أمازيغ

Arabic

Etymology

From Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ (amaziɣ). From the active participle ⴰⵎ (am) and ⴰⵣⵉⵖ (aziɣ) a currently unattested word in Tamazight. Historically Amazigh was identified as meaning “free-man” with suggested connections to "aze" ("to be strong" in Taznatit), or "jeɣeɣ" ("to be brave" in Tamasheq).

With the regular sound change of Tamazight ɣ → Semitic k, q; the corresponding root in Semitic, a fellow Afro-Asiatic language, is ز ك و (z-k-w), which does have the meaning of “free”, “to be purified from excess”, “to dispense of filth or materials”, to improve”, “to free something of inefficiencies”, “to shed its burdens”, “not to be bogged down”, “to allow to thrive or move freely”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔa.maː.ziːɣ/

Noun

أَمَازِيغ • (ʔamāzīḡ) m pl or f (collective, singulative أَمَازِيغِيّ f (ʔamāzīḡiyy))

1. Berbers, the Berber peoples

Declension

Declension of noun أَمَازِيغ (ʔamāzīḡ)

Singular	basic singular diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَمَازِيغ ʔamāzīḡ	الْأَمَازِيغ al-ʔamāzīḡ	أَمَازِيغ ʔamāzīḡ
Nominative	أَمَازِيغُ ʔamāzīḡu	الْأَمَازِيغُ al-ʔamāzīḡu	أَمَازِيغُ ʔamāzīḡu
Accusative	أَمَازِيغَ ʔamāzīḡa	الْأَمَازِيغَ al-ʔamāzīḡa	أَمَازِيغَ ʔamāzīḡa
Genitive	أَمَازِيغَ ʔamāzīḡa	الْأَمَازِيغِ al-ʔamāzīḡi	أَمَازِيغِ ʔamāzīḡi

Derived terms

• أَمَازِيغِيّ (ʔamāzīḡiyy)