Language/Kabyle/Pronunciation/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation
Dagi γur-wen isekkilen n tutlayt tamazight
Here you are letters of Berber language.
TIΓRẠ/VOWELS (Voyelles)[edit | edit source]
- /a/ (aγra) : baba/father/père, aman/water/eau
- /i/ (iγri) : Tamaziγt/Berber language, iri/side/bord, ini/to tell/dire
- /u/ (uγru) : ul/heart/coeur, ussan/days/jours, azul/hello/merhaba/salut
- /e/ ( ilem, tiγri tilemt/empty vowel) : aselmad/teacher/enseignant, els/to wear, ečč/to eat/manger (we can write “e” as we can dont write it because if we delete it from the word, the sound of this word doesnt change : aselmad=aslmad, els= ls, ečč= čč. Generally we write it in order to make easier the pronunciation of words).
Tamawt/Remark :[edit | edit source]
- Ilem d asekkil ur γur-s ara azal. Neţţaru-t kan i wakken ad isifsus taγuri n wawalen.
- The letter “e” has not a value. We write it just in order to make easier the reading of words.
Ilem urğin yeţwaru di tagara n wawalen.
- The letter “e” is never written at the end of words.
Neţţaru ilem γer tazwara n wemyag anaḍ win γur-s kan snat tergalin am (čč), (ğğ), (ns) d wiyaḍ…
- We write “e” at the beginning of the infinitive verb that has only two consonants (čč/to eat), (ğğ/to leave), (ns/to spend the night)…
Ečč/to eat/manger, Eğğ/to leave/laisser, Ens/to spend the night/passer la nuit
TIRGALIN/CONSONANTS (Consonnes)[edit | edit source]
Llan kraḍ n waggayen n tergalin.
There are three groups of consonants.
- 1-tirgalin n timugna /normal consonants
- 2-imesla aggaγen akk d imesla izenzaγen/̣occlusive sounds and spirant sounds
- 3-imesla ufayen/emphatic sounds
1.Tirgalin n timugna/Normal consonants[edit | edit source]
Yal asekkil deg isekkilen-agi γur-s kan yiwen ususru.
Each letter of these letters has just one pronunciation.
- /c/ (cha) amcic/cat/chat, acengu/enemy/ennemi
- /č/ (yeč=yetch) ečč/to eat/manger, kečč/you/toi
- /f/ (fa) yufa/he found/il a trouvé, afus/hand/main
- /ğ/ (yeğ=yedj) urğin/never/jamais, eğğ/to leave/laisser
- /γ/ (γar=ghar) aγrum/bread/ekmek/pain, aγerbaz/school/école
- /h/ (ha) ahil/program/programme, hud/to destroy/détruire
- /j/ (ja) ijdi/sand/sable, inijjel/anajel/bramble/roncier
- /l/ (la) ili/to be/être, ilelli/free/libre
- /m/ (ma) alemmas/middle/moyen, tameγra/feast (party)/fête
- /n/ (na) tanumi/habit/habitude , asigna/clouds/nuages
- /q/ (qil) aqcic/boy/garçon, aqbur/ancient/ancien
- /r/ (ra) arrac/children/enfants, aru/to write/écrire
- /s/ (sa) seksu/couscous , ussan/days/jours, asif/river/rivière
- /ţ/ (yeţ=yets) neţţa/he/il , ţţu/to forget/oublier, ţţru/to cry/pleurer
- /w/ (wa) awal/word/mot, waren/twenty/vingt
- /x/ (xa=kha) axxam/house/maison, ixef/head/tête
- /y/ (ya) tayri/love/amour, yunyu/june/juin
- /z/ (za) azekka/tomorrow/demain, izi/fly (insect)/mouche,
- /zz/ (yezz=yedz) Lezzayer/Algeria/Algérie, agezzar/butcher/boucher
2. Imesli aggaγ akk d imesli azenzaγ/Occlusive and spirant sounds[edit | edit source]
Kra n isekkilen, di teqbaylit, γur-sen yiwet n tira maca sin n isusruten.
Some Berber (kabyle) letters have one writing but two different pronunciations.
