Misplaced Pages

Languages of Morocco: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 06:42, 23 December 2013 editMouh2jijel (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users2,368 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit Latest revision as of 18:14, 5 January 2025 edit undoNoam Elyada (talk | contribs)274 edits See also 
(511 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see ] -->
{{Languages of {{Languages of
| country = Morocco | country = Morocco
|image = Morocco - Linguistic map.png | image = Morocco - Linguistic map.png
| official = ] (80-90%)<br/>] (40-50%) |official = ] and ]
| vernacular = ] (92.7%)<ref name="RGPH 2024"/>
| vernacular = ], ], ], ], ]
* ]: (91.9%)<ref name="RGPH 2024"/>
| sign = ]
* ]: (0.8%)<ref name="RGPH 2024"/>
| foreign = French (33-39%)<ref name="OIF">"." () '']''. p. 16. Retrieved on 15 October 2012.</ref><ref name="autogenerated2004" /><br>Spanish (21%)<ref>According to a survey made in 2005 by CIDOB, 21.6% of the population speak Spanish (, ). According to the Morocco Census of 2004, the Morocco population is 29,680,069 ()</ref><br>English (14%)<ref>http://www.britishcouncil.org/new/Documents/full_mena_english_report.pdf</ref>
] (24.8%)<ref name="RGPH 2024"/>
* ] (3.2%)<ref name="RGPH 2024"/>
* ] (14.2%)<ref name="RGPH 2024"/>
* ] (7.4%)<ref name="RGPH 2024"/>
| sign = ]
|keyboard = ]
|keyboard image = ]
| foreign = ] (36%)<ref name="OIF">." '']''. p. 31. Retrieved on 1 April 2023.</ref>
<br />] (14%)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishcouncil.org/new/Documents/full_mena_english_report.pdf |title=British Council – United Kingdom |work=britishcouncil.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513152359/http://www.britishcouncil.org/new/documents/full_mena_english_report.pdf |archive-date=2014-05-13 |date=May 2012}}</ref><br />] (4.5%)<ref>Saga, Ahlam Ben. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415113901/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/11/259062/instituto-cervantes-1-7-million-moroccan-spanish/ |date=15 April 2021 }}, '']'', 29 Nov 2018. Retrieved 11 Apr 2022.</ref>
}} }}
]]]
There are a number of '''languages in Morocco''', but the two official languages are ] and ].<ref>2011 Constitution of Morocco </ref> ] (known as ]) is the spoken native ]. The languages of ] in Morocco are Arabic in its ] and Modern Standard Forms and the ], the latter of which serves as a ] for many Moroccans.<!--Cited below--> According to a 2000-2002 survey done by Moha Ennaji, author of ''Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco'', "there is a general agreement that Standard Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, and Berber are the ]."<ref name=Ennaji164>Ennaji, .</ref> Ennaji also concluded "This survey confirms the idea that multilingualism in Morocco is a vivid sociolinguistic phenomenon, which is favoured by many people."<ref name=Ennaji162163>Ennaji, -.</ref>
], particularly the ] dialect, is the most widely spoken language in ],<ref name="RGPH 2014">{{Cite web |url=http://rgphentableaux.hcp.ma/Default1/ |title=2014 General Population and Habitat Census|website=rgphentableaux.hcp.ma |access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref> but a number of regional and foreign languages are also spoken. The official languages of Morocco are ] and ].<ref name="Const2011">2011 Constitution of Morocco {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229085131/http://www.maroc.ma/NR/rdonlyres/EE8E1B01-9C86-449B-A9C2-A98CC88D7238/8650/bo5952F.pdf |date=2012-02-29 }}</ref> ] (known as ]) is by far the primary spoken ] and ], whereas ] serve as vernaculars for significant portions of the country. According to the 2024 Moroccan census, 92.7% of the population spoke Arabic, whereas 24.8% spoke Berber languages.<ref name="RGPH 2024">{{Cite web |last=Gauthier |first=Christophe |title=كلمة افتتاحية للسيد المندوب السامي للتخطيط بمناسبة الندوة الصحفية الخاصة بتقديم معطيات الإحصاء العام للسكان والسكنى 2024 |url=https://www.hcp.ma/%D9%83%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%B7-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%A9_a4025.html |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Site institutionnel du Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc |language=fr}}</ref>


The languages of ] in Morocco are Arabic in its ] and ] Forms and sometimes ], the latter of which serves as a ] for approximately 33% of Moroccans.<ref name="OIF2">"." () '']''. p. 16. Retrieved on 15 October 2012.</ref> According to the 2024 census, 99.2% or almost the entire literate population of Morocco could read and write in Arabic, whereas only 1.5% of the population could read and write in Berber. When it comes to foreign languages, this figure rises to 57.7% in French, 20.5% in ], and 1.2% in ].<ref name=":2" /> The census also reveals that 80.6% of Moroccans consider Arabic to be their native language, while 18.9% regard any of the various Berber languages as their mother tongue.<ref name="RGPH 2024" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Babas |first=Latifa |date=18 December 2024 |title=How many Moroccans consider Tamazight their mother tongue, and where do they live ? |url=https://en.yabiladi.com/articles/details/157719/many-moroccans-consider-tamazight-their.html |work=Yabiladi}}</ref>
There are 12 to 15 million Berber speakers in ], about 40 to 50% of the population.<ref name="Les peuples autochtones">Frédéric Deroche, ''Les Peuples autochtones et leur relation originale à la terre.'', éd. l'Harmattan, 2008, p. 14, </ref> French remains Morocco's unofficial third language, and is taught universally and serves as Morocco's primary language of commerce and economics; it is also widely used in education and government. Morocco is a member of the ].<br />

According to a 2000–2002 survey done by Moha Ennaji, author of ''Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco'', "there is a general agreement that Standard Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, and Berber are the ]."<ref name="Ennaji164">Ennaji, .</ref> Ennaji also concluded "This survey confirms the idea that multilingualism in Morocco is a vivid sociolinguistic phenomenon, which is favored by many people."<ref name="Ennaji162163">Ennaji, -.</ref>

There are around 6 million Berber speakers in ].<ref name="RGPH 2014" /> French retains a major place in Morocco, as it is taught universally and serves as Morocco's primary language of commerce and economics, culture, sciences and medicine; it is also widely used in education and government. Morocco is a member of the ].<ref></ref> Spanish is spoken by many Moroccans, particularly in the northern regions around ] and ], as well as in parts of the south, due to historic ties and business interactions with ].<ref name="Fernández Vítores 2014">{{Citation |last=Fernández Vítores |first=David |title=La lengua española en Marruecos |date=2014 |url=http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/RABAT/es/Noticias/Documents/LENGESPMARR.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122083914/http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Embajadas/RABAT/es/Noticias/Documents/LENGESPMARR.pdf |isbn=978-9954-22-936-1 |archive-date=November 22, 2019}}</ref>
== History ==
{{Pie chart|caption=Mother tongues of Moroccans (per 2024 census)|label1=]|label2=]|label3=Others|value1=80.6|value2=18.9|value3=0.5|color1=DarkGreen|color2=Yellow|color3=Purple}}Historically, languages such as ],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Markoe|first=Glenn|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=smPZ-ou74EwC&pg=PA187 |title=Phoenicians|date=2000-01-01|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-22614-2|language=en}}</ref> ],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pennell|first=C. R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYXrAQAAQBAJ&q=punic+language+morocco&pg=PT16|title=Morocco: From Empire to Independence|date=2013-10-01|publisher=Oneworld Publications|isbn=978-1-78074-455-1|language=en}}</ref> and ] have been spoken in Morocco. ], king of ], wrote in ] and ].<ref name=":9">{{Cite book|last=Elder.)|first=Pliny (the|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9zwZAAAAYAAJ&q=juba|title=The Natural History of Pliny|date=1857|publisher=H. G. Bohn|language=en}}</ref> It is unclear how long ] was spoken, but its influence on ] (particularly in the language of northwestern ]) indicates it must have had a significant presence in the early years after the Arab conquest.<ref name="HaspelmathTadmor2009">{{cite book|author1=Martin Haspelmath|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HnKeVbwTwyYC&pg=PA195|title=Loanwords in the World's Languages: A Comparative Handbook|author2=Uri Tadmor|date=22 December 2009|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=978-3-11-021844-2|page=195}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Smaïli|first=Kamel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3DK0DwAAQBAJ&q=%22african+romance%22+language+morocco&pg=PA24|title=Arabic Language Processing: From Theory to Practice: 7th International Conference, ICALP 2019, Nancy, France, October 16–17, 2019, Proceedings|date=2019-10-04|publisher=Springer Nature|isbn=978-3-030-32959-4|language=en}}</ref>

