jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
2 1 Introduction
The term Tuareg (French touareg or touareg) is a Hassaniya Arabic rather
than Berber term. It is the plural twairag of the Hassaniya noun ta:rg-i, which
denotes a (freeborn) Tuareg warrior. The Tuareg refer to their own language as
t-ae-ma:saeq-q (or variant, see below), a feminine noun based on a stem
-mdisaer- whose core sense is again 'Tuareg warrior'. The northern Berber
language name "Tamazight" is cognate.
Because Tuareg varieties are spoken by nomads and transhumants over a
vast area in southern Algeria, northern Mali, the north of the Republic of
Niger, and (more recently) in Burkina Faso, and because in a given local area
there are many tribal and caste divisions that have linguistic ramifications, it is
very difficult to decide whether we are dealing with a single "Tuareg"
language (with many dialects), or two or more languages (each with some
internal dialectal variation).
One popular division of Tuareg is given in (3).
(3) Tuareg (Popular Version)
a. Tamashek (Tamachek, Tamashaq) Mali (except Menaka)
b. Tamajak (Tamajek, Tamajeq) Niger, Mali (Menaka)
c. Tamahak (Tamahaq) Algeria (Hoggar range)
The division in (3) is based on the pronunciation of the name for the
language itself, which consists of FeSg affix complex t-a-...-t (as in all
language names) sandwiched around the noun stem -maisasY- (or variant). The
difference is in the sibilant, which appears as s in Tamashek (see above), as ζ
in Tamajak (where "j" is pronounced as in French), and as h in Tamahak.
However, Tamajak itself is divided into two rather distinct groups that
might be regarded as having autonomous status. The version in (4) is therefore
arguably better than the popular version, though at present I have no well-
researched view on the matter and reserve the right to change my mind in the
future.
(4) Tuareg (Revised Version)
a. Tamashek (Tamachek) Mali (Kidal, Gao, Timbuktu)
b. Tawellemmett (Tawallammat) Niger (NW), Mali (Menaka)
c. Tayert (Tayart) Niger (north, Air range)
d. Tamahak (Tamahaq) Algeria (Hoggar)
Tawellemmett is the language of the Iwellemeden tribal confederation that
occupies much of northwestern Niger and extends into the Menaka region in
eastern Mali. Tayert is named after the Air mountains.
In the on-line Ethnologue (on the SIL webpage, viewed in 2004),
population figures were given as 270,000 for Tamashek, 62,000 for Tamahak,
640,000 for Tawellemmett, and 250,000 for Tayert.
