Language/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! 😃
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