Tashelḥit
Tashelhit
Afro-Asiatic (Berber)
Also known as: Tashelhit, Shilha, Tachelhit
Tashelhit (Shilha, Tachelhit) is Morocco's largest Berber/Amazigh language, spoken by ~4.7M in the Western High Atlas, Anti-Atlas, and Souss Valley. Co-official Amazigh language of Morocco since the 2011 constitutional reform. Notable for the longest continuously documented Berber written tradition: Sufi religious poetry in Arabic-script Tashelhit dates from the 16th century (al-Hawḍ of al-Hawzālī, 1665). Three writing systems coexist: Tifinagh (revived official since 2003), Arabic script, and Latin transliteration.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Tashelhit
Water
aman
/aman/
Fire
timsi
/timsi/
Sun
tafukt
/tafukt/
Moon
ayyur
/ajːuɾ/
Mother
imma
/imːa/
Father
baba
/baba/
Eat
čč
/tʃː/
Drink
ssu
/sːu/
Love
tayri
/tajɾi/
Heart
ul
/ul/
Tree
aseklu
/aseklu/
House
tigemmi
/tiɡemːi/
Dog
aydi
/ajdi/
Cat
amuš
/amuʃ/
Hand
afus
/afus/
Eye
tiṭṭ
/titˤː/
Hello
azul
/azul/
Thank you
tanmmirt
/tanmːiɾt/
One
yan
/jan/
Good
ifulki
/ifulki/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Afro-Asiatic (Berber) languages
| Meaning | Tashelhit | Central Atlas Tamazight | Shawiya | Kabyle | Tarifit | Tamasheq (Tuareg) | Old Malay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | aman /aman/ | aman /aman/ | aman /aman/ | aman /aman/ | aman /aman/ | aman /aman/ | ayar /ajar/ |
| Fire | timsi /timsi/ | times /times/ | times /times/ | times /timəs/ | thmessi /θmesːi/ | tǝmsi /təmsi/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | tafukt /tafukt/ | tafukt /tafukt/ | ittij /itːiʒ/ | iṭij /itˤiʒ/ | dhish /ðiʃ/ | tafuk /tafuk/ | matari /matari/ |
| Moon | ayyur /ajːuɾ/ | ayyur /ajːuɾ/ | ayur /ajuɾ/ | aggur /aɡːuɾ/ | ayyur /ajːuɾ/ | ayor /ajor/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Mother | imma /imːa/ | yemma /jemːa/ | ima /ima/ | yemma /jəmːa/ | yemma /jemːa/ | anna /anːa/ | ibu /ibu/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | baba /baba/ | abba /abba/ | bapa /bapa/ |
| Eat | čč /tʃː/ | ečč /etʃː/ | etš /etʃ/ | ečč /ətʃː/ | eč /etʃ/ | ekš /əkʃ/ | makan /makan/ |
| Drink | ssu /sːu/ | sew /səw/ | su /su/ | sew /səw/ | su /su/ | esu /əsu/ | minum /minum/ |
| Love | tayri /tajɾi/ | tayri /tajɾi/ | tayri /tajɾi/ | tayri /tajɾi/ | tayri /tajɾi/ | tara /tara/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ |
| Heart | ul /ul/ | ul /ul/ | ul /ul/ | ul /ul/ | ul /ul/ | ul /ul/ | hati /hati/ |
| Tree | aseklu /aseklu/ | aseklu /aseklu/ | aseklu /asekːlu/ | ttejra /tːəʒɾa/ | asɣar /asʁaɾ/ | ašǝk /aʃək/ | kayu /kaju/ |
| House | tigemmi /tiɡemːi/ | tigemmi /tiɡemːi/ | axxam /axːam/ | axxam /aχːam/ | thaddart /θadːaɾt/ | ehǝn /ehən/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Dog | aydi /ajdi/ | aydi /ajdi/ | aydi /ajdi/ | aydi /ajdi/ | aydi /ajdi/ | aydi /ajdi/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | amuš /amuʃ/ | amuš /amuʃ/ | mucc /mutʃː/ | amcic /amʃiʃ/ | mucc /mutʃː/ | amuš /amuʃ/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Hand | afus /afus/ | afus /afus/ | afus /afus/ | afus /afus/ | fus /fus/ | afus /afus/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Eye | tiṭṭ /titˤː/ | tiṭṭ /titˤː/ | tiṭ /titˤ/ | tiṭ /titˤ/ | thiṭ /θitˤ/ | tiṭṭ /titˤː/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | azul /azul/ | azul /azul/ | azul /azul/ | azul /azul/ | azul /azul/ | mâ təlla /ma təlːa/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | tanmmirt /tanmːiɾt/ | tanmmirt /tanmːiɾt/ | tanmirt /tanmiɾt/ | tanemmirt /tanəmːiɾt/ | tanəmmirt /tanəmːiɾt/ | tanǝmmirt /tanəmːiɾt/ | — /—/ |
| One | yan /jan/ | yan /jan/ | ijj /ijː/ | yiwen /jiwən/ | ijj /ijː/ | iyǝn /ijən/ | sa /sa/ |
| Good | ifulki /ifulki/ | ifulki /ifulki/ | ighwdha /iʁʷða/ | yelha /jəlħa/ | šenmu /ʃenmu/ | ihossǝn /ihosːən/ | baik /baik/ |
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