What language do Tuareg people speak?
Tamashek
Tamashek is the language of the Tuareg, who often call themselves the Kel Tamagheq, or Tamashek speakers. The language is also spoken in Algeria and Mali and possesses its own writing, called tifinagh, which is in widespread use.
Is Tuareg a language?
The Tuareg (English: /ˈtwɑːrɛɡ/) languages constitute a group of closely related Berber languages and dialects. They are spoken by the Tuareg Berbers in large parts of Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso, with a few speakers, the Kinnin, in Chad.
Do Tuareg speak French?
The major language of the Tuareg is Tamacheq, which is in the Berber language group. A written script called Tifinagh is used in poetry and also appears in Saharan rock art. Many of the Tuareg also speak Songhay, Hausa, and French, and read Arabic.
Are the Tuareg Berber?
The Tuaregs are part of the Berber group of people, and they are largely Muslim. The Tuareg population spreads across the borders of several countries, but the largest concentration is in Mali, with an estimated 950,000. The Tuaregs are kind of like the Kurds of the Middle East.
Do the Tuareg still exist?
The Tuareg today inhabit a vast area in the Sahara, stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Algeria, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. According to Ethnologue, there are an estimated 1.2 million Tuareg speakers.
What kind of language is the Tuareg language?
Tuareg (English: /ˈtwɑːrɛɡ/), also known as Tamasheq (English: /ˈtæməʃɛk/), Tamajaq or Tamahaq (Tifinagh: ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵌⴰⵆ), is a language or family of very closely related Berber languages and dialects. It is spoken by the Tuareg Berbers in large parts of Mali, Niger, Algeria, Libya and Burkina Faso, with a few speakers, the Kinnin, in Chad.
Why are the Tuareg people called the Blue people?
The Tuareg speak languages of the same name (also known as Tamasheq ), which belong to the Berber branch of the Afroasiatic family. The Tuaregs have been called the “blue people” for the indigo dye coloured clothes they traditionally wear and which stains their skin.
What’s the population of the Tuareg people in Mali?
Their combined population in these territories exceeds 2.5 million, with an estimated population in Niger of around 2 million (11% of inhabitants) and in Mali of another 0.5 million (3% of inhabitants). The Tuareg are also the majority ethnic group in the Kidal Region of northeastern Mali.
Who are some famous people from the Tuareg tribe?
Ibn Hawkal (10th century), El-Bekri (11th century), Edrisi (12th century), Ibn Batutah (14th century), and Leo Africanus (16th century), all documented the Tuareg in some form, usually as Mulatthamin or “the veiled ones.”