978-3-89645-380-8
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The Tamasheq of North-East Burkina Faso
ISBN 978-3-89645-380-8
Out of stock
The Tamasheq of North-East Burkina Faso
Notes on Grammar and Syntax including a Key Vocabulary
Series: Berber Studies Volume 1
2001
12 pp. Roman, 358 pp., 1 map, numerous tables and charts, appendix: chart detailing the various dialects
€ 44.99
Tamasheq is the language spoken by the Tamasheq people, descendants of Berber traders and warriors who traversed the Sahara and settled along the routes and the lands beyond, and the black African peoples enslaved by these raiding warriors. The language therefore closely resembles the Berber languages of the Maghreb instead of the neighbouring sub-Saharan African languages. It is estimated that there are between one and two million speakers of Tamasheq, found mainly in Algeria, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso but spreading into Libya, Mauritania and Morocco. Among the Berber languages Tamasheq represents presumably the language still the least influenced by contact with Arabic or other languages, although most of the Tamasheq people today are at least bilingual.
This grammar focuses on the two Tamasheq dialects spoken in North-East Burkina Faso, which are very similar to the Tamasheq dialects found in Mali. It provides a comprehensive overview of the workings of the Tamasheq language along with a full working vocabulary. Following an introduction which deals with the origins and history of the Tamasheq people and language, the second chapter provides the necessary vocabulary to start participating in Tamasheq conversation. The third chapter gives an overview of the grammar, including pronunciation, nominal and verbal systems, and uses of prepositions and tenses. The next chapter gives a rundown of the existing verb groups, while chapter five gives a much more in-depth vocabulary ordered by semantic field. An appendix highlights the differences between the several dialects of southern Tamasheq.
The book tries to reach both professional linguists who are looking for an introduction to the structure of the language as well as learners of Tamasheq who desire an easy introduction to the language in the context of some more structured course system or with the help of a language teacher.
