DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49270#0175
100
J. Abercromby
phonology, and must be often mutually unintelligible. Since the invasion and conquest
of North Africa by the Arabs, all the Berbers of the northern zone, and perhaps to a less
degree those of the middle belt, have incorporated a vast number of Arabic words — a pro-
ceeding which has naturally led to many native terms being discarded and superseded by
foreign ones. But this destructive operation has not acted in a uniform manner, whence
it happens that some northern dialects preserve old native words which have disappeared
in other dialects. But in the southern zone, where Arab influence has not penetrated to
the same degree as in Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripolitana, the Berber language has
been better preserved. Hence the Saharan dialects are the most helpful in determining
the Berber affinities of Canarian speech. But there is one difference between the phonology
of the northern and southern zones which requires notice. A northern z often becomes h
in the dialect of Taitoq and s in that of the Awelimmiden. Probably the northern z is
earlier than the southern s, h.
Comparison between Canarian and Berber words
In dealing with the Canarian words I have divided them into three classes: —
Class I comprises words nearly all of which are thoroughly Berber in form and
meaning.
Class II contains words which are doubtfully related to Berber, though some of them
seem to show an identity of Canarian and Berber grammatical and verbal forms.
Class III contains a long list of Canarian words which appear to be inexplicable by
modern Berber. Some few are probably of Arabic origin, and in others the text is no doubt
corrupt. But a residue remains which, judging from the meaning, may belong to the old
civilization of the natives.
It should be recognized from the start that in all the islands words are found containing
the non-Berber sound of p. In four of the islands these p-words are confined to place and
proper names; but in Lanzarote, the Grand Canary, and Tenerife they occur in the vocabu-
lary of common nouns. It does not, however, necessarily follow, that the words of Classes
II and III may not represent an older stage of Berber, such as Proto-Libyan, though they
cannot strictly speaking be termed Berber. That is a question for future consideration.3
3 Abbreviations used below, §§1-16:
Ar. = Arabic
B. Men. = Beni Manager
Ghdam. = Ghadames.
M. = Moroccan of Demnat
Q. = Qabyle
Shil. = Shilha
Tait. = Taitoq
W. = Wargla
Aw. = Awelimmiden
G. Nef. = Gebel Nefusa
Gur. = Gurara
Mz. = Mzab
S. Ar. = Southern Arabic
Sp. = Spanish
Tam. = Tamoseg
Zen. = Zenaga
J. Abercromby
phonology, and must be often mutually unintelligible. Since the invasion and conquest
of North Africa by the Arabs, all the Berbers of the northern zone, and perhaps to a less
degree those of the middle belt, have incorporated a vast number of Arabic words — a pro-
ceeding which has naturally led to many native terms being discarded and superseded by
foreign ones. But this destructive operation has not acted in a uniform manner, whence
it happens that some northern dialects preserve old native words which have disappeared
in other dialects. But in the southern zone, where Arab influence has not penetrated to
the same degree as in Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripolitana, the Berber language has
been better preserved. Hence the Saharan dialects are the most helpful in determining
the Berber affinities of Canarian speech. But there is one difference between the phonology
of the northern and southern zones which requires notice. A northern z often becomes h
in the dialect of Taitoq and s in that of the Awelimmiden. Probably the northern z is
earlier than the southern s, h.
Comparison between Canarian and Berber words
In dealing with the Canarian words I have divided them into three classes: —
Class I comprises words nearly all of which are thoroughly Berber in form and
meaning.
Class II contains words which are doubtfully related to Berber, though some of them
seem to show an identity of Canarian and Berber grammatical and verbal forms.
Class III contains a long list of Canarian words which appear to be inexplicable by
modern Berber. Some few are probably of Arabic origin, and in others the text is no doubt
corrupt. But a residue remains which, judging from the meaning, may belong to the old
civilization of the natives.
It should be recognized from the start that in all the islands words are found containing
the non-Berber sound of p. In four of the islands these p-words are confined to place and
proper names; but in Lanzarote, the Grand Canary, and Tenerife they occur in the vocabu-
lary of common nouns. It does not, however, necessarily follow, that the words of Classes
II and III may not represent an older stage of Berber, such as Proto-Libyan, though they
cannot strictly speaking be termed Berber. That is a question for future consideration.3
3 Abbreviations used below, §§1-16:
Ar. = Arabic
B. Men. = Beni Manager
Ghdam. = Ghadames.
M. = Moroccan of Demnat
Q. = Qabyle
Shil. = Shilha
Tait. = Taitoq
W. = Wargla
Aw. = Awelimmiden
G. Nef. = Gebel Nefusa
Gur. = Gurara
Mz. = Mzab
S. Ar. = Southern Arabic
Sp. = Spanish
Tam. = Tamoseg
Zen. = Zenaga