Language/Kabyle/Vocabulary/Animals

Kabyle Vocabulary - Animals

Hi Kabyle learners! 😊
In this lesson, we are going to learn about animals in Kabyle! Knowing the names of animals in Kabyle can be very useful, especially if you are planning to visit Algeria, as Kabyle is widely spoken there. Let's get started!

Farm Animals

Let's start with the animals you might find on a farm:

Kabyle	Pronunciation	English
רַגן	raɣen	sheep
׫ִיחִי	tihi	chicken
םוִּלִין	mulin	cow
כָּלֵו־תֵאָָ	kalev-tea	rabbit
פוּלאַ	fula	horse
לָמוּזַיט	lamouzit	goat

Dialogue:

• Person 1: כָּלֵו־תֵאָָ, יַלְדָּאָה! (kalev-tea, yaldaha!) (Rabbit, little girl!)
• Person 2: וַאַל־יִקְבַּל אִיִּתִּנִי. (wa-al-yiqbal iytini) (I don't like it.)

Fun fact: Kabyle sheep has a dark color and a light nose. They are raised primarily for meat and wool production.

Sea animals

Now let's learn some sea animals in Kabyle:

Kabyle	Pronunciation	English
תָּڥַچַּת	tavgagt	octopus
ךָוֵل	chavel	fish
בִיבָה	bivah	crab
לִינַטִּי	liniti	dolphin
יִירוָּק	yirwak	lobster
תָרוּפָּא	tarufa	squid

Dialogue:

• Person 1: יִירוָּק, וַאֲכַּלְתָּּי? (yirwak, wa-akhalta?) (Lobster, did you eat it?)
• Person 2: פוּסַּתָּא, קַדְּחָה־יַקִּין! (fusat-ta, qaddḥaha-yakkin!) (Forget it, it's too expensive!).

Fun fact: Algeria’s coasts are known as the most dangerous in the world for sailors, mainly because of the devilish reefs that are hidden just beneath the sea level.

Wild animals

Now let's move on to wild animals in Kabyle:

Kabyle	Pronunciation	English
עִילַגִּה	ilagga	deer
לְעֵיוָשַׁא	l'eiwashaa	hedgehog
עִימָא	imma	fox
בֶּעָא	bea	gazelle
פָּיַהַר	payahr	hyena
זואכ	zuaq	wolf.

Dialogue:

• Person 1: עִילַגִּה, סִיבַּלְתִּיּוֹ? (ilagga, sibal-tiyo?) (Deer, did you hunt it?)
• Person 2: לָא, אִיתוּקַקְתַּ שֶׁחַרֶּת. תֵּינֵהּ, קֵיֶנַּתְּ פִּיִירוּ. (la, itukkaqtta sheḥarreta, tinen, keyentt piyiru) (No, it disappeared at dawn. We only saw its tracks.)

Fun fact: The Barbary macaque (aka Barbary ape) is a true local of Algeria. They live close to the Atlas mountains, mainly in dense oak or cedar forests.

Insects

Lastly, let's learn about some insects:

Kabyle	Pronunciation	English
אוֹועַד	owad	beetle
לֵאַבַטֵּה	leabateh	butterfly
זֶּעְבֶּיַּּאר	zεbyar	ladybug
רַגַּע	raga	mosquito
יִירוּן	yirun	ant
תַאְרוֹתִאַן	tarwethaḥ	cockroach

Dialogue:

• Person 1: רַגַּע, תִּרְקַם עַיִץִייִן! (raga, tirqam 'ayizi-yyin!) (Mosquitoes, they're biting me!)
• Person 2: לָאָא, לְאַף אִיזָון. וַאֲלָאָא, זֶּעְבֶּיַּּאר, זְמֵםֵהּ. (la-aa, le'af izawun. wa-laa-a, zebeyar, zeme-me) (No, to your nose. And as for the ladybug, leave it alone!)

Fun fact: In Tizi Ouzou city, the Kabyle custom of opprobia or "khabreha" is still held today, it consists of treating the fever of a little kid by placing a praying mantis on its forehead, like an exorcism.

With that, we have completed our lesson on Kabyle animals vocabulary. You can now grow your Kabyle vocabulary repertoire! To continue learning, you can visit Vocabulary on Polyglot Club. Don't hesitate to connect with native speakers and ask them any questions you may have. Keep it up! 😃

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