Tifinagh

Tifinagh
Entrance to Kidal. The name of the town is written in Traditional Tifinagh (ⴾⴸⵍ) and Latin script.

Tifinagh (pronounced [tifinaɣ], written ⵜⵉⴼⵉⵏⴰⵖ in Neo-Tifinagh, تيفيناغ in the Berber Arabic alphabet and Tifinagh in the Berber Latin alphabet) is a series of abjad and alphabetic scripts used by some Berber peoples, notably the Tuareg, to write their language.[1]

A modern derivate of the traditional script, known as Neo-Tifinagh, was introduced in the 20th century. It is not in widespread use as a means of daily communication, but often serves to assert a Berber identity politically and symbolically. A slightly modified version of the traditional script, called Tifinagh Ircam, is used in a limited number of Moroccan elementary schools in teaching the Berber language to children.

The word tifinagh or tifinigh is widely thought to be a feminine plural cognate of Punic, through the feminine prefix ti- and Latin Punicus; thus tifinigh would mean "the Phoenician (letters)".[2][3]

Contents

Origins

The origin of the script is known as "Proto-Tifinagh", or as Libyco-Berber script. It was in use between about the 3rd century BC and the 3rd century AD.

Proto-Tifinagh
Type Abjad
Time period 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD
Parent systems
Proto-Sinaitic alphabet
Child systems Tifinagh, Neo-Tifinagh
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols.

There are two known variants: eastern and western. The eastern variant was used in what is now Constantine, the Aures region and Tunisia. It is the best-deciphered variant, due to the discovery of several Numidian bilingual inscriptions in Libyan and Punic (notably at Dougga in Tunisia.) 22 letters out of the 24 were deciphered. The western variant was more primitive (Février 1964–1965). It was used along the Mediterranean coast from Kabylia to the Canary Islands. It used 13 supplementary letters.

The Libyco-Berber script was a pure Abjad; it had no vowels. Gemination was not marked. The writing was usually from the bottom to the top, although right-to-left, and even other orders, were also found.

Tuareg Tifinagh

Tifinagh (Tuareg)
Type Abjad
Languages Tuareg language
Time period ?? to present
Parent systems
Proto-Sinaitic alphabet
Child systems Neo-Tifinagh
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols.

The Proto-Tifinagh script survived as a traditional means of writing the Tuareg language. Traditionally, the script marks no vowels, except for word finals. In some areas, Arabic vowel diacritics are combined with Tifinagh characters to mark vowels.

Occasionally the script has been used to write other neighboring languages, such as Tagdal Songhai.

Neo-Tifinagh

Neo-Tifinagh
Type Alphabet
Time period 1980 to present
Parent systems
Proto-Sinaitic alphabet
ISO 15924 Tfng, 120
Direction Left-to-right
Unicode alias Tifinagh
Unicode range U+2D30–U+2D7F
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols.

Neo-Tifinagh is the 20th-century script developed from earlier forms of Tifinagh. It is an alphabet and is written left-to-right. Salem Chaker, professor at INALCO had proposed a change in Neo-Tifinagh (Tafsut 1990 #14).

Until recently, virtually no books or websites were published in this alphabet, with activists favouring Latin (or, more rarely, Arabic) scripts for serious usage; however, it is extremely popular for symbolic use, with many books and websites written in a different script featuring logos or title pages using Neo-Tifinagh. In Morocco, the king took a "neutral" position between the claims of Latin script and Arabic script by adopting the Neo-Tifinagh script in 2003; as a result, books are beginning to be published in this script, and it is taught in some schools. However, many independent Berber-language publications are still published using the Berber Latin alphabet. Outside Morocco, it has no official status. Ironically, the Moroccan state arrested and imprisoned people using this script during the 1980s and 1990s.[4]

In Algeria, almost all Berber publications use the Berber Latin alphabet, not Tifinagh.

