User:IlinaNik/sandbox

Groups and language distinction
Tamazight is the general term for the different Berber dialects. People in the Maghreb region speak a different variety in each country and region. Amazigh languages are part of the Afro-Asiatic family and they use the Tifinagh script. During the Islamic conquest, Arabic was introduced and Amazigh languages were no longer written. Because of this, less Berber people spoke Amazigh dialects and switched to Arabic. In the late 19th century, using a mixture between Latin script and Tifinagh, Tamazight languages were brought back. In recent years, Tamazight is thought in schools in Morocco and Algeria, and the variety has gained the status of an official language in Morocco.

Diversity in Morocco
In Morocco, the 3 most widely spread varieties of Amazigh are Shilha (Tashelhit), Tazayit (Atlasic) and Riffian (Tarifit). Tashelhit or Shilha is an Amazigh language, spoken mostly in the Atlas mountains region in Morocco and it is the most spoken variety in the country. Because the region is primarily rural, the language is spread by women through rituals, songs, telling stories to children and everyday-life tasks. Women in this area, who are mainly non-educated, use Tashelhit, while men are exposed to Arabic, due to teaching in schools, televison and industrial work. Mothers teach their children the language and this way they preserve the identity of the community, even though Arabic is spreading amongst local people.

Origin
Amazigh people were the first inhabitants of the Maghrebi region and historians in Medieval times referred to them as Berbers. There were a lot of different tribes, which placed themselves around the region. They bordered and interacted with Roman provinces.

Middle Ages
During the period between 1040-1147 the Almoravid dynasty was created and it was a notable province. The Arab conquests which started in the 7th century, brought the Umayyads to the region. They conquered territories, while spreading Islam. The next rulers were from the Abbasid dynasty. In 711, Berbers took part in the conquering of al-Andalus. During the period between 1040-1147 the Almoravid dynasty created a notable empire. Merchants were trading with other continents. Amazigh kingdoms were replaced with Arab ones and Arabic was spread.

Colonial times
In 19th and 20th century, the French colonized Algeria and Morocco and also made a difference between Arabs and Amazigh people, who they continued to call Berbers. The French thought that Amazigh people's way of life was not modern. Berbers moved to more urban areas and close to the Atlas mountains. People were farming, working with leather, doing pottery and trading. Some Berbers had houses, while others were nomads and moved, or lived in caves. Most of the time, Amazigh people were living in tribes or other groups and had their own rules and rituals. Many Berbers moved to bigger cities or Europe to look for better jobs.

Current times
Amazigh people still live in North African countries and they are a big part of the population in countries like Morocco and Algeria. In 2005, The PDAM (Democratic Amazigh Moroccan Party) was created and it wanted to separate the regions where Berbers lived from the Moroccan state. IRCAM (Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture) was another project, which helped with teaching Tamazight and keep the Amazigh identity. In 2011, Tamazight got the status of national language in Morocco. There was created an Amazigh festival, which takes place every year.