International Journal of Language and Linguistics

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Zenet, an Endangered Language Variety in Southern Algeria

Received: 16 November 2014    Accepted: 19 November 2014    Published: 26 November 2014
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Abstract

In the Tuat, southern Algeria, Arabic is the major language variety; whereas, Zenet is a minor dialect neither taught at school nor promoted at the societal level. The objective of the present paper is to give a glimpse about the sociolinguistic changes that are underway in the Tuat, such as the actual position of Zenet at the institutional and societal levels, through objective measurements such as the national census, the school, and the radio programs. The paper focuses on the recent developments underwent by Zenet at the Radio of Adrar since 2006. This variety of Tamazight is witnessing an evolution in the program schedules and frequencies of broadcast, but no noticeable changes on the educational and the social levels. Hence, Zenet may be considered as an endangered language variety, since it does not receive governmental and institutional supports nor any local encouragement and promotion.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijll.s.2014020602.12
Published in International Journal of Language and Linguistics (Volume 2, Issue 6-2, December 2014)

This article belongs to the Special Issue The Sociolinguistics of a Changing World

Page(s) 6-9
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Arabic, Endangered Language, Zenet, Tuat, Algeria, Adrar Radio, Vitality of Languages

References
[1] Ammon, U. 2002. [Review of R. B. Kaplan and R. B. Baldauf. 1997. Language Planning from Practice to Theory. Multilingual Matters 108. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.] Language problems and language Planning 263: 315-339. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
[2] Bourhis, R.Y., H.Giles and D.Rosenthal. 1981. Notes on the Construction of a ‘Subjective Vitality Questionnaire’ for Ethnolinguistic Groups. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 2(2):145-155.
[3] Edwards, J.R. 1982. Language attitudes and their implications. In E.B Ryan, and H. Giles (eds.), Attitudes towards Language Variation. London: Edward Arnold.
[4] Fasold, R.W. 1984. The Sociolinguistics of Society. Oxford: OUP.
[5] Fishman, J.A. 1991. Reversing Language Shift: theoretical and Empirical foundations of Assistance to Threatened Languages. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
[6] Fishman, J.A. 2001. Can Threatened Languages be saved? Reversing Language Shift, Revisited: A 21st Century Perspective. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters
[7] Fishman, J.A., C.A.Ferguson, and J. Das Gupta (Eds.) 1968. Language Problems of Developing Nations. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: New York.
[8] Gallagher, C.F. 1964. North African problems and prospects: language and identity. In J.A.Fishman, C.A. Ferguson, and J. Das Gupta (eds.) Language Problems of Developing Nations. New York: Wiley and Sons, Inc. pp.129-150.
[9] Giles, H., R.Y. Bourhis and D.M. Taylor 1977. Towards a theory of language in ethnic group relations. In Howard Giles (Ed.), Language, Ethnicity, and Intergroup Relations. New York: Academic Press.
[10] Hamers, J.F. and M.H.A. Blanc, 1989. Bilinguality and Bilingualism. Cambridge: CUP.
[11] Harwood, J., H.Giles and R.Y.Bourhis 1994. The Genesis of Vitality Theory: Historical Patterns and Discoursal Dimensions. Int’l.J.Soc.Lang. 108:167-206.
[12] Kristiansen, T., J.Harwood, and H.Giles.1991. Ethnolinguistic Vitality in ‘The Danish capital of America’. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural development 12(6):421-448.
[13] Le Page, Robert B. 1980. ‘Projection, Focussing, Diffusion’. In Robert B. LePage and M.W.S. Da Silva (eds.) York Papers in Linguistics 9. York: Department of Language, University of York.
[14] Le Page, Robert B., and Andrée Tabouret-Keller. 1985. Acts of Identity: Creole-based Approaches to Language and Ethnicity. Cambridge: CUP.
[15] Sirles, C. 1999. Politics and Arabization: the evolution of postindependence North Africa. Int’l.J.Soc.Lang. 137:115-129.
[16] Williams, F. 1973. Some research notes on dialect attitudes and stereotypes. In Roger W. Shuy and Ralph W. Fasold (eds.), Language Attitudes: Current Trends and Prospects. Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C.
Author Information
  • Department of English, University of Adrar, Adrar, Algeria

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  • APA Style

    Bachir Bouhania. (2014). Zenet, an Endangered Language Variety in Southern Algeria. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 2(6-2), 6-9. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.s.2014020602.12

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    ACS Style

    Bachir Bouhania. Zenet, an Endangered Language Variety in Southern Algeria. Int. J. Lang. Linguist. 2014, 2(6-2), 6-9. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.s.2014020602.12

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    AMA Style

    Bachir Bouhania. Zenet, an Endangered Language Variety in Southern Algeria. Int J Lang Linguist. 2014;2(6-2):6-9. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.s.2014020602.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijll.s.2014020602.12,
      author = {Bachir Bouhania},
      title = {Zenet, an Endangered Language Variety in Southern Algeria},
      journal = {International Journal of Language and Linguistics},
      volume = {2},
      number = {6-2},
      pages = {6-9},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijll.s.2014020602.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.s.2014020602.12},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijll.s.2014020602.12},
      abstract = {In the Tuat, southern Algeria, Arabic is the major language variety; whereas, Zenet is a minor dialect neither taught at school nor promoted at the societal level. The objective of the present paper is to give a glimpse about the sociolinguistic changes that are underway in the Tuat, such as the actual position of Zenet at the institutional and societal levels, through objective measurements such as the national census, the school, and the radio programs. The paper focuses on the recent developments underwent by Zenet at the Radio of Adrar since 2006. This variety of Tamazight is witnessing an evolution in the program schedules and frequencies of broadcast, but no noticeable changes on the educational and the social levels. Hence, Zenet may be considered as an endangered language variety, since it does not receive governmental and institutional supports nor any local encouragement and promotion.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Zenet, an Endangered Language Variety in Southern Algeria
    AU  - Bachir Bouhania
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    AB  - In the Tuat, southern Algeria, Arabic is the major language variety; whereas, Zenet is a minor dialect neither taught at school nor promoted at the societal level. The objective of the present paper is to give a glimpse about the sociolinguistic changes that are underway in the Tuat, such as the actual position of Zenet at the institutional and societal levels, through objective measurements such as the national census, the school, and the radio programs. The paper focuses on the recent developments underwent by Zenet at the Radio of Adrar since 2006. This variety of Tamazight is witnessing an evolution in the program schedules and frequencies of broadcast, but no noticeable changes on the educational and the social levels. Hence, Zenet may be considered as an endangered language variety, since it does not receive governmental and institutional supports nor any local encouragement and promotion.
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