Chaouia of the Aures in Algeria

Speakers

100.000.000 to 999.999.999

Type

Location

Chaouia of the Aures in Algeria

Country

Information available

1. Basics

Names

Chaouia of the Aures in Algeria

Size

100.000.000 to 999.999.999

2. Status

Status

  • Official country wide language
  • Official regional language
  • Official minority language
  • Recognised community language
  • Unrecognised community language
National language
Yes
Indigenous language
No
Comments
The Algerian constitution recognizes Tamazight (Art. 4. Tamazight is also a national and official language. The State works for its promotion and development in all its linguistic varieties in use on the national territory. ). So, “Tacawit”, which is a variety of Tamazight, is therefore recognized as an official language, even if it is not directly named. However, despite this status, in practice, “Tacawit” has no presence at the official level.

3. State

Documentation: materials

Written

  • Extended corpora
  • Annotated corpora
  • Corpus/corpora
  • Materials/corpus
  • Some materials
  • No materials
Digital
Yes

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Video

  • Extended corpora
  • Annotated corpora
  • Corpus/corpora
  • Materials/corpus
  • Some materials
  • No materials
Digital
Yes

divider

Audio

  • Extended corpora
  • Annotated corpora
  • Corpus/corpora
  • Materials/corpus
  • Some materials
  • No materials
Digital
Yes

divider

Documentation: descriptions

  • Elaborated dictionaries, grammars, statistical language models, etc.
  • Dictionaries and grammars
  • Dictionary and grammar
  • Glossary and descriptions
  • Few descriptions
  • No descriptions
Digital
Yes

Standardization

  • Modern standard language
  • Young standard language
  • Standardised language
  • Quasi-standard language
  • Semi-standardised language
  • Un-standardised language

Graphisation & script encoding

  • Standardised writing system with full script encoding
  • Conventionalised writing system with partial script encoding
  • Consistent writing system with no script encoding
  • Unsystematic writing system(s)
  • Limited written use
  • No written use

4. Users

Geographical distribution

  • Users live and dominate in all regions of the country
  • Users live in one [state/...] of the country
  • Users live in a cross-border region [state/...] of the country
  • Users live in separated [states/...] of the country
  • Users live dispersed across one [state/...] of the country
  • Users live scattered all over the country

Settlements

  • Rural
  • Urban
Administrative units of the country
Algeria is a centralized state, subdivided into wilayas (departments), which are made up of daïras (sub-prefectures), themselves made up of municipalities. Tacawit is the Berber variety spoken in the wilayas of: Batna, Khenchela, Biskra, Oum El Bouaghi, Tébessa, Souk Ahras, Setif and Mila.
Comments
Tacawit is mostly vibrant in the rural areas of these wilayas, although it is also spoken in some urban centers.

Size / Number of users

Users within total population

More than 50% use the language

Users within the reference community

More than 50% use the language

Age distribution of users

percentage of members of middle generations (15-65)

Generational use

50
Reduced among young generations

Educational attainment

Tertiary education
Comments

In public schools, Tacawit is taught as part of Tamazight lessons in primary and secondary schools (3 hours per week) in the Wilayas where Tacawit is spoken. It is only taught as a subject of instruction, not as a language of instruction, with the exception of the “Amazigh language and culture department” of Batna where some Berber linguistics courses are given in Tacawit.

Occupational qualifications

Language competence

Understand all, speak/sign fluently

Literacy of users

Less than 10% of users with literacy in the language

5. Use

Socio-geographic dimension

Geographic scope
  • International
  • Supranational
  • Cross-border (states)
  • State-wide
  • Supra-regional cross-border
  • Supra-regional
  • Regional cross-border
  • Regional
  • Local
Comments
Tacawit is the Berber variety spoken in the Wilayas of eastern Algeria: Batna, Khenchela, Biskra, Oum El Bouaghi, Tebessa, Souk Ahras, Setif and Mila.

Economic dimension

Functional dimension

Functional scope
  • Public domains
  • Everyday domains
  • Private domains
Nature
complementary
Stability
Decreasing
Functional scope
  • Public domains
  • Everyday domains
  • Private domains
Stability
Decreasing

Functional use in administration

Language use in administration
  • International level
  • National level
  • Regional level
  • Local level
  • Auxiliary use
  • No use

Types of language use

  • signed / spoken use
  • written use
  • digital use

Formal Education

Information, communication and cultural production

  • Information services
  • Broadcasting
  • Video, film
  • Sound/music recording
  • Publishing activities
  • Language not used
  • Information services
  • Broadcasting
  • Video, film
  • Sound/music recording
  • Publishing activities
  • Language not used

Completion