] came with the ];<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://zamane.ma/ar/%d9%83%d9%8a%d9%81-%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a8-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%ba%d8%b1%d8%a8-2/|title=كيف تعرب المغرب|last=المنصور|first=محمد|date=2017-01-02|website=زمان|language=ar|access-date=2020-03-30}}</ref> ] cites the Friday sermon delivered by ] just before the ] in 711 as the first instance of ] in ].<ref>{{Cite book|author=كنون، عبد الله |title=النبوغ المغربي في الأدب العربي|date=2014|publisher=دارالكتب العلمية،|isbn=978-2-7451-8292-0|oclc=949484459}}</ref> However, the language spread much more slowly than the religion.<ref name=":0" /> At first, Arabic was used only in urban areas, especially in cities in the north, while the rural areas remained the domain of Berber languages.<ref name=":0" />

Under the ], the '']'' (from {{Lang|ar|خطبة}}, the Friday sermon) had to be delivered in Arabic and ], or as the Andalusi historian {{Ill|Ibn Ṣāḥib aṣ-Ṣalāt|ar|ابن صاحب الصلاة}} described it: "''al-lisān al-gharbī''" ({{Lang|ar|اللسان الغربي}} 'the western tongue').<ref name=":03">{{Citation |title=The Preaching of the Almohads: Loyalty and Resistance across the Strait of Gibraltar |date=2013-01-01 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/9789004256644_004 |work=Spanning the Strait |pages=71–101 |access-date=2023-02-13 |publisher=BRILL|doi=10.1163/9789004256644_004 |isbn=9789004256644 }}</ref> The ''khaṭīb'', or sermon-giver, of ] in Fes, Mahdī b. ‘Īsā, was replaced under the Almohads by Abū l-Ḥasan b. ‘Aṭiyya khaṭīb because the latter was fluent in Berber.<ref name=":03" />

The first recorded work in ] or ] is ]'s epic '']'' poem "''al-Mala'ba''," dating back to the reign of ] Sultan ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zamane.ma/ar/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A9%D8%8C-%D8%A3%D9%82%D8%AF%D9%85-%D9%86%D8%B5-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9/|title=الملعبة، أقدم نص بالدارجة المغربية|date=27 May 2018 }}</ref>

During the Middle ages, sailors and traders in the Mediterranean, including the ], developed a ] known as ] or {{lang|pml|sabir}}.
It was influenced by the ], ], ], Berber, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese.
Its use declined after the European conquest.

=== Language policy ===
After ] gained independence with the end of the ] in 1956, it started a process of ]. For this task, the ] was established by ] in 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Décret n° 2-59-1965 du 15 rejeb 1379 (14 Janvier 1960) portant création d'un Institut d'études et de recherches pour l'arabisation|url=https://adala.justice.gov.ma/production/html/Fr/53691.htm|access-date=2021-03-31|website=adala.justice.gov.ma}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Alalou|first=Ali|date=2006|title=Language and Ideology in the Maghreb: Francophonie and Other Languages|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25480661|journal=The French Review|volume=80|issue=2|pages=408–421|jstor=25480661 |issn=0016-111X}}</ref> The policy of Arabization was not applied in earnest until 17 years after independence.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|date=April 1973|title=Le dossier de l'arabisation|url=http://bnm.bnrm.ma:86/pdf.aspx?IDc=2661|journal=Lamalif|volume=58|pages=14}}</ref> An editorial in '']'' in 1973 argued that, although French unified the elite and major sections of the economy, national unity could only be achieved based on Arabic—though ''Lamalif'' called for a new incarnation of the language, describing Standard Arabic as untenably prescriptive and Moroccan vernacular Arabic (Darija) as too poor to become in and of itself a language of culture and knowledge.<ref name=":1" />

In the year 2000, after years of neglecting and ignoring the other languages present in Morocco, the Charter for Educational Reform recognized them and the necessity for them.<ref name="Deroche">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X-j--CwFAVwC|title=Les peuples autochtones et leur relation originale à la terre: un questionnement pour l'ordre mondial|last=Deroche|first=Frédéric|date=2008-01-01|publisher=L'Harmattan|isbn=9782296055858|language=fr}}</ref>

Until then the ] languages were marginalized in the modern society and the number of monolingual speakers decreased. In recent years, the Berber culture has been gaining strength and some developments promise that these languages will not die (Berber is the generic name for the Berber languages. The term Berber is not used nor known by the speakers of these languages).<ref name="Marley" />

], on the other hand, has been perceived as a prestigious language in Morocco for over a millennium. However, there are very distinctive varieties of Arabic used, not all equally prestigious, which are ] (Modern Standard Arabic), the written form used in schools and ']', the non-standardized spoken form. The difference between the two forms in terms of grammar, ] and vocabulary is so great, it can be considered as ]. MSA is practically foreign to Moroccan schoolchildren, and this creates problems with reading and writing, consequently leading to a high level of ] in Morocco.<ref name="Marley" />

The ] language is also dominant in Morocco, especially in education and administration, therefore was initially learned by an elite and later on was learned by a great number of Moroccans for use in domains such as finance, science, technology and media. That is despite the government decision to implement a language policy of ignoring French after gaining independence, for the sake of creating a monolingual country.<ref name="Marley" />

From its independence until the year 2000, Morocco opted for Arabization as a policy, in an attempt of replacing French with Arabic. By the end of the 1980s, Arabic was the dominant language in education, although French was still in use in many important domains. The goals of Arabization were not met, in ] terms, therefore a change was needed.<ref name="Marley" /> By 2020, the country ended its policy of Arabization, with French reimplemented as the medium of instruction in core subjects such as science and math.<ref>Berets, Rachel. , Al-Fanar Media, 2 March 2020.</ref>

In 2000 the Charter of Educational Reform introduced a drastic change in language policy. From then on, Morocco has adopted a clear perpetual educational language policy with three main cores: improving and reinforcing the teaching of Arabic, using a variety of languages, such as English and French in teaching the fields of technology and science and acceptance of Berber. The state of Morocco still sees Arabic (MSA) as its national language, but acknowledges that not all Moroccans are Arabic speakers and that Arabization did not succeed in the area of science and technology. The aims of the charter seem to have been met faster than expected, probably since the conditions of the charter started to be implemented immediately. In the early twenty-first century the different minority languages are acknowledged in Morocco although Arabic is still dominant and is being promoted by the government.<ref name="Marley">{{Citation|title=From Monolingualism to Multilingualism: Recent Changes in Moroccan Language Policy|date=2005|url=http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/117ISB4.PDF|work=ISB4: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism|pages=1487–1500|editor-last=James Cohen|place=Somerville, MA|publisher=Cascadilla Press|access-date=30 April 2017|editor2-last=Kara T. McAlister|editor3-last=Kellie Rolstad|editor4-last=Jeff MacSwan}}</ref><ref>Marley, D. (2004). Language Attitudes in Morocco Following Recent Changes in Language Policy. ''Language Policy 3''. Klauwer Academic Publishers. Pp. 25–46.</ref>

Berber was made an official language in 2011. In 2019, a law was enacted to implement the constitutional changes from 2011.<ref name=LeMonde2023>{{Cite news |date=2023-02-09 |title=Au Maroc, le long chemin vers la reconnaissance de l'identité amazighe |language=fr |work=Le Monde.fr |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2023/02/09/au-maroc-le-long-chemin-vers-la-reconnaissance-de-l-identite-amazighe_6161195_3212.html |access-date=2023-02-26}}</ref> The government aims to generalize Berber education to all Moroccan schools.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-12 |title=Le berbère enseigné dans les écoles marocaines |url=https://www.bbc.com/afrique/48604266 |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=BBC News Afrique |language=fr}}</ref> However, as of 2023, only 10% of Moroccan pupils study Berber.<ref name=LeMonde2023/> The government hired civil servants able to speak the three main dialects (], ] and ]) to help citizens in courts, hospitals, and other public services.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ALAMI |first=Malak EL |title=La stratégie du gouvernement pour promouvoir l'Amazigh dans l'administration publique |url=https://www.lopinion.ma/La-strategie-du-gouvernement-pour-promouvoir-l-Amazigh-dans-l-administration-publique_a35449.html |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=L'Opinion Maroc – Actualité et Infos au Maroc et dans le monde. |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Maroc : l'Amazigh reconnue officiellement comme une langue de travail |url=https://www.bladi.net/amazighe-officiellement-langues-administrations-publiques,99205.html |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=bladinet |language=fr}}</ref> According to a 2012 study by the Government of ], 98% of Moroccans spoke ], 63% spoke ], 26% ], 14% spoke English, and 10% spoke ].<ref name="Fernández Vítores 2014" />

