Languages of Algeria

Languages of Algeria
OfficialArabic
Tamazight
RegionalHassaniya Arabic (unrecognized)
Korandje (unrecognized)[1]
VernacularVarieties of Arabic (81%)[2]

Berber languages (27.4%)

ImmigrantTurkish
ForeignFrench 70%
English 8%
SignedAlgerian Sign Language
Keyboard layout
Trilingual signs at the Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi-Ouzou

Arabic, particularly the Algerian Arabic dialect, is the most widely spoken language in Algeria,[3][4] but a number of regional and foreign languages are also spoken. The official languages of Algeria are Arabic and Berber,[5] as specified in its constitution since 1963 for the former and since 2016 for the latter.[6][7] Berber has been recognized as a "national language" by constitutional amendment since 8 May 2002. In February, 2016, a constitutional resolution was passed making Berber an official language alongside Arabic. Arabic is spoken by about 81% of Algerians,[4] while Berber languages are spoken by 27%.[3][8] French, though it has no official status, is still used in media (some newspapers) and education due to Algeria's colonial history. Kabyle, with 3 million speakers, is the most spoken Berber language in the country, is taught and partially co-official (with a few restrictions) in parts of Kabylie.

Malika Rebai Maamri, author of "The Syndrome of the French Language in Algeria," said "The language spoken at home and in the street remains a mixture of Algerian dialect and French words."[9] Due to the number of languages and complexity involving those languages, Maamri argued that "[t]oday the linguistic situation in Algeria is dominated by multiple discourses and positions."[9]

  1. ^ Lewis, M. Paul, ed. (2009). "Languages of Algeria". Ethnologue: Languages of the World (sixteenth edition). SIL International. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  2. ^ "Languages of Algeria". Algeria.com. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  3. ^ a b c "What Languages Are Spoken In Algeria?". WorldAtlas. 2019-06-13. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  4. ^ a b "Languages of Algeria". Algeria.com. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  5. ^ Constitution of Algeria.
  6. ^ Tamazight official in Algeria
  7. ^ "Algeria reinstates term limit and recognises Berber language". BBC News. 7 February 2016.
  8. ^ Leclerc, Jacques (2009-04-05). "Algérie: Situation géographique et démolinguistique". L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde. Université Laval. Archived from the original on 2010-01-24. Retrieved 2010-01-08."Aujourd'hui, la majorité des Algériens sont arabophones dans une proportion de 72 %. Parmi les Arabophones, c'est l'arabe algérien qui dominent nettement avec 60 % de la population totale et 83,2 % des arabophones. Les autres arabophones parlent le hassaniyya (11,3 %), l'arabe marocain (0,4 %), l'arabe du Sahara (0,1 %), l'arabe égyptien, voire l'arabe irakien. Toutes les variétés d'arabe appartiennent au groupe sémitique de la famille chamito-sémitique. Mais tous les arabophones d'Algérie parlent l'arabe dialectal ou l'arabe dit algérien (ou ses diverses variétés) pour communiquer entre eux. Autrement dit, à l'oral, c'est l'arabe algérien qui sert de langue véhiculaire, mais à l'écrit, c'est l'arabe classique."
  9. ^ a b Maamri, Malika Rebai. "The Syndrome of the French Language in Algeria." (Archive) International Journal of Arts and Sciences. 3(3): 77 – 89 (2009) CD-ROM. ISSN 1944-6934 p. 10 of 13

© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search