In Libya, the regime of Gaddafi used to consistently ban the Berber Tifinagh script from being used in public contexts such as store displays and banners.[5]

After recent uprisings in Libya, the National Transitional Council (rebels) has shown an openness towards the Berber language. The independent rebel Libya TV, based in Qatar, has included the Berber language and the Tifinagh alphabet in some of its programming.[6]

Characters

Simple letters (and modifier letters)
Code Glyph Unicode Transliteration Name
Latin Arabic IPA
U+2D30 2D30.png ⴰ a ا æ ya
U+2D31 2D31.png ⴱ b ب b or β yab
U+2D32 2D32.png ⴲ b ٻ b or β yab fricative
U+2D33 2D33.png ⴳ g گ ɡ yag
U+2D34 2D34.png ⴴ g ڲ ɡ yag fricative
U+2D35 2D35.png ⴵ dj ج d͡ʒ Berber Academy yadj
U+2D36 2D36.png ⴶ dj ج d͡ʒ yadj
U+2D37 2D37.png ⴷ d د j yad
U+2D38 2D38.png ⴸ d د j yad fricative
U+2D39 2D39.png ⴹ ḍ ض ðˤ yaḍ
U+2D3A 2D3A.png ⴺ ḍ ض ðˤ yaḍ fricative
U+2D3B 2D3B.png ⴻ e ه ə yey
U+2D3C 2D3C.png ⴼ f ف f yaf
U+2D3D 2D3D.png ⴽ k ک k yak
U+2D3E 2D3E.png ⴾ k ک k Tuareg yak
U+2D3F 2D3F.png ⴿ k ک k yak fricative
U+2D40 2D40.png ⵀ h
b		 ھ
ب		 h
b		 yah
= Tuareg yab
U+2D41 2D41.png ⵁ h ھ h Berber Academy yah
U+2D42 2D42.png ⵂ h ھ h Tuareg yah
U+2D43 2D43.png ⵃ ḥ ح ħ yaḥ
U+2D44 2D44.png ⵄ ˤ (ε) ع ʕ yaε
U+2D45 2D45.png ⵅ kh (x) خ χ yax
U+2D46 2D46.png ⵆ kh (x) خ χ Tuareg yax
U+2D47 2D47.png ⵇ q ق q yaq
U+2D48 2D48.png ⵈ q ق q Tuareg yaq
U+2D49 2D49.png ⵉ i ي i yi
U+2D4A 2D4A.png ⵊ j ج ʒ yaj
U+2D4B 2D4B.png ⵋ j ج ʒ Ahaggar yaj
U+2D4C 2D4C.png ⵌ j ج ʒ Tuareg yaj
Code Glyph Unicode Transliteration Name
Latin Arabic IPA
U+2D4D 2D4D.png ⵍ l ل j yal
U+2D4E 2D4E.png ⵎ m م m yam
U+2D4F 2D4F.png ⵏ n ن n yan
U+2D50 2D50.png ⵐ ny ني nj Tuareg yagn
U+2D51 2D51.png ⵑ ng ڭ ŋ Tuareg yang
U+2D52 2D52.png ⵒ p پ p yap
U+2D53 2D53.png ⵓ u
w		 و
ۉ		 w yu
= Tuareg yaw
U+2D54 2D54.png ⵔ r ر r yar
U+2D55 2D55.png ⵕ ṛ ڕ rˤ yaṛ
U+2D56 2D56.png ⵖ gh (γ) غ ɣ yaγ
U+2D57 2D57.png ⵗ gh (γ) غ ɣ Tuareg yaγ
U+2D58 2D58.png ⵘ gh (γ)
j		 غ
ج		 ɣ
ʒ		 Aïr yaγ
= Adrar yaj
U+2D59 2D59.png ⵙ s س s yas
U+2D5A 2D5A.png ⵚ ṣ ص sˤ yaṣ
U+2D5B 2D5B.png ⵛ sh (š) ش ʃ yaš
U+2D5C 2D5C.png ⵜ t ت t yat
U+2D5D 2D5D.png ⵝ t ت t yat fricative
U+2D5E 2D5E.png ⵞ ch (tš) تش t͡ʃ yatš
U+2D5F 2D5F.png ⵟ ṭ ط tˤ yaṭ
U+2D60 2D60.png ⵠ v ۋ v yav
U+2D61 2D61.png ⵡ w ۉ w yaw
U+2D62 2D62.png ⵢ y ي j yay
U+2D63 2D63.png ⵣ z ز z yaz
U+2D64 2D64.png ⵤ z ز z Tawellemet yaz
= Harpoon yaz
U+2D65 2D65.png ⵥ ẓ ﻈ zˤ yaẓ
U+2D6F 2D6F.png ⵯ +ʷ ۥ+ ʷ Labio-velarization mark
= Tamatart
= <super> 2D61
Digraph letters (ligatures are possible)
Code Glyph Unicode Transliteration Name
Latin Arabic IPA
U+2D5C U+2D59 2D5C.png2D59.png ⵜⵙ ts تس t͡s yats
U+2D37 U+2D63 2D37.png2D63.png ⴷⵣ dz دز d͡z yadz
Code Glyph Unicode Transliteration Name
Latin Arabic IPA
U+2D5C U+2D5B 2D5C.png2D5B.png ⵜⵛ ch (tš) تش t͡ʃ yatš
U+2D37 U+2D4A 2D37.png2D4A.png ⴷⵊ dj دج d͡ʒ yadj
Color Key
Basic Tifinagh (IRCAM)  Extended Tifinagh (IRCAM)  Other Tifinagh letters  Modern Tuareg letters 