== Education ==
{{bar box|title=Literate population of Morocco (2024)|titlebar=#ddd|left1=|right1=percent|float=right|bars={{bar percent|Can read and write in ]|Green|99.2}}
{{bar percent|Can read and write in ]|Blue|57.7}}
{{bar percent|Can read and write in ]|Red|20.5}}
{{bar percent|Can read and write in ]|Yellow|1.5}}
{{bar percent|Can read and write in ]|Orange|1.2}}
{{bar percent|Can read and write in other languages|Grey|1}}}}Framework Law 17:51 allowed scientific subjects to be taught in foreign languages—especially French—in public elementary schools.<ref>{{Cite web|author-first1=Rachel|author-last1=Berets|url=https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2020/03/the-latest-in-language-confusion-morocco-switches-back-from-arabic-to-french/|title=The Latest in Language Confusion: Morocco Switches Back from Arabic to French|date=2020-03-02|website=Al-Fanar Media|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-15}}</ref>

In 2019, the Parliament voted to expand ] classes to all Moroccan schools.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-13 |title=La langue amazighe (berbère) sera enseignée dans les écoles du Maroc |url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/afrique/societe-africaine/la-langue-amazighe-berbere-sera-enseignee-dans-les-ecoles-du-maroc_3486169.html |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=Franceinfo |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Enseignement de l'amazigh : Le ministre de l'Éducation nationale dévoi |url=https://m.lematin.ma/amp/article.php?id=357048&annee=2021 |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=m.lematin.ma}}{{dead link|date=August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=LesEco.ma |date=2021-01-14 |title=Enseignement : l'amazigh sera généralisé |url=https://leseco.ma/maroc/enseignement-lamazigh-sera-generalise.html |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=LesEco.ma |language=fr-FR}}</ref> According to Prime Minister ], about 2,000 schools taught Amazigh in 2022 and the government was training more teachers to accelerate the roll out of Berber teaching.<ref>{{Cite web |last=LEMATIN.ma |title=Akhannouch: 1.941 écoles primaires ont enseigné l'amazighe en 2022 |url=https://lematin.ma/express/2022/akhannouch-1941-ecoles-primaires-ont-enseigne-langue-amazighe-2022/378100.html |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=lematin.ma |language=fr}}</ref> As of 2023, this reform is still in progress.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yabiladi.com |title=Maroc : Une application dédiée à l'apprentissage de l'Amazigh bientôt développée |url=https://www.yabiladi.com/articles/details/135796/maroc-application-dediee-l-apprentissage-l-amazigh.html |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=www.yabiladi.com |language=fr}}</ref>

In July 2023, the gradual generalization of learning English from secondary school was decided by the Ministry of Education.<ref>{{Cite web |author-first1=Aurélie|author-last1=Collas|title=MAROC Au Maroc, les jeunes préfèrent l’anglais au français |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2023/06/02/au-maroc-les-jeunes-preferent-l-anglais-au-francais_6175957_3212.html |access-date=2023-08-04|website=LeMonde Afrique |language=fr}}</ref>


== Arabic == == Arabic ==
]
Arabic is Morocco's official language, although it is the Moroccan dialect of Arabic, namely ], that is spoken or understood, frequently as a second language, by the majority of the population (about 85% of the total population). Many native Berber speakers also speak the local Arabic variant.<ref>]. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.</ref> Arabic in its ] and ] forms is one of the two ] languages in Morocco. Aleya Rouchdy, author of ''Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic'', said that Classical/Modern Arabic and French are constantly in conflict with one another, but that most Moroccans believe that the bilingualism of Classical Arabic and French is the most optimal choice to allow for Morocco's development.<ref name=Rouchdy71>Rouchdy, . ISBN 0700713794, 9780700713790.</ref>
Arabic, along with Berber, is one of Morocco's two official languages,<ref name="Const2011" /> although it is the Moroccan dialect of Arabic, namely ], meaning "everyday/colloquial language";<ref>Wehr, Hans: ''Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic'' (2011); Harrell, Richard S.: ''Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic'' (1966)</ref> that is spoken or understood, frequently as a second language, by the majority of the population (about 85% of the total population). Many native Berber speakers also speak the local Arabic variant as a second language.<ref>]. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.</ref> Arabic in its ] and ] forms is one of the two ] languages in Morocco. Aleya Rouchdy, editor of ''Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic'', said that Classical/Modern Arabic and French are constantly in conflict with one another, but that most Moroccans believe that the bilingualism of Classical Arabic and French is the most optimal choice to allow for Morocco's development.<ref name="Rouchdy71">{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WWZvxjoU948C&q=%2522French%2520language%2522%2520Morocco%2520scientific&pg=PA71 |title=Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic: Variations on a Sociolinguistic Theme |date=2002 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=0700713794 |editor-last=Rouchdy |editor-first=Aleya |pages=71}}</ref>


In 1995 the number of native Arabic speakers in Morocco was approximately 18.8 million (65% of the total population), and 21 million including the ].<ref>]. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.</ref> In 1995 the number of native Arabic speakers in Morocco was approximately 18.8 million (65% of the total population), and 21 million including the ].<ref>]. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.</ref>


As a member of the ] grouping of dialects, Moroccan Arabic is similar to the dialects spoken in ], ], ], and ] (and also ]). The country shows a marked difference in urban and rural dialects. This is due to the history of settlement. Originally, ] established centers of power in only a few cities and ports in the region, with the effect that the other areas remained ]. Then, in the 13th century, ] tribes swept through many of the unsettled areas, spreading with them their distinct Arabic dialect in the non-urbanized areas and leaving speakers of Berber in isolated areas in the more mountainous regions.{{fact|date=October 2012}} As a member of the ] grouping of dialects, Moroccan Arabic is similar to the dialects spoken in ], ], ], and ] (and also ]). The so called ] dialect of Morocco is quite different from its Middle Eastern counterparts but in general understandable to each other, it’s estimated that ] shares 85%-90% of its vocabulary with Modern Standard Arabic. The country shows a marked difference in urban and rural dialects. This is due to the history of settlement. traditionally, ] established centers of power in only a few cities and ports in the region, with the effect that the other areas remained ]. Then, in the 13th century, ] tribes swept through many of the unsettled areas, spreading with them their distinct Arabic dialect in the non-urbanized areas and leaving speakers of Berber isolated in the mountainous regions.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

=== Modern Standard and Classical Arabic ===
Moroccans learn Standard Arabic as a language. It is generally not spoken at home or on the streets. Standard Arabic is frequently used in administrative offices, mosques, and schools.<ref name=Ennaji162>Ennaji, .</ref> According to Rouchdy, within Morocco Classical Arabic is still only used in literary and cultural aspects, formal traditional speeches, and discussions about religion.<ref name=Rouchdy71/>


=== Dialectal Arabic ===
=== Modern Standard and Classical Arabic===
Moroccans learn Standard Arabic as a language. It is not spoken at home or on the streets. Standard Arabic is frequently used in administrative offices, mosques, and schools.<ref name=Ennaji162>Ennaji, .</ref> According to Rouchdy, within Morocco Classical Arabic is still only used in literary and cultural aspects, formal traditional speeches, and discussions about religion.<ref name=Rouchdy71/>


