Sounds
Riffian's most noticeable differences from other Berber dialects are that:
- /l/ in other dialects corresponds to ⟨ř⟩ in Riffian (example: ul (heart) → uř )
- /ll/ (geminate /lː/) in other dialects corresponds to ⟨ǧǧ⟩ (/dː͡ʒ/) in Riffian (example: yelli (my daughter) → yeǧǧi ).
- /lt/ in other dialects corresponds to ⟨č⟩ (/t͡ʃ/) in Riffian (example: weltma (my sister) → wečma ).
The above mentioned variations don't apply the Riffian sub-dialects of "Ikebdanen" and "Iznasen".
| Riffian letter | Riffian word | The word in other Berber dialects | meaning in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ř ř | uř | ul | heart |
| aɣyuř | aɣyul | donkey | |
| awař | awal | speech / talk | |
| Ǧ ǧ | azeǧǧif | azellif | head |
| yeǧǧa | yella | (he) is / (he) exists | |
| ajeǧǧid | ajellid | king | |
| Č č | wečma | weltma | my sister |
| tacemřač | tacemlalt | blonde / white | |
| taɣyuč | taɣyult | female donkey (jenny) |
- postvocalic /r/ preceding a consonantal coda is dropped, as in taddart (house/home) → taddaat. Thus in tamara the /r/ is conserved because it precedes a vowel.
- /k/ usually becomes /ʃ/, while in some local sub-accents it is merely softened.
- Additionally, the initial masculine a- prefix is dropped in certain words, e.g., afus (hand) becomes fus, and afighar (snake) becomes fighar. This change, characteristic of Zenati Berber varieties, further distances Riffian from neighbouring dialects such as Atlas-Tamazight and Shilha.
- "Tarifit" or "Tarifiyt" is often pronounced as .
Read more about this topic: Riffian Language
Famous quotes containing the word sounds:
“I used to be angry all the time and I’d sit there weaving my anger. Now I’m not angry. I sit there hearing the sounds outside, the sounds in the room, the sounds of the treadles and heddles—a music of my own making.”
—Bhakti Ziek (b. c. 1946)
“I that so long
Was Nothing from Eternity,
Did little think such Joys as Ear and Tongue
To celebrate or see:
Such Sounds to hear, such Hands to feel, such Feet,
Such Eyes and Objects, on the Ground to meet.”
—Thomas Traherne (1636–1674)
“To me, the sea is like a person—like a child that I’ve known a long time. It sounds crazy, I know, but when I swim in the sea I talk to it. I never feel alone when I’m out there.”
—Gertrude Ederle (b. 1906)