Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa (also Known as the Maghreb: Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria). Historically they spoke various Berber languages, which together form a branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Today many of them speak Arabic. Between 14 and 25 million Berber-speakers live within this region, most densely in Algeria and Morocco, becoming generally scarcer eastward through the rest of the Maghreb like in Tunisia and Libya (even though 65 % of Tunisians are believed to be of Berber origins but were arabized).
Many Berbers call themselves some variant of the word Imazighen (singular Amazigh), meaning "free people". This is common in Morocco, but elsewhere within the Berber homeland a local, more particular term, such as Kabyle or Chaoui, is more often used instead. Historically Berbers have been variously known, for instance as Libyans by the ancient Greeks, as Numidians and Mauri by the Romans, and as Moors by medieval and early modern Europeans. The modern English term is borrowed from Arabic, but the deeper etymology of "Berber" is not certain.
The best known of them were the Roman author Apuleius, the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, and Saint Augustine of Hippo. A famous Berber living today is the international football star Zinedine Zidane.
Many Berbers call themselves some variant of the word Imazighen (singular Amazigh), meaning "free people". This is common in Morocco, but elsewhere within the Berber homeland a local, more particular term, such as Kabyle or Chaoui, is more often used instead. Historically Berbers have been variously known, for instance as Libyans by the ancient Greeks, as Numidians and Mauri by the Romans, and as Moors by medieval and early modern Europeans. The modern English term is borrowed from Arabic, but the deeper etymology of "Berber" is not certain.
The best known of them were the Roman author Apuleius, the Roman emperor Septimius Severus, and Saint Augustine of Hippo. A famous Berber living today is the international football star Zinedine Zidane.
by ZiZu - TN March 8, 2009
by EnderTheBerb6969 March 29, 2019
The Berber is a language known as Tamazight which is spoken in northern Africa (Morocco and Algeria).
by Jeanne February 16, 2004
Berber is a very old language spoken mainly by Caucasian or Caucasoid populations in North-west African countries with large groups of speakers in the Kingdom of Morocco (about 60% of the population) and Algeria (about 30% of the population) and significant minorities in Libya Mauritania Tunisia (almost extinct) and western edges of Egypt and among the Moroccans of Israel. The Tuareg Berbers are nomads and do not recognise any borders so they live in constant movement between the southern edges of the Sahara and the northern ones.
Berber language is linguistically difficult to classify but linguists have found that the remotely closest relative to it is the ancient Egyptian and the Coptic ( only used in the Coptic church liturgy).
Although throughout history Berber personalities have significantly contributed to the human heritage ( saint Augustine the father of catholic theology; Ibn khaldun the father of sociology; Hannibal the man who scared Rome -not Lecter-; many roman emperors; the Pharaoh Shoshenq the first; And for those who don’t knew it Zinedine Zidane is a Berber too !…) their contribution is either not recognized or their real identity mistaken with the predominant culture they live in (e.g. S. Augustine considered a roman, Hannibal a Carthaginian, Zinedine Zidane a French...
Their “obscure” origins come from the fact that their culture emerged in continuity from their prehistoric background in the region called Capsian Neolithic culture, witch disconfirm theories of middle-eastern origins. Berbers belonged and will always belong to this land.
Its also noteworthy to mention that the resistance and continuity of Berber is unique: since prehistoric times through early antiquity to modern days Berber hadn’t change and is still spoken despite the fact that the region was invaded by loads of exogenous populations ( Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, French, Spanish). It’s a rare phenomenon and few languages achieved this constancy.
Berber also contributed to modern popular culture: for the fans of the Star Wars epopee, you all know about Tatooine the home planet of the Skywalker family. Well, this word come from the Berber plural word Titawine (titawin) witch means the eyes, as the tatooine planet got twin suns Tattoo I and Tatoo II .the singular word for an eye being Tit. And this comes from the fact that most of the scenes of this planet were shot in a Berber village in southern Tunisia.
And for those who don’t know about Berber writing or think it doesn’t exist I will shortly retell the same think in southern Moroccan Berber (Chleuh) into the Tifinagh or Berber alphabet.
Tamazivt tga yan ils ittusawaln v mnnau n timizar n uflla azlmad n afriqya. Middn sawalnin tamazivt gan imazivn ntni a izwarn ad zdvn v tamazirt ad. Mqqar imazivn tawzn I mnnaw n lpadarat v tizi n lbacaria, idrus iv srsn totarafn.