=== Dialectal Arabic=== ==== Moroccan Arabic ====
]
==== Darija Arabic ====
{{Main|Moroccan Arabic}} {{Main|Moroccan Arabic}}
Moroccan 'Darija' Arabic, along with Berber, is one of two languages spoken in homes and on the street.<ref name=Ennaji162/> The language is not used in writing.<ref name=Rouchdy73/> Abdelâli Bentahila, the author of the 1983 book '']'', said that Moroccans who were bilingual in both French and Arabic preferred to speak Arabic while discussing religion; while discussing matters in a grocery store or restaurant; and while discussing matters with family members, beggars, and maids.<ref name=Stevens73>Stevens, p. 73.</ref> Moha Ennaji, author of ''Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco'', said that Moroccan Arabic has connotations of informality, and that Moroccan Arabic tends to be used in casual conversations and spoken discourse.<ref name=Ennaji127>Ennaji, .</ref> Ennaji added that Bilingual Moroccans tend to use Moroccan Arabic while in the house.<ref name=Ennaji127/> Berbers generally learn Moroccan Arabic as a second language and use it as a '']'', since not all versions of Berber are mutually intelligible with one another.<ref name=Rouchdy73>Rouchdy, .</ref> Moroccan Arabic, along with Berber, is one of two mother tongues acquired by Moroccan children and spoken in homes and on the street.<ref name=Ennaji162/> The language is not used in writing.<ref name=Rouchdy73/> Abdelâli Bentahila, the author of the 1983 book '']'', said that Moroccans who were bilingual in both French and Arabic preferred to speak Arabic while discussing religion; while discussing matters in a grocery store or restaurant; and while discussing matters with family members, beggars, and maids.<ref name=Stevens73>Stevens, p. 73.</ref> Moha Ennaji, author of ''Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco'', said that Moroccan Arabic has connotations of informality, and that Moroccan Arabic tends to be used in casual conversations and spoken discourse.<ref name="Ennaji127">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DXsF7fT318QC&q=%2522French%2520language%2522%2520Morocco%2520scientific&pg=PA127 |title=Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco |last=Ennaji |first=Moha |date=2005 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |pages=127|isbn=9780387239798 }}</ref> Ennaji added that Bilingual Moroccans tend to use Moroccan Arabic while in the house.<ref name=Ennaji127/> Berbers generally learn Moroccan Arabic as a second language and use it as a '']'', since not all versions of Berber are mutually intelligible with one another.<ref name="Rouchdy73">{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WWZvxjoU948C&q=%2522Berber%2520is%2520a%2520vernacular%2520used%2520basically%2522&pg=PA73 |title=Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic: Variations on a Sociolinguistic Theme |date=2002 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-7007-1379-0 |editor-last=Rouchdy |editor-first=Aleya |pages=73}}</ref>


===== 2014 population census by region =====
The below table presents statistical figures of speakers, based on the 2004 population census (Population aged 5 and above)<ref name="autogenerated2004"></ref>
The below table presents statistical figures of speakers, based on the 2014 population census.<ref name="RGPH 2014" /> This table includes not only native speakers of Arabic, but also people who speak Arabic as a second or third language.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em Left 1em auto;" {| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em Left 1em auto;"


Line 33: Line 91:
! scope="col" |Moroccan Arabic ! scope="col" |Moroccan Arabic
! scope="col" |Total population ! scope="col" |Total population
! scope="col" |% ] speakers ! scope="col" |% of ]
speakers
|- |-
| ]||1,694,780||2,775,953||align=right|61.05% |]||6,785,812||6,826,773|| align="right" |99.4%
|- |-
| ]||1,487,620||1,739,440||align=right|85.52% |]||4,511,612||4,552,585|| align="right" |99.1%
|- |-
| ]||261,109||382,029||align=right|68.35% |]||4,124,184||4,216,957|| align="right" |97.8%
|- |-
| ]||1,633,122||1,926,247||align=right|84.78% |]||3,426,731||3,540,012|| align="right" |96.8%
|- |-
| ]||1,038,765||1,299,536||align=right|79.93% |]<br>(See ])||102,049||114,021|| align="right" |89.5%
|- |-
| ]||2,358,910||2,765,908||align=right|85.29% |]||4,009,243||4,504,767|| align="right" |89.0%
|- |-
| ]||761,182||1,613,315||align=right|50.57% |]||2,028,222||2,302,182|| align="right" |88.1%
|- |-
| ]||2,101,916||2,136,636||align=right|98.38% |]||2,122,957||2,512,375|| align="right" |84.5%
|- |-
| ]||1,375,766||1,418,475||align=right|96.99% |] <br>(See ])||268,509||340,748|| align="right" |78.8%
|- |-
| ]||181,413||219,505||align=right|82.65% |]||1,881,797||2,657,906|| align="right" |70.8%
|- |-
| ]||53,988||64,163||align=right|84.14% |] ||264,029||414,489|| align="right" |63.7%
|- |-
| ]||3,292,543||3,306,334||align=right|99.58% |]||1,028,434||1,627,269|| align="right" |63.2%
|- |-
| ]||2,199,093||2,205,457||align=right|99.71% |''']'''||30,551,566||'''33,610,084'''|| align="right" |90.9%
|-
| ]||1,653,612||1,655,852||align=right|99.86%
|-
| ]||1,476,318||1,478,605||align=right|99.85%
|-
| ]||1,765,904||1,768,150||align=right|99.87%
|-
| ''']'''||24,036,041||26,755,605||align=right|89.84%
|} |}


====Hassani Arabic==== ====Hassaniya Arabic====
], is spoken by about 0.7% of the population mainly in the southern regions and the disputed territory of ]. Communities of speakers exist elsewhere in Morocco too, especially in the metropolitan areas of ], ], ] and ].<br /> ], is spoken by about 0.8% of the population, mainly in the territory of ], claimed by both Morocco and the ]. Communities of speakers exist elsewhere in Morocco too.

The below table presents statistical figures of speakers, based on the 2004 population census (Population aged 5 and above)<ref name="autogenerated2004"/>
The below table presents statistical figures of speakers, based on the 2014 population census.<ref name="RGPH 2014" />
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em Left 1em auto;" {| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em Left 1em auto;"
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;" |- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0;"
! scope="col" |Region ! scope="col" |Region
! scope="col" |Hassaniya ! scope="col" |Hassaniya Arabic
! scope="col" |Total pop ! scope="col" |Total population
! scope="col" |Hassniya speakers ! scope="col" |% of Hassaniya Arabic
speakers
|- |-
| ]||13,349||2,775,953||align=right|0.48% |]||133,914||340,748|| align="right" |39.3%
|- |-
| ]||573||1,739,440||align=right|0.03% |] ||86,214||414,489|| align="right" |20.8%
|- |-
| ]||68,597||382,029||align=right|17.96% |]||21,322||114,021|| align="right" |18.7%
|- |-
| ]||983||1,926,247||align=right|0.05% |]||13,290||2,657,906|| align="right" |0.5%
|- |-
| ]||470||1,299,536||align=right|0.04% |]||3,255||1,627,269|| align="right" |0.2%
|- |-
| ]||3,248||2,765,908||align=right|0.12% |]||6,827||6,826,773|| align="right" |0.1%
|- |-
| ]||186||1,613,315||align=right|0.01% |]||4,553||4,552,585|| align="right" |0.1%
|- |-
| ]||2,781||2,136,636||align=right|0.13% |]||4,505||4,504,767|| align="right" |0.1%
|- |-
| ]||370||1,418,475||align=right|0.03% |]||2,512||2,512,375|| align="right" |0.1%
|- |-
| ]||86,926||219,505||align=right|39.60% |]||0||4,216,957|| align="right" |0.0%
|- |-
| ]||13,501||64,163||align=right|21.04% |]||0||3,540,012|| align="right" |0.0%
|- |-
| ]||1,778||3,306,334||align=right|0.05% |]||0||2,302,182|| align="right" |0.0%
|- |-
| ]||329||2,205,457||align=right|0.01% |''']'''||268,881||'''33,610,084'''|| align="right" |0.8%
|-
| ]||526||1,655,852||align=right|0.03%
|-
| ]||617||1,478,605||align=right|0.04%
|-
| ]||508||1,768,150||align=right|0.03%
|-
| ''']'''||'''194,742'''||'''26,755,605'''||align=right|'''0.73%'''
|} |}


== Berber == == Berber ==
] ]
The exact population of ] speakers is hard to ascertain, since most North African countries do not – traditionally – record language data in their censuses (An exception to this was the 2004 ] population census). The Ethnologue provides a useful academic starting point; however, its bibliographic references are inadequate, and it rates its own accuracy at only B-C for the area. Early colonial censuses may provide better documented figures for some countries; however, these are also very much out of date. The number for each dialect is difficult to estimate.{{fact|date=October 2012}} The exact population of speakers of ] is hard to ascertain, since most North African countries do not—traditionally—record language data in their censuses (An exception to this was the 2004 ] population census). The Ethnologue provides a useful academic starting point; however, its bibliographic references are inadequate, and it rates its own accuracy at only B-C for the area. Early colonial censuses may provide better documented figures for some countries; however, these are also very much out of date. The number for each Berber language is difficult to estimate.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}


