Tifinagh   

Origin

The Tifinagh alphabet is thought to have derived from the ancient
Berber script. The name Tifinagh possibly
means ‘the Phoenician letters’, or possibly from the phrase tifin
negh, which means ‘our invention’.

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, Tamajaq,
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 lḥweṛma 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)

 
Language courses
for Tuareg and other African languages (en français)

Links

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

Lengua y Cultura Tamazight – course in Tamazight (in Spanish)
http://www.melillatamazight.es

Free Tifinagh fonts
http://www.chez.com/imazighen/assckltfngh.html
http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_Tifinagh.html

Tifinagh transliteration
http://www.translitteration.com/transliteration/en/berber/neo-tifinagh/

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