Tifinagh   

Origin

The Tifinagh alphabet is thought to have derived from the ancient Berber script. The name Tifinagh means 'the Phoenician letters', or possibly comes from the Greek word for writing tablet, 'pínaks'.

Since September 2003, the Tifinagh alphabet children in Moroccan primary schools have been taught to write Tamazight with the Tifinagh alphabet. It is also used by the Tuareg, particularly the women, for private notes, love letters and in decoration. For public purposes, the Arabic alphabet is normally used.

Notable features

• Type of writing system: alphabet.
• Direction of writing: left to right in horizontal lines.

Used to write

Berber languages such as Tamazight, Tamasheq and Amazigh, which are spoken by about a million or so people in Morocco, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Libya.

Neo-Tifinagh alphabet as used in Morocco

Sample text in Tamazight

Transliteration

Imdanen, akken ma llan ttlalen d ilelliyen msawan di lhòweròma d yizerfan-ghur sen tamsakwit d lâquel u yessefk ad-tili tegmatt gar asen.

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample text in Tamasheq (Tower of Babel)

Links

Free Tifinagh fonts
http://www.chez.com/imazighen/assckltfngh.html
http://www.mondeberbere.com/langue/polices.htm

L'école d'amazigh - online lessons in Amazigh and the Tifinagh alphabet
http://www.ircam.ma/ecoleamazighe/menu.htm

Tawalt - a Libyan Berber site in the Tifinagh and Arabic scripts
http://www.tawalt.com

Berber Language Page
http://isp.msu.edu/AfrLang/Handbook/Berber_root.htm

Monde Berbere (Berber World) - information on the Berber people of Morocco in Berber, French and English: http://www.mondeberbere.com

Amazigh World - information about Berber language and culture (in Berber and French)
http://www.amazighworld.org

Kra isallen - Le magazine en ligne de l'association Tamazgha
http://www.tamazgha.fr

TIFIN' ART - Calligraphies et peintures (Tifinagh calligraphy)
http://tifin.arts.monsite.wanadoo.fr/index.jhtml

Other consonant alphabets (abjads)

Ancient Berber, Arabic, Dhives Akuru, Hebrew, Mandaic, Middle Persian, Nabataean, Parthian, Phoenician, Proto-Hebrew, Psalter, Sabaean, Samaritan, Sogdian, South Arabian, Syriac, Tifinagh, Ugaritic