The Effect of Intermarriage and Urbanization on Amazigh Language Transmission and Maintenance: The case of Marrakech City and Tagart Area

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of intermarriage and urbanization on the maintenance and transmission of Amazigh to the young generations in the city of Marrakech and the Tagart area. The main objective is to (i) determine the extent to which Arab spouses acquire Amazigh and manage to transmit it to their children and (ii) reveal the effect of mixed marriage and the setting, urban or rural, on Amazigh language transmission to the young generations in the areas investigated. The study seeks to answer four research questions related to (i) Amazighs and Arabs’ attitudes towards the Amazigh language and identity, (ii) the state of Amazigh language transmission to the young generations in Marrakech and Tagart areas, (iii) the motivating and /or inhibiting factors for Amazigh language transmission in the areas under study, and (iv) the effect of intermarriage and the urban/rural contexts on Amazigh language transmission and maintenance and / or shift in these areas. The study adopts a qualitative approach relying on free and participant observations and semi-structured interviews with eight families in the two areas under investigation. Data analysis and interpretation revealed intermarriage as a substantial threat to Amazigh language transmission and maintenance, especially when combined with urbanization.

Keywords

• Amazigh, Language transmission, Language maintenance, Intermarriage, Urban vs. rural context, Morocco.