Culture & Etiquette

1. ⴰⵃⵡⴰⵛ

   Aḥwac

   Ahwach (collective song and dance of the south)

   Usage

   A collective song-and-dance tradition of southern Morocco, especially the Souss and Atlas villages, performed at celebrations to drums and clapping.

   Grammar Note

   A dictionary headword also attested in the corpus.

2. ⴰⵃⵉⴷⵓⵙ

   Aḥidus

   Ahidus (collective dance)

   Usage

   A collective dance of the Amazigh of the Middle Atlas and elsewhere, sung and danced in a circle.

   Grammar Note

   A dictionary headword that is also used on zgh.wikipedia.

3. ⴰⵥⴰⵡⴰⵏ

   Aẓawan

   Music

   Usage

   Music; for talking about concerts and folk music.

   Grammar Note

   A dictionary headword also attested in the corpus.

4. ⵜⵉⴼⵉⵏⴰⵖ

   Tifinaɣ

   Tifinagh (Amazigh script)

   Usage

   The Amazigh script, written on public signs in Morocco next to Arabic and Latin letters.

   Grammar Note

   A dictionary headword also attested in the corpus. Listed in the dictionary as a feminine plural noun.

5. ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ

   Tamaziɣt

   Tamazight (the Amazigh language)

   Usage

   The Amazigh language, an official language of Morocco beside Arabic. The same word also means an Amazigh woman.

   Grammar Note

   A dictionary headword also attested in the corpus.

6. ⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ

   Amaziɣ

   Amazigh (person, adjective)

   Usage

   The self-name of the indigenous people of North Africa; use it rather than the outsider term "Berber".

   Grammar Note

   A dictionary headword also attested in the corpus.

7. ⵜⵉⵎⵣⴳⵉⴷⴰ

   Timzgida

   Mosque

   Usage

   A mosque; shoes are taken off before entering, and only some mosques are open to visitors.

   Grammar Note

   A dictionary headword also attested in the corpus.

8. ⵜⴰⵚⵚⵓⵎⵄⵜ

   Taṣṣumɛt

   Minaret

   Usage

   The tower of a mosque; Moroccan minarets are often square.

   Grammar Note

   A dictionary headword that is also used on zgh.wikipedia.

9. ⵜⴰⵙⵏⵏⵉⵖⵜ

   Tasnniɣt

   Museum

   Usage

   A museum; for asking about opening hours.

   Grammar Note

   A dictionary headword also attested in the corpus.

10. ⵉⵖⵔⵎ

    Iɣrm

    Village (fortified village)

    Usage

    A village or small town; southern Morocco has many mud-brick fortified villages (ksour) called by this word.

    Grammar Note

    A dictionary headword also attested in the corpus. On zgh.wikipedia it often begins village names (ⵉⵖⵔⵎ ⵏ …).

11. ⵜⴰⴳⴹⵉⴼⵜ

    Tagḍift

    Carpet

    Usage

    A hand-woven carpet, bought at the market after bargaining.

    Grammar Note

    Not a dictionary headword. Confirmed by a Tatoeba sentence about a carpet's colour and by the Tashelhit corpus.

12. ⴰⵎⴹⵍⵍⵚ

    Amḍllṣ

    Wool rug

    Usage

    A woollen rug woven with geometric patterns.

    Grammar Note

    A dictionary headword with little or no corpus usage.

13. ⵜⵉⵣⵓⵣⴰⴼ

    Tizuzaf

    Jewellery

    Usage

    Amazigh silver jewellery; used in the plural.

    Grammar Note

    Not a dictionary headword. Confirmed by a Tatoeba sentence and by a zgh.wikipedia list of crafts (jewellery and pottery).

14. ⴰⴼⵔⵓⵔ

    Afrur

    Pottery

    Usage

    Fired clay ware; Safi is especially known for it.

    Grammar Note

    A dictionary headword with little or no corpus usage.

15. ⵍⵃⵏⵏⵉ

    Lḥnni

    Henna

    Usage

    The dye used to paint patterns on the hands at weddings and celebrations.

    Grammar Note

    A dictionary headword with little or no corpus usage. Of Arabic origin (ḥinnāʾ); the dictionary lists both ⵍⵃⵏⵏⴰ and ⵍⵃⵏⵏⵉ.

16. ⵜⴰⵏⵣⵔⵓⴼⵜ

    Tanzruft

    Desert

    Usage

    The desert; for talking about trips to the Sahara.

    Grammar Note

    A dictionary headword also attested in the corpus. In the corpus it appears in the construct state ⵜⵏⵣⵔⵓⴼⵜ after a preposition.

17. ⴰⴱⵄⵓ

    Abɛu

    Dune

    Usage

    A sand dune; people climb dunes such as those at Merzouga to watch the sunrise.

    Grammar Note

    A dictionary headword with little or no corpus usage.

18. ⵜⴰⵥⵏⵉⴳⵜ

    Taẓnigt

    Oasis

    Usage

    A green area with water in the desert, common in the Draa and Todra valleys.

    Grammar Note

    A dictionary headword with little or no corpus usage. The dictionary also glosses ⵜⴰⵖⵍⴰ as oasis, but it also means a lamb, so it was avoided.

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