Unicode

Tifinagh was added to the Unicode Standard in March, 2005 with the release of version 4.1.

The Unicode block for Tifinagh is U+2D30–U+2D7F. Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points:

Tifinagh[1]
Unicode.org chart (PDF)
  0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
U+2D3x ⴰ ⴱ ⴲ ⴳ ⴴ ⴵ ⴶ ⴷ ⴸ ⴹ ⴺ ⴻ ⴼ ⴽ ⴾ ⴿ
U+2D4x ⵀ ⵁ ⵂ ⵃ ⵄ ⵅ ⵆ ⵇ ⵈ ⵉ ⵊ ⵋ ⵌ ⵍ ⵎ ⵏ
U+2D5x ⵐ ⵑ ⵒ ⵓ ⵔ ⵕ ⵖ ⵗ ⵘ ⵙ ⵚ ⵛ ⵜ ⵝ ⵞ ⵟ
U+2D6x ⵠ ⵡ ⵢ ⵣ ⵤ ⵥ ⵯ
U+2D7x ⵰ ⵿
Notes
1.^ As of Unicode version 6.0

References

  1. ^ To a limited extent: See Interview met Karl-G. Prasse and Penchoen (1973:3)
  2. ^ Penchoen (1973:3)
  3. ^ O'Connor (2006:115)
  4. ^ (French)Rapport sur le calvaire de l’écriture en Tifinagh au Maroc
  5. ^ (Arabic)[1]
  6. ^ Libya TV – News in Berber http://blip.tv/play/AYK4hyEC

Bibliography

  • Aghali-Zakara, Mohamed (1994). Graphèmes berbères et dilemme de diffusion: Interaction des alphabets latin, ajami et tifinagh. Etudes et Documents Berbères 11, 107-121.
  • Aghali-Zakara, Mohamed; and Drouin, Jeanine (1977). Recherches sur les Tifinaghs- Eléments graphiques et sociolinguistiques. Comptes-rendus du Groupe Linguistique des Etudes Chamito-Sémitiques (GLECS).
  • Ameur, Meftaha (1994). Diversité des transcriptions : pour une notation usuelle et normalisée de la langue berbère. Etudes et Documents Berbères 11, 25-28.
  • Boukous, Ahmed (1997). Situation sociolinguistique de l’Amazigh. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 123, 41-60.
  • Chaker, Salem (1994). Pour une notation usuelle à base Tifinagh. Etudes et Documents Berbères 11, 31-42.
  • Chaker, Salem (1996). Propositions pour la notation usuelle à base latine du berbère. Etudes et Documents Berbères 14, 239-253.
  • Chaker, Salem (1997). La Kabylie: un processus de développement linguistique autonome. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 123, 81-99.
  • Durand, O. (1994). Promotion du berbère : problèmes de standardisation et d’orthographe. Expériences européennes. Etudes et Documents Berbères 11, 7-11.
  • O’Connor, Michael (1996). The Berber scripts. The World’s Writing Systems, ed. by William Bright and Peter Daniels, 112-116. New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Penchoen, Thomas G. (1973). Tamazight of the Ayt Ndhir. Los Angeles: Undena Publications. 
  • Savage, Andrew. 2008. Writing Tuareg – the three script options. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 192: 5-14
  • Souag, Lameen (2004). "Writing Berber Languages: a quick summary". L. Souag. Archived from the original on 2005-07-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20050730075554/http://www.geocities.com/lameens/tifinagh/. Retrieved 6 July 2010. 
  • Encyclopaedia of Islam, s.v. Tifinagh.

External links

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