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Sorosoro – September 1st, 2011
In focus this week: the Berber language! With an interview in Tamasheq to mark the release of Tinariwen’s latest album; plus everything you ever wanted to know about the Tamazight language, with Salem Mezhoud…
The Berber language in focus
Berber, or Tamazight, has just recently been granted official language status in Morocco, after the constitutional referendum held last July. A first for North Africa and the Sahara-Sahel area, where Tamazight is spoken! Sorosoro brings the Berber language into focus for the occasion…
New video
All summer we have been adding videos on Tamasheq, a variant of Berber spoken by the Tuareg. We continue our series this week with Tinariwen band member Moussa Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni who tells us, in Tamasheq, about his relation to his language and how he got to learn Tifinagh script. Interview with a Tuareg activist…
A particularly hot topic as it happens, with the band having just released their latest album, Tassili, and launched a world tour!
Read article on Tinariwen record and tour
Soropedia
Who claims they’ll easily find their way through the maze of Tamazight variants? Researcher-consultant Salem Mezhoud (University of London, UNESCO) takes us on an enlightening visit of the linguistics, geography and history of the language and its dialects. We’re particularly grateful for such a clear account ;)) !
News
Wrapping up our focus on Tamazight, an article on the difficulty to grant Moroccan children a Berber name.
Agenda
September 6: do not miss France Culture airing on the languages of the French Overseas, with Sorosoro director Rozenn Milin and linguist Michel Launey.
September 26: celebrating plurilingualism and over 200 languages on the 10th European Day of Languages !
Videos subtitled in Spanish
As previously announced, the 3 remaining videos of our series on the Kaqchikel language, spoken in Guatemala, are now available with Spanish subtitles, much to the delight of Spanish-speaking Sorolovers: a presentation of Kaqchikel by linguist Nikte Sis Iboy, an interview on the decline of the language, and a video on colour symbolism in the Maya New Year ceremony…
Keeping in mind…
A new word of the fortnight, meant to serve as an endless encouragement : « To Learn ».
As well as an updated Soroquiz, available on our homepage…
A beautiful week to all of you,
The Sorosoro crew
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