Llan semmus isekkilen γur-sen sin isusruten. There are five letters which have two pronunciations: b, d, g, k, t
Imedyaten/Examples
- /b/ aggaγ = occlusive /b/ : bibb/to carry/porter, Rebbi/my God/mon Dieu
- /b/ azenzaγ = spirant /b/ : abrid/street (way)/rue, baba/father/père
- /d/ aggaγ = occlusive /d/ : amdan/human/homme, eddu/to walk, ldi/to open/d/ azenzaγ = spirant
- /d/ : adrar/mountain/montagne, adrim/money/monnaie
- /g/ aggaγ = occlusive /g/ : agrud/kid/gamin, argaz/man/homme
- /g/ azenzaγ = spirant /g/ : agraw/group/groupe, agim/thousand/mille
- /k/ aggaγ = occlusive /k/ : ibki/monkey/singe, ayefki/milk/lait nek/I, me/moi
- /k/ azenzaγ = spirant /k/ : akal/land/terre, akli/slave/esclave, kem/you (f)/toi
- /t/ aggaγ = occlusive /t/ : ntu/to steack in, tasumta/pillow/oreiller
- /t/ azenzaγ = spirant /t/ : tamurt/country/pays, itri/star/étoile, tura/now
Tamawt/Remark :
- Isekkilen “b”, “d”, “g”, “k” d “t” mi ara yilin d ussiden deg wawal ttwantaqen dayem d aggaγen. When the letters “b”, “d”, “g”, “k” and “t” are intensive in the word, they are pronounced always as occlusive sounds.
- Taddart/village/village, Aseggas/year/année, Asekkil/letter/lettre
3. Imesla ufayen/Emphatic sounds[edit | edit source]
Tufayt/Emphasis/Stress accent/Accent d’intensité
Imesla ufayen ţwarun s umnes ddaw n usekkil. Llan semmus isekkilen ufayen : ḍ, ṛ, ṣ, ṭ, ẓ.
Emphatic sounds are written by adding a point (.) under the letter. There are five emphatic letters : ḍ, ṛ, ṣ, ṭ, ẓ.
Imedyaten/Examples
- /ḍ/ (ḍar) : emphatic /d/: iḍelli/yesterday/hier, aḍar/foot/pied, iḍ/night/nuit
- /ṛ/ (ṛar) : emphatic /r/ : ṛwiγ/I am satiated/je suis rassasié, iwṛiγ/to turn yellow/jaunir
- /ṣ/ (ṣar) : emphatic /s/ : ṣṣur/wall/mur, ṣa/seven/sept, ṣber/patience/patience
- /ṭ/ (ṭar) : emphatic /t/: tiṭ/eye/oeil, aṭas/a lot/beaucoup/bezzaf/çok, iṭij/sun
- /ẓ/ (ẓar) : emphatic /z/ : aẓar/root/racine, aẓekka/tomb/tombe, iẓri/view/vue
Tamawt/Remark :
Amer ad nekkes umnes (.) yellan ddaw usekkil “ẓ” γef wawalen “aẓekka”, “iẓri” d “aẓrem”, kraḍ wawalen-agi ad bedlen inumak-nnsen : ad uγalen “azekka”, “izri” d “azrem”.
If we delete the point (.) under the letter “ẓ” from the words “aẓekka/tomb/tombe”, “iẓri/view/vue” and “aẓrem/intestine/intestin”, these three words will change their meanings, they will become : “azekka/tomorrow/demain”, “izri/past/passé” and “azrem/snake/serpent”.
Akken daghen i/Same thing for :
- iẓi/gall-bladder/vésicule biliaire
- izi/fly (insect)/mouche
- ṛwiγ/I am satiated/je suis rassasié
- rwiγ/I am disturbed/je suis perturbé
Tamawt tamenzut/First remark :
- Asekkil /ḥ/ (ḥim) ur yelli ara d ufay γas akken γur-s umnes ddaw-as. Neţţaru-t akka iwakken ad t-nesemgarad d usekkil “h”.
