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Tamashek or Tamasheq is a variety of Tuareg, a Berber macro-language widely spoken by nomadic tribes across North Africa in Algeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Tamasheq is one of the three main varieties of Tuareg, the others being Tamajaq and Tamahaq.[4]: 2
Tamashek is spoken mostly in Mali, especially in its central region including Timbuktu, Kidal, and Gao. It is also spoken by a sizeable population in Burkina Faso where it is spoken by 187,000 people as of 2021. As of 2022, approximately 900,000 people speak Tamashek, with the majority of speakers residing in Mali with approximately 590,000 speakers.[1] The livelihood of the Tuareg people has been under threat in the last century, due to climate change and a series of political conflicts, notably the Arab-Tuareg rebellion of 1990–1995 in Mali which resulted in ethnic cleansing of the Tuareg in the form of reprisal killings and exile.[4]: 5–6 Tamashek is currently classified as a developing language (5), partly due to the Malian government's active promotion of the language; it is currently taught in public education, from primary schools to adult literacy classes.[1]
Tamashek is often understood in Mali as a term that denotes all Tuareg varieties.[4]: 3 Other alternative names for Tamashek include Tamachen, Tamashekin, and Tomacheck.[1]
^ abcdTamasheq at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023)
^"Décret N°2023-0401/PT-RM du 22 juillet 2023 portant promulgation de la constitution" (PDF). Journal Officiel de la République du Mali. Soixante-quatrième Année (SPECIAL N°13). Secrétariat général du gouvernement. 2023-07-22.
^"Décret n°2017-0735/P-RM du 21 août 2017 fixant l'organisation et les modalités de fonctionnement des structures d'éducation non formelle" (PDF). Journal Officiel de la République du Mali. Cinquante huitième Année (39). Secrétariat général du gouvernement. 2017-09-29.
^ abcCite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Tamashek or Tamasheq is a variety of Tuareg, a Berber macro-language widely spoken by nomadic tribes across North Africa in Algeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina...
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with Middle Eastern and African sounds. Songs are generally sung in Tamasheqlanguage. Lyrics have been described as being rooted in traditional Tuareg...
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also found in northern Nigeria. The Tuareg speak languages of the same name, also known as Tamasheq, which belong to the Berber branch of the Afroasiatic...
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variant of the Tamasheqlanguage, although some current or historical sub-clans speak other Tamasheq variants as well as Songhai languages and Arabic dialects...
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or that have status as a national language, regional language, or minority language. Official language A language designated as having a unique legal...
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Tamasheqlanguage cluster. Korandje appears to be influenced more by Northern and Western Berber; in turn, the neighboring Northern Berber language Taznatit...
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leaders to build up their countries..., or the way that Moctar’s native Tamasheqlanguage is at risk of dying out as it loses out to French among younger people...
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Global Information
Mali[2][3]