Berber serves as a ] in many rural areas of Morocco.<ref name=Rouchdy73/> Berber, along with ], is one of two languages spoken in homes and on the street.<ref name=Ennaji162/> The population does not use Berber in writing. Aleya Rouchdy, author of "Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic," said that Berber is mainly used in the contexts of family, friendship, and "street".<ref name=Rouchdy73/> In her 2000-2002 research, Ennaji found that 52% of the interviewees placed Berber as a language inferior to Arabic because it did not have a prestigious status and because its domain was restricted.<ref name=Ennaji163>Ennaji, .</ref> Ennaji added that "he dialectisation of Berber certainly reduces its power of communication and its spread."<ref name=Ennaji164/> Berber serves as a ] in many rural areas of Morocco.<ref name=Rouchdy73/> Berber, along with ], is one of two languages spoken in homes and on the street.<ref name=Ennaji162/> The population does not use Berber in writing. Aleya Rouchdy, editor of ''Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic'', said that Berber is mainly used in the contexts of family, friendship, and "street".<ref name=Rouchdy73/> In his 2000–2002 research, Ennaji found that 52% of the interviewees placed Berber as a language inferior to Arabic because it did not have a prestigious status and because its domain was restricted.<ref name=Ennaji163>Ennaji, .</ref> Ennaji added that "he dialectisation of Berber certainly reduces its power of communication and its spread."<ref name=Ennaji164/>


Speakers of ] dialect were estimated to be around 1.5 million in 1990.<ref name="ethnologue1">]. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.</ref> Speakers of ] language were estimated to be around 1.5 million in 1990.<ref name="ethnologue1">]. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.</ref> The language is spoken in the Rif area in the north of the country and is one of the three main Berber languages of Morocco.
The language is spoken in the Rif area in the north of the country, and is the smallest Berber dialect in Morocco, by number of speakers.


The ] language is considered to be the most widely spoken as it covers the whole of the Region ], and is also spoken in the ] and ] regions. Studies done in 1990 show around 3 million people, concentrated in the south of Morocco, speak the dialect.<ref name="ethnologue1"/> The ] language is considered to be the most widely spoken as it covers the whole of the Region ], and is also spoken in the ] and ] regions. Studies done in 1990 show around 3 million people, concentrated in the south of Morocco, speak the language.<ref name="ethnologue1"/>


] is the second Berber language in Morocco. A 1998 study done by ], shows that around 3 million people speak the language in Morocco.<ref>]. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.</ref> The language is most used in the regions ], ] and east High Atlas Mountains. ] is the second Berber language in Morocco. A 1998 study done by ], shows that around 3 million people speak the language in Morocco.<ref>]. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.</ref> The language is most used in the regions ], ] and east High Atlas Mountains.


Other Berber dialects are spoken in Morocco, as the ] and the ] dialects in the ] mountains and the ] in ] (not to be confused with ]). Other Berber languages are spoken in Morocco, as the ] and the ] dialects in the ] mountains, the ] (not to be confused with ]) and ] in eastern Morocco, and ] in central Morocco.


=== 2014 population census ===
===2004 Population Census===
Local used languages in Morocco:<ref name="RGPH 2014"/>
The below table presents statistical figures of speakers, based on the 2004 population census (Population aged 5 and above)<ref name="autogenerated2004"/>
{| class="wikitable"
!Local used languages
!Male
!Female
!Total
|-
|Moroccan Arabic
|92.2%
|89.7%
|90.9%
|-
|Tashelhit
|14.2%
|14.1%
|14.1%
|-
|Tamazight
|7.9%
|8.0%
|7.9%
|-
|Tarifit
|4.0%
|4.1%
|4.0%
|-
|Hassaniya Arabic
|0.8%
|0.8%
|0.8%
|}

===2014 population census by region===
The below table presents statistical figures of speakers of Berber languages, based on the ].<ref name="RGPH 2014" />
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em Left 1em auto;" {| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em Left 1em auto;"
! scope="col" |Region ! scope="col" |Region
! scope="col" |] ! scope="col" |]
! scope="col" |] ! scope="col" |]
! scope="col" |] ! scope="col" |]
! scope="col" |Total pop ! scope="col" |% of ] speakers
! scope="col" |% of ] speakers''' !Number of ] speakers
! scope="col" |Total population
|- |-
| ]||1,717,139||313,284||3,873||2,775,953||align=Right|73.28% |]||22.0%||48.5%||0.1%|| align="Right" |70.6%
|1,148,852||1,627,269
|- |-
| ]||48,076||85,916||741,913||1,739,440||align=Right|50.36% |]||65.9%||1.1%||0.1%|| align="Right" |67.1%
|1,783,455||2,657,906
|- |-
| ]||182,695||6,670||766||382,029||align=Right|49.77% |]||52.0%||1.3%||0.2%|| align="Right" |53.5%
|221,752||414,489
|- |-
| ]||37,533||843,595||33,966||1,926,247||align=Right|47.51% |]||2.9%||6.5%||36.5%|| align="Right" |45.9%
|1,056,702||2,302,182
|- |-
| ]||199,092||409,446||1,436||1,299,536||align=Right|46.94% |]||10.6%||30.2%||0.1%|| align="Right" |40.9%
|1,027,561||2,512,375
|- |-
| ]||969,561||14,170||2,372||2,765,908||align=Right|35.65% |]||26.3%||0.5%||0.1%|| align="Right" |26.9%
|1,211,782||4,504,767
|- |-
| ]||18,923||111,731||338,083||1,613,315||align=Right|29.05% |]||17.9%||4.6%||0.4%|| align="Right" |22.9%
|26,110||114,021
|- |-
| ]||166,658||268,687||14,965||2,136,636||align=Right|21.08% |]||1.9%||12.9%||2.4%|| align="Right" |17.2%
|725,317||4,216,957
|- |-
| ]||23,138||217,845||15,275||1,418,475||align=Right|18.07% |]||12.8%||2.7%||0.3%|| align="Right" |15.8%
|53,838||340,748
|- |-
| ]||28,352||6,569||891||219,505||align=Right|16.31% |]||1.7%||0.6%||10.3%|| align="Right" |12.6%
|446,041||3,540,012
|- |-
| ]||6,910||3,214||296||64,163||align=Right|16.24% |]||5.2%||6.3%||0.4%|| align="Right" |11.9%
|541,758||4,552,585
|- |-
| ]||367,558||25,067||9,036||3,306,334||align=Right|12.15% |]||6.9%||0.7%||0.2%|| align="Right" |7.8%
|532,488||6,826,773
|- |-
| ]||26,783||11,963||98,780||2,205,457||align=Right|6.24% |''']'''||'''14.1%'''||'''7.9%'''||'''4.0%'''|| align="Right" |26.0%
|8,738,622||'''33,610,084'''
|}

=== 2024 population census by region ===
The below table presents statistical figures of speakers of Berber languages, based on the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=RGPH_2024 |url=https://resultats2024.rgphapps.ma |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=resultats2024.rgphapps.ma}}</ref><ref name="RGPH 2024" />
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:1em Left 1em auto;"
! scope="col" |Region
! scope="col" |% of native ] speakers
|-
|]|| align="Right" |64%
|-
|]|| align="Right" |56.4%
|-
|]|| align="Right" |40.2%
|-
|]|| align="Right" |34.3%
|-
|]|| align="Right" |32.3%
|-
|]|| align="Right" |21.6%
|-
|]|| align="Right" |14.6%
|-
|]|| align="Right" |10.3%
|-
|]|| align="Right" |8.9%
|- |-
| ]||37,162||13,816||6,105||1,655,852||align=Right|3.45% |]|| align="Right" |7.3%
|- |-
| ]||40,858||8,308||1,435||1,478,605||align=Right|3.42% |]|| align="Right" |5.2%
|- |-
| ]||24,367||3,656||1,794||1,768,150||align=Right|1.69% |]|| align="Right" |3.6%
|- |-
| ''']'''||'''3,894,805'''||'''2,343,937'''||'''1,270,986'''||'''26,755,605'''||align=Right|28.07% |''']'''|| align="Right" |'''18.9%'''
|} |}


