Atlas languages
Encyclopedia
The Atlas languages, or more exactly Moroccan Atlas, also Masmuda, are a subgroup of the Northern Berber languages
spoken in the Atlas Mountains
of Morocco
. By mutual intelligibility
, they are a single language; however, they are distinct sociolinguistically and are considered separate languages by the Royal institute of the Amazigh culture
. They are,
Northern Berber languages
The Northern Berber languages form a dialect continuum across the Maghreb that constitute a branch of the Berber language subgroup of the Afroasiatic family...
spoken in the Atlas Mountains
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains is a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The highest peak is Toubkal, with an elevation of in southwestern Morocco. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert...
of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. By mutual intelligibility
Mutual intelligibility
In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is recognized as a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related languages can readily understand each other without intentional study or extraordinary effort...
, they are a single language; however, they are distinct sociolinguistically and are considered separate languages by the Royal institute of the Amazigh culture
Royal institute of the Amazigh culture
The Royal institute of the Amazigh culture is an academic institute of the Moroccan government in charge with the development and the promotion of the Berber languages of Morocco....
. They are,
- Shilha (Tashelhiyt)
- Central Morocco TamazightCentral Morocco TamazightCentral Atlas Tamazight is a Berber languageCentral Atlas Tamazight may be referred to as either a Berber language or a Berber dialect...
(Central Atlas Berber) - Judeo-BerberJudeo-Berber languageJudeo-Berber , is a term used primarily for the Berber varieties traditionally spoken by the Jewish communities of certain parts of central and southern Morocco. Speakers emigrated to Israel in the 1950s and 1960s. While mutually comprehensible with the Tamazight spoken by most inhabitants of the...