History of the notation of Tamazight in Latin characters

Abstract

Over the course of its history, the writing of the Amazigh language has evolved through the use of different writing systems. The Latin script has played an essential role in this progression, offering the Amazigh language a means of written expression in various scientific fields.

However, authors who chose to write Tamazight using Latin characters made changes to adapt it to the sounds specific to the Amazigh language. These adjustments were made by foreign authors in the 19th century, as well as by Amazigh-speaking researchers from the end of the 19th century to the present day.

This paper aims to present the different historical periods during which the writing of Tamazight used Latin characters, while explaining the modifications introduced from one work to another.

Key words: History, Latin, Tamazight, writing