- The letter /ḥ/ (ḥim) is not emphatic in spite of the fact that it has a point (.) under it. We write it like this in order to differ it from the letter “h”.
ḥud/to save/sauver, hud/to destroy/détruire.
Isekkilen /ḥ/ (ḥim) akk d /ε/ (εil) d wid imu neqqar imesla ankaren.
The letters /ḥ / and /ε / are called pharyngeal sounds.
Imedyaten/Examples
- εiwen/to help/aider, aεebbuḍ/stomach/estomac
- tibḥirt/garden/jardin/djnina, ḥemmel/to love/aimer
- Tamawt tis snat/Second remark :
- Imesla ussiden/ Intensive sounds
- Tussda/Doubling of the consonant/Doublement de la consonne
- Imesli ussid yeţwaru s sin isekkilen.
- Intensive sound (double letter) is written with two letters.
Imedyaten/Examples
- Axxam/house/maison
- Annar/stadium/stade
- Uzzal/iron/fer
- Allaγ/brain, mind/cerveau
- Uccen/wolf/loup
Amgarad yellan gar isekkilen n timugna d yisekkilen ussiden :
Difference between normal letters and intensive letters :
- Izi/fly (insect)/mouche
- izzi/he surrounded/il a entouré
- Ifer/leaf/feuille
- iffer/he is hidden/il est caché
- Izem/lion/lion
- izzem/he closed/il a fermé
Nezmar ad neg tamawt dakken inumak n wawalen (“izi”, “ifer” d “izem”) mgaraden γef inumak n wawalen (“izzi”, “iffer” d “izzem”).
We can notice that the meanings of the words (“izi”, “ifer” and “izem”) are different from the meanings of the words (“izzi”, “iffer” and “izzem”).
Tamawt/Remark
Asekkil ussid/Double letter
Mi ara yili usekkil deg wawal gar yilem “e” d yilem “e” neγ gar yilem “e” d tiγri, yeţwaru d ussid.
When a letter in the word is between “e” and “e” or between “e” and a vowel, it is written as double letter (double consonant).
Imedyaten/Examples
- Yettef/he held/il tenait (e-e)
- Yewwet/he beat/il a frappé (e-e)
- Yennayer/January/janvier (e-a)
- Yemma/mother/mère (e-a)
- Tilelli/freedom/libertie (e-i)
- Agellid/king/roi (e-i)
- Yeffud/he is thirsty/il a soif (e-u)
- Ageffur/rain/pluie (e-u)
Llan kra n wawalen γur-sen isekkilen d ussiden deg yifeggagen-nnsen. There are some words which have double letters in their roots (bases).
Imedyaten/Examples
- ffeγ/to go out/sortir
- tuffγa/going out/sortie
- dder/to live/vivre
- tameddurt/life/vie
- taddart/village/village
Amawal/Dictionary[edit | edit source]
- Tanga = subject/sujet, matière
- Azwel = title/titre
- Awal = word/mot (Awalen = words/mots)
- Amedya = example/exemple (Imedyaten = examples/exemples)
- Tiγri (tiγra) = vowel/voyelle (vowels/voyelles)
- Targalt (tirgalin) = consonant/consonne (consonants/consonnes)
- Amagnu = normal/normal(e)
- Aggay = group/groupe
- Alugen = rule/règlẹ (ilugan/rules/règles)
- Azal = value/valeur
- Asusru = pronunciation/pronociation (ususruten/pronunciations)
- Tira = writing/écriture
- Imesli = sound/son (imesla = sounds/sons)
- Imesli aggaγ = occlusive sound/son occlusif̣
- Imesli azenzaγ = spirant sound/son spiranṭ
- Imesli ufay = emphatic sound/son emphatiquẹ
- Imesli ankar = pharyngeal sound/son pharyngal
- Asekkil = letter/lettre (gram)̣ (Isekkilen = letters/lettres)
- Tutlayt = language/langue
- Tamsirt = lesson/leçon
- Afeggag = root, base/radical, racine (Ifeggagen/radicaux/,roots, bases)
- Tafelwit = table/tableau
- Umnes = point/point
AUTHOR[edit | edit source]
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