Tamajaq, Tawallammat

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A language of Niger

ISO 639-3
ttq
Alternate Names
Amazigh, Tahoua, Tahoua Tamajeq, Tamachek, Tamashekin, Tamasheq, Tewellemet, Tomacheck, Touareg, Tourage, Tuareg
Autonym
Tamajaq
User Population

450,000 in Niger (1998). Total users in all countries: 870,000.

Location

Agadez region: Tchirozerine department; Dosso region: Dogondoutchi department; northwest Maradi region; Tahoua and Tillabéri regions. Central Tahoua from Ingal to Mali border (eastern dialect); west, north and northwest of Niamey (western dialect).

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing). Recognized language (1999, Constitution, Article 3).

Classification
Afro-Asiatic, Berber, Tamasheq, Southern
Dialects

Tawallammat Tan Dannag (Ioullemmeden), Tawallammat Tan Ataram. A member of macrolanguage Tamashek [tmh].

Language Use

Some children in urban areas no longer speak Tamajaq. Home, market, commerce, some schools. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Used as L2 by Tagdal [tda], Tasawaq [twq].

Language Development

Slowly growing interest in literacy. Literature. Radio. NT: 2016.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Tamajaq, Tawallammat
Writing

Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Latin script [Latn]. Tifinagh (Berber) script [Tfng], called Shifinagh in Niger.

Other Comments

Muslim.

Also spoken in:

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