Shawiya language

Shawiya
Chaouïa
Tacawit
Pronunciation[θæʃæwiθ]
Native toAlgeria
RegionAurès Mountains (Batna, Khenchela, Oum El Bouaghi, Souk Ahras, Tébessa, Biskra)
EthnicityShawiya
Native speakers
2.6 million (2022)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3shy
Glottologtach1249
Geographic distribution of Shawiya dialects in northeastern Algeria
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Shawiya, or Shawiya Berber, also spelt Chaouïa (native form: Tacawit [θæʃæwiθ]), is a Zenati Berber language spoken in Algeria by the Shawiya people. The language's primary speech area is the Awras Mountains in Eastern Algeria and the surrounding areas, including parts of Western Tunisia, including Batna, Khenchela, Sétif, Oum El Bouaghi, Souk Ahras, Tébessa and the northern part of Biskra. It is closely related to the Shenwa language of Central Algeria.

  1. ^ Shawiya at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon