The Minority Language: Tamazight in the Linguistic Landscape of Algiers, Algeria

Abstract

The study of the linguistic landscape focuses on written messages in the surrounding geographical area, to understand issues such as multilingualism, minority languages, and language maintenance. This study contributes to the field primarily by considering the linguistic landscape of Algiers, with a special emphasis on Tamazight as a minority language and its usage in three main urban streets in Algiers, the Algerian capital. For data analysis, we adopted the framework developed by Cenoz and Gorter (2006). Some 342 photographs of street signs were quantitatively and qualitatively examined to generate an adequate description of Tamazight and its status in the linguistic landscape of Algiers. On most signs, the state’s language policy favorably exhibits the state language, Arabic, which is typically positioned uppermost on many vertical multilingual signs. This hierarchical structure clearly depicts the importance given to each language, and suggests why Tamazight, as the language of a minority group, lacks visibility both quantitatively and qualitatively. This structure underscores the fact that Tamazight has the symbolic function of exhibiting a hidden meaning about the hierarchies and power relations between the majority and minority groups in Algeria, to show tolerance of, and solidarity with, the minority Berber group.