===Older studies=== ===Other studies===
"Few census figures are available; all countries (Algeria and Morocco included) do not count Berber languages. Population shifts in location and number, effects of urbanization and education in other languages, etc., make estimates difficult. In 1952 A. Basset (LLB.4) estimated the number of Berberophones at 5,500,000. Between 1968 and 1978 estimates ranged from eight to thirteen million (as reported by Galand, LELB 56, pp.&nbsp;107, 123–25); Voegelin and Voegelin (1977, p.&nbsp;297) call eight million a conservative estimate. In 1980, S. Chaker estimated that the Berberophone populations of Kabylie and the three Moroccan groups numbered more than one million each; and that in Algeria, 3,650,000, or one out of five Algerians, speak a Berber language (Chaker 1984, pp.&nbsp;8-) "Few census figures are available; all countries (Algeria and Morocco included) do not count Berber languages. Population shifts in location and number, effects of urbanization and education in other languages, etc., make estimates difficult. In 1952 A. Basset (LLB.4) estimated the number of Berberophones at 5,500,000. Between 1968 and 1978 estimates ranged from eight to thirteen million (as reported by Galand, LELB 56, pp.&nbsp;107, 123–25); Voegelin and Voegelin (1977, p.&nbsp;297) call eight million a conservative estimate. In 1980, S. Chaker estimated that the Berberophone populations of Kabylie and the three Moroccan groups numbered more than one million each; and that in Algeria, 3,650,000, or one out of five Algerians, speak a Berber language (Chaker 1984, pp.&nbsp;8-)


In 1952, André Basset ("La langue berbère", Handbook of African Languages, Part I, Oxford) estimated that a "small majority" of Morocco's population spoke Berber. The 1960 census estimated that 34% of Moroccans spoke Berber, including bi-, tri-, and quadrilinguals. In 2000, Karl Prasse cited "more than half" in an interview conducted by Brahim Karada at Tawalt.com. According to the Ethnologue (by deduction from its Moroccan Arabic figures), the Berber-speaking population is estimated at 65% (1991 and 1995). However, the figures it gives for individual languages only add up to 7.5 million, or about 57%. Most of these are accounted for by three dialects: In 1952, André Basset ("La langue berbère", Handbook of African Languages, Part I, Oxford) estimated that a "small majority" of Morocco's population spoke Berber. The 1960 census estimated that 34% of Moroccans spoke Berber, including bi-, tri-, and quadrilinguals. In 2000, ] cited "more than half" in an interview conducted by Brahim Karada at Tawalt.com. According to the Ethnologue (by deduction from its Moroccan Arabic figures), the Berber-speaking population is estimated at 65% (1991 and 1995). However, the figures it gives for individual languages only add up to 7.5 million, or about 57%. Most of these are accounted for by three dialects:
:Riff: 4.5 million (1991) :Riff: 4.5 million (1991)
:Shilha: 7 million (1998) :Shilha: 7 million (1998)
Line 185: Line 302:


==French== ==French==
]
{{Further|Maghreb French|African French}}
{{main|French language in Morocco}}
Within Morocco, French, one of the country's two ] languages,<ref name=Rouchdy71/> is often used for business, diplomacy, and government.<ref name=CIA>"." () ]. Retrieved on 13 October 2012. "French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)"</ref> French serves as a ].<ref>"." '']''. Saturday January 16, 1999. Retrieved on October 15, 2012. "Behind the locked gates and the sign saying `Interdit au Public' (forbidden to the public) French is the lingua franca in Morocco) I"</ref> Aleya Rouchdy, author of ''Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic'', said that "For all practical purposes, French is used as a ]."<ref name=Rouchdy73/>
Within Morocco, French, one of the country's two ] languages,<ref name=Rouchdy71/> is often used for business, diplomacy, and government;<ref name="CIA">{{Citation |title=Morocco |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/morocco/ |work=] |quote=French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy) |access-date=13 October 2012 }}</ref> and serves as a ].<ref>"." '']''. Saturday January 16, 1999. Retrieved on October 15, 2012. "Behind the locked gates and the sign saying "Interdit au Public" (forbidden to the public) (French is the lingua franca in Morocco)"</ref> Aleya Rouchdy, editor of ''Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic'', said that "For all practical purposes, French is used as a ]."<ref name=Rouchdy73/>


Different figures of French speakers in Morocco are given. According to the ], 33% of Moroccans speak French, among them 13.5% fully francophone and 19.5% partially francophone.<ref name="OIF" /> According to the 2004 census, nearly 69% of alphabetized people can read and write French.<ref name="autogenerated2004" /> Different figures of French speakers in Morocco are given. According to the ], 36% of Moroccans speak French overall, while 47% of students have French as their medium of instruction at schools.<ref name="OIF" /> According to the 2014 census, about 66% of literate people can read and write French,<ref name="Census"> (in French)</ref> that is, 66% of 68% = 45%. Other sources put the number of total French speakers at 64% as of 2014.<ref>, p.37 ], 2016.</ref>


{{Disputed section|warning about a disputed section|date=June 2020}}
===Role and purpose of French===
French is mainly used in administration, banking, commerce, education, and industry. Rouchdy said that within Morocco, French "is the vehicle of science, technology, and modern culture."<ref name=Rouchdy71/> Rouchdy further explained that the language had been "maintained for instrumental purposes and for building contacts with the West in general."<ref name=Rouchdy71/> The French language became entrenched in various aspects of Moroccan society, including education, government, the media, and the private sector due to the French colonial authority enacting a policy to spread the French language throughout Morocco during the colonial era.<ref name=Rouchdy73/> As of 2005, trade with ] makes up over 75% of Morocco's international trade. Moha Ennaji, author of ''Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco'', said "n this context, one can understand the important status of French, whose colonial connotations have been erased or at least drastically reduced by independence."<ref name=Ennaji163/>

Moroccans learn the French language at school. Secondary school graduates tend to achieve French fluency, and many Moroccans become fluent in French in addition to ] and use French as their second language. Most Moroccans who are bilingual in French and Arabic live in urban areas where they have strong contact with the French language and where there are high literacy rates. Many Moroccans learn French to conduct business with French tourists; gain access to information, science, and technology; and to attend French-speaking educational facilities. Ennaji said that Moroccans learn French for educational, pragmatic, and sociocultural reasons.<ref name=Ennaji127/> Ennaji said "The degree of mastery of French depends on the bilingual's level of education and socio-economic background, for the higher the level of education and the wealthier the family background, the bigger the frequency of speaking French and the more frequent the alternative use of French and Moroccan Arabic by a bilingual. These factors determine the bilingual's ability to choose one or the other language in a particular speech situation."<ref name=Ennaji127/>

Abdelâli Bentahila, the author of the 1983 book '']'', said that Moroccans who were bilingual in both French and Arabic commonly spoke French when discussing matters related to reading, while at a pharmacy, while discussing matters with a doctor or employer, and while discussing scientific and technical topics.<ref name=Stevens73/> Ennaji said that Moroccans tended to use French while discussing matters at work or at school,<ref name=Ennaji127/> and therefore French is commonly spoken in offices and schools.<ref name=Ennaji162/> If the other party in a conversation is French educated, Moroccans often speak in French or a mixture of Moroccan Arabic and French.<ref name=Ennaji127/> French has a prestigious status in Moroccan society, so many bilingual Moroccans mix French and Moroccan Arabic in conversation or use French words in informal Moroccan Arabic conversations.<ref name=Ennaji127/> According to Ennaji, in writing bilingual Moroccans only use French, and bilingual Moroccans tend to discuss scientific and technical topics only in French.<ref name=Ennaji127/> In Morocco, French has connotations of formality.<ref name=Ennaji127/>

Rouchdy said "The predominance of French implies that the chances of strengthening the place of Classical Arabic are reduced."<ref name=Rouchdy71/>

===Attitudes towards French===
Despite the legacy of colonialism, according to Rouchdy, "French is still widely appreciated by both the ruling elite and the general public."<ref name=Rouchdy71/> Ennaji said "most Moroccans know that Standard Arabic does not meet all their societal needs and that a ] is necessary for the transfer of ideas and technology, and for communication with the world at large, even if this European language is none but the ex-coloniser's language."<ref name=Ennaji163/> Rouchdy added that Classical/Modern Arabic and French are constantly in conflict with one another, but that most Moroccans believe that the bilingualism of Classical Arabic and French is the most optimal choice to allow for Morocco's development.<ref name=Rouchdy71/>

===History of French===
In 1912 the French colonial authorities in Morocco introduced the French language to the country, making it the language of government administration, educational instruction, and the media; therefore ] was only used for traditional activities and religious services. The French government had intended for the French culture and the French language to be viewed as "civilization and advancement".<ref name=Rouchdy71/> In 1956 Morocco declared independence, and in the government declared Classical Arabic as the official language. In the early 1960s the Moroccan government began the ] process.<ref name=Rouchdy71/> After independence, to facilitate economic growth and to increase its ties to Europe, the Moroccan government decided to strengthen its ties with France, resulting in the promotion of French. By 2005 Morocco engaged in economic liberalisation and privatization; Ennaji said that these activities, in many sectors, reinforced the usage of French.<ref name=Ennaji163/>

