The Phonetics of Tarifit

Some words in Tarifit, an Amazigh language spoken in northern Morocco, can be said with no vowel at all. Mohamed Afkir and Georgia Zellou trace how this happens in a compact study of a language linguists have largely overlooked. Using acoustic recordings of native speakers in clear and fast speech, they examine the three full vowels, a, i and u, and the shifting behaviour of schwa. Vowelless versions turn out to be rare but permitted, especially in words crowded with voiceless obstruents.

A second change is under way too: the dropping of r after vowels, which is more frequent among female speakers. A perception study tests how well native listeners tell words apart. The authors then draw out what their findings mean for theories of phonetic variation, individual differences and sound change. A short, precise Cambridge Element for phoneticians and anyone curious about Amazigh languages.