mey ISO 639

Hassaniyya, حسانية‎‎‎ (Ḥassānīya) Autonyms

Hassaniyya

  • Geography

    MR Widespread.
  • Language Cloud

A language of Mauritania

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Hasanya, Hasanya Arabic, Hassani, Hassania, Hassaniya, Hassaniyya Arabic, Klem El Bithan, Maure, Moor
Hassaniyya, حسانية‎‎‎ (Ḥassānīya)
3,560,000 in Mauritania (2017), increasing. Total users in all countries: 4,885,400.
Widespread.
Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara, Central Mali, Central Mali: Enlarged area, Mali: Index map, Mauritania, Niger, Western Mali
3 (Wider communication). Statutory language of national identity (1991, Constitution, Article 6). Hassaniya comes from the name of the Beni Hassan tribes who invaded North Africa and settled in modern Mauritania in the 15th to 17th centuries. Used in trade and religion. Spoken throughout northwestern Africa.
Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic
None known. Not intelligible with other Arabic varieties. The Nemadi (Ikoku) are an ethnic group of 200 (1967) that speak Hassaniyya, but they have special morphemes for dogs, hunting, and houses. Nomadic between Mali and Mauritania.
Vigorous. All domains. Used by all. Positive attitudes. All also use French [fra], as the language of education, media and government. Many also use Standard Arabic [arb], as the language of government, media, and religion (Ould Ahmed 2012). Used as L2 by Bambara [bam], Pulaar [fuc], Soninke [snk], Tamashek [tmh], Wolof [wol], Zenaga [zen].
Literacy rate in L2: 40% in Arabic [arb], 25% in French [fra]. Literacy in Hassaniyya not encouraged by the government. Literature. Radio. Dictionary.
Arabic script, Naskh variant [Arab]. Latin script [Latn], in development.
White Maure are called Bithan, also used for Maures in general. Black Maures are called Haratine. Muslim.
OLAC resources in and about Hassaniyya
Arabic, Hasanya
123,000 in Mali (2014 UNSD).
Widespread.
5 (Dispersed)
Used by all. Used as L2 by Koyra Chiini Songhay [khq], Soninke [snk].
Muslim.
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Arabic, Hassaniyya
220,000 in Algeria (2021 Joshua Project).
Tindouf province.
5 (Dispersed)
Mainly refugees from Western Sahara.
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Arabic, Hassaniyya
424,000 in Western Sahara (Leclerc 2018d).
Widespread.
5 (Dispersed)
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Arabic, Hassaniyya
54,000 in Libya (2020).
Unestablished
Non-indigenous.
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Arabic, Hassaniyya
282,000 in Morocco (2016).
Souss-Massa-Drâa region: Mhamid, western Algeria border; Western Sahara, south from Laâyoune, Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra.
5 (Dispersed)
Non-indigenous.
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Arabic, Hassaniyya
26,400 in Niger (2021).
Tahoua region: Tchin-tabaraden department.
6a (Vigorous)
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Hassaniyya
196,000 in Senegal (2017).
Matam and Saint-Louis regions.
5 (Dispersed)
Used by all. Most also use Wolof [wol], as the language of commerce and interethnic communication. Many also use French [fra], as the language of education and government. Used as L2 by Zenaga [zen].
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Senegal