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The Berbers (also called Amazigh people or Imazighen, "free men", singular Amazigh) are an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa, speaking the Berber languages of the Afroasiatic family. In actuality, Berber is a generic name given to numerous heterogeneous ethnic groups that share similar cultural, political, and economic practices. It is not a term originated by the group itself, and indeed the word may have been derived from the Latin 'barbari', the forerunner of the English word 'barbarian'. There are between 14 and 25 million speakers of Berber languages in North Africa (see population estimation), principally concentrated in Morocco and Algeria but with smaller communities as far east as Egypt and as far south as Burkina Faso.
Their languages, the Amazigh languages / Berber languages, form a branch of the Afroasiatic linguistic family comprising many closely related varieties, including Tarifit, Taqbaylit and Tashelhiyt, with a total of roughly 14-25 million speakers. A frequently used generic name for all berber languages is Tamazight, not to be confused with the language found in the High and Middle Atlas or Rif.
Origin
There is no complete certitude about the origin of the Berbers; however, various disciplines shed light on the matter. More on [ Berber people ]
North Africa :: Regions
West Africa :: Regions
Languages of Africa :: Natural
Amazigh :: African
A Bibliography of Berber Language Materials - List of publications relevant to linguistic research on Berber languages.
Ancient Berber Script - Provides general information as well as images of the letters.
Handbook of African Language Resources: Berber Language Page - Provides information and facts on usage, places spoken, dialects, and orthography.
Meta Description: [ The Berber language page is part of the Handbook of African Language Resources. This page has information and facts on the Berber language, such as where it is spoken, by whom, and much more. Bookmark this site. ]
Teaching Berber in the Moroccan Primary Schools - Article about issues in having Berber recognized as a national language and taught in schools. Includes a map of the areas of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mali, Niger, and adjoining countries where different Berber dialects are spoken.
Wikipedia: Berber Languages - Hyperlinked encyclopedia article includes information on origins, demographics, nomenclature, and subclassifications. Provides references.
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