Tillas issutln I tarix n imazivn ikkan lasl nsn igan bahra aqbur v tmazirt n tamzva. Mayan ur igin acrki almas. Imsawaln n tamazivt ggutn v tagldit n lmagrib d dzayr, mac drusn v timizar adnin n tamzva.
Ils n tamazivt ur igi yan, llan gis mnnaw n iwaliwn ngirinin v kraigat agmmad n kraigat tamazirt. Zud Taclpit v izddar n tagldit n lmagrib d tarifit d tamazivt v uflla ns. Takbaylit nttat ar srs sawaln v dzair.
PS: I am a Berber from morocco. And I don’t think Algerians are all assholes. lol
Berber language is linguistically difficult to classify but linguists have found that the remotely closest relative to it is the ancient Egyptian and the Coptic ( only used in the Coptic church liturgy).
Although throughout history Berber personalities have significantly contributed to the human heritage ( saint Augustine the father of catholic theology; Ibn khaldun the father of sociology; Hannibal the man who scared Rome -not Lecter-; many roman emperors; the Pharaoh Shoshenq the first; And for those who don’t knew it Zinedine Zidane is a Berber too !…) their contribution is either not recognized or their real identity mistaken with the predominant culture they live in (e.g. S. Augustine considered a roman, Hannibal a Carthaginian, Zinedine Zidane a French...
Their “obscure” origins come from the fact that their culture emerged in continuity from their prehistoric background in the region called Capsian Neolithic culture, witch disconfirm theories of middle-eastern origins. Berbers belonged and will always belong to this land.
Its also noteworthy to mention that the resistance and continuity of Berber is unique: since prehistoric times through early antiquity to modern days Berber hadn’t change and is still spoken despite the fact that the region was invaded by loads of exogenous populations ( Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, French, Spanish). It’s a rare phenomenon and few languages achieved this constancy.
Berber also contributed to modern popular culture: for the fans of the Star Wars epopee, you all know about Tatooine the home planet of the Skywalker family. Well, this word come from the Berber plural word Titawine (titawin) witch means the eyes, as the tatooine planet got twin suns Tattoo I and Tatoo II .the singular word for an eye being Tit. And this comes from the fact that most of the scenes of this planet were shot in a Berber village in southern Tunisia.
And for those who don’t know about Berber writing or think it doesn’t exist I will shortly retell the same think in southern Moroccan Berber (Chleuh) into the Tifinagh or Berber alphabet.
Tamazivt tga yan ils ittusawaln v mnnau n timizar n uflla azlmad n afriqya. Middn sawalnin tamazivt gan imazivn ntni a izwarn ad zdvn v tamazirt ad. Mqqar imazivn tawzn I mnnaw n lpadarat v tizi n lbacaria, idrus iv srsn totarafn.
Tillas issutln I tarix n imazivn ikkan lasl nsn igan bahra aqbur v tmazirt n tamzva. Mayan ur igin acrki almas. Imsawaln n tamazivt ggutn v tagldit n lmagrib d dzayr, mac drusn v timizar adnin n tamzva.
Ils n tamazivt ur igi yan, llan gis mnnaw n iwaliwn ngirinin v kraigat agmmad n kraigat tamazirt. Zud Taclpit v izddar n tagldit n lmagrib d tarifit d tamazivt v uflla ns. Takbaylit nttat ar srs sawaln v dzair.
PS: I am a Berber from morocco. And I don’t think Algerians are all assholes. lol
by Atlantroppus October 31, 2007
Berber is a language from afro-asiatic group which exists nowadays as several closely-related variants, spoken in the whole North Africa, especially in Morocco (chleuh ie tashelhiyt, rifan ie tarifit, braber i.e. tamazight) and in Algeria (kabyle ie taqvaylit, chawi ie tachawit).
- Hi I'm a berber from Algeria, near Tizi-Ouzou
- Hi I'm a berber from Morocco, in Middle-Atlas
- Azul fellak
- Azul fellak
- Hi I'm a berber from Morocco, in Middle-Atlas
- Azul fellak
- Azul fellak
by ayadho April 19, 2006
A berber is mine. It is a person that becomes a berber when he/she finds another berber to love. Berbers are rare.
by BERBER!! January 20, 2010
To maximize one's potential gain at the expense of others. To rip someone off while at the same time leading them to believe they are getting a good deal.
by astrotangent April 11, 2018