learn or be aware of, if you would.

HIBA: I just want to add a little point concerning the importance of the flag. It's a symbol by which Amazighs affirm their cultural distinctiveness to the world and recognition as well from the world. So it has an amazing and a deep possession for them. 

AZDEAN: Thank you for that. Sam? 

SAM: I want to add just, uh, Amazigh language words more than a study.

Words more than words because it's something very special. It's something unique because to keep this unique script or language for thousands and thousands of years as a verbal language through the music, through the storytelling, through the people, it's not easy. And I do believe that Tamazight right now deserves a lot and deserves to be in all, especially in the whole administrations, especially if I'm talking about Morocco, I'm talking about the other countries, deserves a lot and it deserves to be in our daily life.

And it must be spoken and written by the Amazigh people who are the main and 99. 9 percent of the populations of North Africa. 

AZDEAN: Thank you. This has been an amazing episode. Um, I'm very proud to be a Mazia. I know we all are. And I just want to mention one thing, you know, when we get bookings throughout the years, the number one request that we get is people want to feel they want to be and experience a Berber culture.

And it's, it's not a surprise because the Berber culture is extremely important to Morocco. It's extremely important to us. Our language is very important to us. And as you can see, it's really, really, really diverse. It's not just one language, and it spreads throughout North Africa, not just in Morocco, Algeria, but throughout the world.

North Africa. And that's something that we all identify with. If, if you see somebody from Algeria, you know, wearing the flag or carrying the flag or waving the flag, you don't think and say, hey, you know, he's from Algeria or different country. No, we are the same. We identify as the same. So it's, it has that connection.

It really connects all of us. And we're very grateful. Morocco is a beautiful country to visit. It should be on your bucket list. And we're here for you to experience the best of Morocco. Hiba, as always, thank you so much. Sam, really, really appreciate you and the audience. Thank you for everything. And we'll talk to you next time.