===French in art===
Within academic arts, French is the main language used. Academic art discourse had been conducted in French within a five decade period until 2010. Reviews of artwork and art journal articles mostly were published in French, while some newspaper coverage of gallery exhibits was in Arabic. French is the main language of art museums in Morocco. The ], the national art museum, has object histories only in French, while many object labels are in Arabic and French. Moroccans imagined the audiences of museums and artwork as mostly Francophone.
Katarzyna Pieprzak, author of ''Imagined Museums: Art and Modernity in Postcolonial Morocco'', said that the "modernist or academic visual art is a language that was learned in art schools in Europe."<ref name=Pieprzakxxvii>Pieprzak, Katarzyna. ''Imagined Museums: Art and Modernity in Postcolonial Morocco''. ], 2010. (Introduction). Retrieved from ] on October 15, 2012. ISBN 0816665184, 9780816665181.</ref>

Pieprzak concluded that "the use of French reflects a desire to be heard and to participate in a Western-controlled international art sphere and market" and that "French continues to serve as a lingua franca that unites Moroccan artists not only to Europe but also to Francophone Africa."<ref name=Pieprzakxxvii/>


==Spanish== ==Spanish==
About 5 million Moroccans speak Spanish. Spanish is spoken by some Moroccans, especially in the northern regions.<ref>Leyre Gil Perdomingo and Jaime Otero Roth, ''Enseñanza y uso de la lengua española en el Sáhara Occidental'', in : Analysis of the Real Instituto Elcano nº 116 (2008) </ref> Spanish is mostly spoken in northern Morocco and the ] because Spain had previously occupied those areas. Moroccans in regions formerly controlled by Spain watch Spanish television and have interactions in Spanish on a daily basis.<ref name=Rouchdy71/>


In a survey from 2005 by the CIDOB (]), 21.9% of respondents from Morocco claimed to speak Spanish, with higher percentages in the northern regions.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Leyre Gil Perdomingo |title=Enseñanza y uso de la lengua española en el Sáhara Occidental |date=2008 |url=http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_es/contenido/!ut/p/a1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOKNQ1zcA73dDQ38_YKNDRwtfN1cnf2cDf1DjfULsh0VAepxmvs!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/Elcano_es/Zonas_es/ARI116-2008 |work=Analysis of the Real Instituto Elcano nº 116 |format=PDF |last2=Jaime Otero Roth}}</ref> By 2017, that figure had declined to about 4.5% of the population.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spanish|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/spa|publisher=Ethnologue|access-date=28 January 2018}}</ref>
After Morocco declared independence in 1956, French and Arabic became the main languages of administration and education, causing the role of Spanish to decline.<ref name=Rouchdy71/>


Spanish was used in northern Morocco and ] due to ] and the incorporation of ] as a province. After Morocco declared independence in 1956, French and Arabic became the main languages of administration and education, causing the role of Spanish to decline. In northern Morocco, transmission of Spanish television is often available and there are interactions in Spanish on a daily basis in areas bordering the Spanish cities of ] and ].<ref name=Rouchdy71/>
==English==
{{refimprove|section|date=October 2012}}
English, while still far behind French and Spanish in terms of the number of speakers, is rapidly becoming the second foreign language of choice among educated youth, after French. As a result of national education reforms entering into force in late 2002, English will be taught in all public schools from the fourth year on. English is spoken sporadically in the business, science and education sectors but its usage and learning have grown over the last decade, especially since 2002, when English instruction was introduced from the 7th grade in public schools.{{Citation needed|date=October 2012}}


Today, Spanish is still offered as one of the foreign languages in the educational system but has fallen well behind French and English. According to the ], there were 11,409 students learning Spanish in Morocco in 2016, a large decline from about 50,000 in 2005. Demand for Spanish and overall competency in the language has fallen since the start of the 21st century.<ref>Peregil, Francisco. , ], 17 Jan 2018.</ref>
In Morocco English is used in education, international trade, and scientific research. Because it is the primary international language worldwide and because there are no colonial overtones, the language gained prestige within Morocco.<ref name=Rouchdy71/> In a survey held by Ennaji in the summers of 2000, 2001, and 2002, 58% of the respondents said that English was their favorite foreign language because it is the primary international prestige language.<ref name=Ennaji164/> Heather Lea Moulaison, author of "Morocco — The New Era of Moroccan Libraries," said in 2012 that Moroccan society was increasingly accepting English as a ].<ref>Moulaison, Heather Lea. "Morocco — The New Era of Moroccan Libraries." Within: Sharma, Ravindra N. and IFLA Headquarters (editors). ''Libraries in the early 21st century, volume 1: An international perspective''. ], Jan 1, 2012. . Retrieved from ] on October 15, 2012. ISBN 3110270633, 9783110270631.</ref>

===Judeo-Spanish===
After the ] in 1492, thousands of ]s took refuge in Morocco. The Jews of Portugal were ]. They spoke ], ], ], ] and other Romance languages. Mixing in Morocco and influenced by local Arabic, their language became ] (with ] in Oran, now part of Algeria). Unlike other ] dialects, Haketia did not develop a literature and, during colonization, ] adopted Spanish and French. Emigration to Spain, Iberoamerica, and Israel has significantly reduced the number of speakers of Haketia.


==See also== ==See also==
{{Portal|Morocco|Languages|French language and French-speaking world}} {{Portal|Morocco|Languages}}<!-- Please respect alphabetical order -->
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*]
*] *]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*]
*]
*]


== References == == References ==
* Ennaji, Moha. ''Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco''. ], January 20, 2005. . ISBN 0387239790, 9780387239798. * Ennaji, Moha. ''Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco''. ], January 20, 2005. . {{ISBN|0387239790}}, 9780387239798.
* Rouchdy, Aleya. ''Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic''. ], January 6, 2003. Volume 3 of Curzon Arabic Linguistics Series, Curzon Studies in Arabic Linguistics. . ISBN 0700713794, 9780700713790. * Rouchdy, Aleya. ''Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic''. ], January 6, 2003. Volume 3 of Curzon Arabic Linguistics Series, Curzon Studies in Arabic Linguistics. . {{ISBN|0700713794}}, 9780700713790.
*Stevens, Paul B. "." (book review) '']''. 1985 4:73. p. 73-76. DOI: 10.1177/0261927X8500400107. *Stevens, Paul B. "." (book review) '']''. 1985 4:73. p.&nbsp;73–76. {{doi|10.1177/0261927X8500400107}}.


==Notes== ==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}} {{Reflist|30em}}


==Further reading== ==Further reading==
{{commons category}}
* Bentahila, Abdelâli. '']''. ] (Clevedon, Avon, England), 1983. Series #4. ISBN 0585259763 (electronic book), 0585259763 (electronic book), 9780585259765 (electronic book).
* Bentahila, Abdelâli. "Motivations for Code-Switching among Arabic-French Bilinguals in Morocco." '']''. 1983. Volume 3, p. 233 - 243. ISSN: 0271-5309, EISSN: 1873-3395, DOI: 10.1016/0271-5309(83)90003-4. * Bentahila, Abdelâli. "]". ] (Clevedon, Avon, England), 1983. Series #4. {{ISBN|0585259763}} (electronic book), 0585259763 (electronic book), 9780585259765 (electronic book).
* Bentahila, Abdelâli. "Motivations for Code-Switching among Arabic-French Bilinguals in Morocco." '']''. 1983. Volume 3, p.&nbsp;233 – 243. {{ISSN|0271-5309}}, E{{ISSN|1873-3395}}, {{doi|10.1016/0271-5309(83)90003-4}}.
* Chakrani, Brahim. "A sociolinguistic investigation of language attitudes among youth in Morocco." (dissertation) ]. ISBN 1124581251. UMI Number: 3452059.
* Chakrani, Brahim. "A sociolinguistic investigation of language attitudes among youth in Morocco." (dissertation) ]. {{ISBN|1124581251}}. UMI Number: 3452059.
* Keil-Sagawe, Regina. "Soziokulturelle und sprachenpolitische Aspekte der Francophonie am Beispiel Marokko (Manuskripte zur Sprachlehrforschung, 38) by Martina Butzke-Rudzynski" (review). '']''. ]. Bd. 106, H. 3, 1996. p. 295-298. ]. The document is in the German language.
* Heath, Jeffrey. "Jewish and Muslim Dialects of Moroccan Arabic". Routledge, 2013. {{ISBN|9781136126420}} ()
* Lahjomri, Abdeljalil. ''Enseignement de la langue francaise au Maroc et dialogue des cultures'' (Teaching of the French Language in Morocco and Dialogue of Cultures). '']''. 1984. p. 18-21. ] #: EJ312036. The document is in the French language.
* Keil-Sagawe, Regina. "Soziokulturelle und sprachenpolitische Aspekte der Francophonie am Beispiel Marokko (Manuskripte zur Sprachlehrforschung, 38) by Martina Butzke-Rudzynski" (review). '']''. ]. Bd. 106, H. 3, 1996. p.&nbsp;295–298. ]. The document is in the German language.

