ALGERIAN SIGN LANGUAGE
Deaf sign language. It has influenced the deaf  community in Oujda in northern Morocco. Survey needed.

ARABIC, ALGERIAN SAHARAN SPOKEN
(Saharan Arabic, Tamanrasset Arabic) : 100,000 in Algeria (1996); 100,000 in Niger (1991); 200,000 in all countries. Moroccan border along the Atlas Mts, northeast to Medea (south of Algiers), as far as Plateau du Tademait, including some in the town of Tamanrasset. Structurally distinct from other Arabic. Survey needed.

ARABIC, ALGERIAN SPOKEN
20,400,000 in Algeria (1996). 84% of the population (1991). 660,000 in France. 10,800 in Belgium (1984 ). 60,000 in Netherlands. 26,000 in Germany. 22,400,000 in all countries. 2,000,000 outside of Algeria (1995).
Varieties : Algiers, Oran, Constantine, etc...

ARABIC, STANDARD
Middle East, North Africa. Preserves the ancient grammar. Used for written materials, formal speeches. Not a mother tongue, but taught in schools. National language.

CHAOUIA (SHAWIA)
1,400,000 (1993). South and east of Grand Kabylie, Aures Mts. One of the major Berber varieties. Survey needed.

FRENCH
110,600 in Algeria (1993); 72,000,000 in all countries (1995). Known more in the cities. Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Romance. 20% of the population can read and write French, and more can speak it.

KABYLE
2,137,000 in Algeria (1987), 7% of the population; 537,000 in France (1984); 2,674,000 in all countries. Grande Kabylie Mt. range, western Kabylia. Also in Belgium. Dialects: GREATER KABYLE, LESSER KABYLE. The name Kabyle derives from the Arabic word for 'tribesman'. 25% literate. Speakers have pride in Kabyle and resistance to Arabic. Kabyle is used in the home and market, French is used by men in trade and correspondence.

TACHELHIT
(Tashilheet, Tashelhit, Tasoussit, Shilha, Southern Shilha) 3,000,000 in all countries; 2,300,000 in Morocco (1991). Southern Algeria near the Moroccan border around Tabelbala. Also in France. Dialect: SUSIUA (SUS, SOUSSE). One of the most important Berber languages. Their name for their language is 'Tachelhit'. 'Shilha' is the Arabic name for Moroccan Berber dialects in general. Many men are bilingual in Arabic, but many women do not learn Arabic.

TADAKSAHAK
(Dausahaq, Daoussak, Dawsahaq) 1,800 in Algeria (1983); 30,000 to 40,000 in Mali (1995); 32,000 to 42,000 in all countries. Tabelbala oasis. Nilo-Saharan, Songhai. Dialects: KORANJE (BELBALI), INGELSI. The people are called Belbali. They call themselves 'Idaksahak' (pl.). 50% lexical similarity with Gao Songai, 51% with Timbuktu Songai. Nomadic herdsmen.

TAGARGRENT
(Ouargla, Ouargli, WARGLA) 5,000 (1995). South of Constantine, near Mzab. Ouargla and Ngouaa are the main centers. Dialects: OUEDGHIR (WADI), TEMACIN, TARIYIT. Related to Tumzabt, Temacine Tamazight, and Taznatit. Status as a language or dialect is not defined. Healthy language and cultural attitudes. Tariyit is a possible dialect spoken by the haratine (former slaves of the Ouargli people). Survey needed.

TAMAHAQ, HOGGAR
(Tamachek, Tamashekin, TUAREG, TOUAREG, TOURAGE, HOGGAR) 25,000 to 76,000 in all countries (1993), including 20,000 in the Hoggar dialect ; 5,000 in the Ghat dialect (1987); 17,000 in Libya (1993). The Hoggar dialect is in the south Hoggar (Ajjer) Mountain area around Tamanghasset and south into Niger. The Ghat dialect is in southeast Algeria around Ganet and west Libyan oases around Ghat.Tuareg are the people (Targi is the singular); Tamahaq is the language.

TAMAZIGHT
Central Atlas (Middle Atlas Berber, Central Shilha) 3,000,000 in all countries; 1,900,000 in Morocco (1991); 150,000 in France (1991). Western Algeria mountain area of Atlas and adjacent valleys to Taza, in the vicinity of Rabat, south near the Moroccan border. Dialect: SOUTH ORAN. One of the most important Berber languages. 'Tamazight' is the name of the language, 'Berber' of the people.

TARIFIT
(Tirifie, Riff, Rifi, Ruafa, Rifia, Rif, Northern Shilha, Shilha) 2,000,000 in all countries (1991); 1,500,000 in Morocco (1991). Along the coast, eastern Alteria to Arzeu. Also in France and Netherlands. Dialects: ARZEU, IGZENNAIAN, IZNACEN (BENI IZNASSEN).

TAZNATIT
40,000 (1995). Isolated, around Timimoun, near the Touat region and around 400 miles southwest of the Mzab. Dialects: GOURARA (GURARA), TOUAT (TUAT,TUWAT). Related to Tumzabt, Tagargrent, and Temacine Tamazight. 'Taznatit' is what they call their language. Strong language vitality and low intelligibility with other Tamazight speech forms, including Tumzabt and Tagargrent.

TEMACINE
Tamazight (Tougourt, Touggourt, Tugurt) 6,000 (1995). Vicinity of Temacine, Tamelhat, Ghomra, and Meggarin. Related to Tumzabt, Tagargrent and Taznatit. Possibly a dialect of Tagargrent, but not likely. Speakers may have shifted to Arabic. Survey needed.

TIDIKELT
Tamazight 9,000 (1995). Tidikelt, in the vicinity of Salah, and Tit in southern Algeria. Dialects: TIDIKELT, TIT. May be intelligible with Touat. People may have shifted to Arabic. Survey needed.

TUMZABT
(Mzab, Mzabi, Ghardaia) 70,000 (1995). Mzab region, 330 miles south of Algiers. 7 oases; Ghardaia being the principal one. Only minor dialect variations. Related to Tagargrent , Temacine Tamazight, and Taznatit. Some speakers are probably bilingual in Arabic, French, or Spanish. 'Tumzabt' is their name for their language. Strong language and cultural vitality. Women are virtually monolingual in Tumzabt. Tumzabt villages are interspersed among Arabic speaking villages. Known as traders throughout Algeria. Survey needed.

M.Sahnoun - Paris - 1999