* Lahjomri, Abdeljalil. ''Enseignement de la langue francaise au Maroc et dialogue des cultures'' (Teaching of the French Language in Morocco and Dialogue of Cultures). '']''. 1984. p.&nbsp;18–21. ] #: EJ312036. The document is in the French language. ERIC.
<references/>
*
* Sadiqi, Fatima. ''Women, Gender and Language in Morocco''. 01/2003, Women and Gender Ser., {{ISBN|9004128530}}, Volume 1., p.&nbsp;354
* Salah-Dine Hammoud, Mohamed (1982). "Arabization in Morocco: A Case Study in Language Planning and Language Policy Attitudes." Unpublished PhD dissertation for the ], Available from University Microfilms International, ].


{{Languages of Morocco|state=collapsed}}
{{Morocco topics}} {{Morocco topics}}
{{Languages of Africa}} {{Languages of Africa}}

Latest revision as of 18:14, 5 January 2025

Languages of Morocco
OfficialModern Standard Arabic and Standard Moroccan Berber
VernacularArabic dialects (92.7%)

Berber languages (24.8%)

ForeignFrench (36%)
English (14%)
Spanish (4.5%)
SignedMoroccan Sign Language
Keyboard layoutArabic keyboard
Sign in Arabic, Berber and French in Agadir

Arabic, particularly the Moroccan Arabic dialect, is the most widely spoken language in Morocco, but a number of regional and foreign languages are also spoken. The official languages of Morocco are Modern Standard Arabic and Standard Moroccan Berber. Moroccan Arabic (known as Darija) is by far the primary spoken vernacular and lingua franca, whereas Berber languages serve as vernaculars for significant portions of the country. According to the 2024 Moroccan census, 92.7% of the population spoke Arabic, whereas 24.8% spoke Berber languages.

The languages of prestige in Morocco are Arabic in its Classical and Modern Standard Forms and sometimes French, the latter of which serves as a second language for approximately 33% of Moroccans. According to the 2024 census, 99.2% or almost the entire literate population of Morocco could read and write in Arabic, whereas only 1.5% of the population could read and write in Berber. When it comes to foreign languages, this figure rises to 57.7% in French, 20.5% in English, and 1.2% in Spanish. The census also reveals that 80.6% of Moroccans consider Arabic to be their native language, while 18.9% regard any of the various Berber languages as their mother tongue.

According to a 2000–2002 survey done by Moha Ennaji, author of Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco, "there is a general agreement that Standard Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, and Berber are the national languages." Ennaji also concluded "This survey confirms the idea that multilingualism in Morocco is a vivid sociolinguistic phenomenon, which is favored by many people."

There are around 6 million Berber speakers in Morocco. French retains a major place in Morocco, as it is taught universally and serves as Morocco's primary language of commerce and economics, culture, sciences and medicine; it is also widely used in education and government. Morocco is a member of the Francophonie. Spanish is spoken by many Moroccans, particularly in the northern regions around Tetouan and Tangier, as well as in parts of the south, due to historic ties and business interactions with Spain.

History

Mother tongues of Moroccans (per 2024 census)

  Arabic (80.6%)  Berber languages (18.9%)  Others (0.5%)

Historically, languages such as Phoenician, Punic, and Berber languages have been spoken in Morocco. Juba II, king of Mauretania, wrote in Greek and Latin. It is unclear how long African Romance was spoken, but its influence on Northwest African Arabic (particularly in the language of northwestern Morocco) indicates it must have had a significant presence in the early years after the Arab conquest.

Arabic came with the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb; Abdellah Guennoun cites the Friday sermon delivered by Tariq Ibn Ziad just before the conquest of al-Andalus in 711 as the first instance of Moroccan literature in Arabic. However, the language spread much more slowly than the religion. At first, Arabic was used only in urban areas, especially in cities in the north, while the rural areas remained the domain of Berber languages.

Under the Almohads, the khuṭbas (from خطبة, the Friday sermon) had to be delivered in Arabic and Berber, or as the Andalusi historian Ibn Ṣāḥib aṣ-Ṣalāt [ar] described it: "al-lisān al-gharbī" (اللسان الغربي 'the western tongue'). The khaṭīb, or sermon-giver, of al-Qarawiyyīn Mosque in Fes, Mahdī b. ‘Īsā, was replaced under the Almohads by Abū l-Ḥasan b. ‘Aṭiyya khaṭīb because the latter was fluent in Berber.

The first recorded work in Darija or Moroccan Arabic is Al-Kafif az-Zarhuni's epic zajal poem "al-Mala'ba," dating back to the reign of Marinid Sultan Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Othman.

During the Middle ages, sailors and traders in the Mediterranean, including the Barbary Coast, developed a contact language known as Mediterranean Lingua Franca or sabir. It was influenced by the languages of Italy, Catalan, Occitan, Berber, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese. Its use declined after the European conquest.

Language policy

After Morocco gained independence with the end of the French Protectorate in 1956, it started a process of Arabization. For this task, the Institute for Studies and Research on Arabization was established by decree in 1960. The policy of Arabization was not applied in earnest until 17 years after independence. An editorial in Lamalif in 1973 argued that, although French unified the elite and major sections of the economy, national unity could only be achieved based on Arabic—though Lamalif called for a new incarnation of the language, describing Standard Arabic as untenably prescriptive and Moroccan vernacular Arabic (Darija) as too poor to become in and of itself a language of culture and knowledge.

In the year 2000, after years of neglecting and ignoring the other languages present in Morocco, the Charter for Educational Reform recognized them and the necessity for them.

Until then the Berber languages were marginalized in the modern society and the number of monolingual speakers decreased. In recent years, the Berber culture has been gaining strength and some developments promise that these languages will not die (Berber is the generic name for the Berber languages. The term Berber is not used nor known by the speakers of these languages).

Arabic, on the other hand, has been perceived as a prestigious language in Morocco for over a millennium. However, there are very distinctive varieties of Arabic used, not all equally prestigious, which are MSA (Modern Standard Arabic), the written form used in schools and 'Dialectal Arabic', the non-standardized spoken form. The difference between the two forms in terms of grammar, phonology and vocabulary is so great, it can be considered as diglossia. MSA is practically foreign to Moroccan schoolchildren, and this creates problems with reading and writing, consequently leading to a high level of illiteracy in Morocco.

The French language is also dominant in Morocco, especially in education and administration, therefore was initially learned by an elite and later on was learned by a great number of Moroccans for use in domains such as finance, science, technology and media. That is despite the government decision to implement a language policy of ignoring French after gaining independence, for the sake of creating a monolingual country.

From its independence until the year 2000, Morocco opted for Arabization as a policy, in an attempt of replacing French with Arabic. By the end of the 1980s, Arabic was the dominant language in education, although French was still in use in many important domains. The goals of Arabization were not met, in linguistic terms, therefore a change was needed. By 2020, the country ended its policy of Arabization, with French reimplemented as the medium of instruction in core subjects such as science and math.

In 2000 the Charter of Educational Reform introduced a drastic change in language policy. From then on, Morocco has adopted a clear perpetual educational language policy with three main cores: improving and reinforcing the teaching of Arabic, using a variety of languages, such as English and French in teaching the fields of technology and science and acceptance of Berber. The state of Morocco still sees Arabic (MSA) as its national language, but acknowledges that not all Moroccans are Arabic speakers and that Arabization did not succeed in the area of science and technology. The aims of the charter seem to have been met faster than expected, probably since the conditions of the charter started to be implemented immediately. In the early twenty-first century the different minority languages are acknowledged in Morocco although Arabic is still dominant and is being promoted by the government.

Berber was made an official language in 2011. In 2019, a law was enacted to implement the constitutional changes from 2011. The government aims to generalize Berber education to all Moroccan schools. However, as of 2023, only 10% of Moroccan pupils study Berber. The government hired civil servants able to speak the three main dialects (Tachalhit, Tamazight and Tarifet) to help citizens in courts, hospitals, and other public services. According to a 2012 study by the Government of Spain, 98% of Moroccans spoke Moroccan Arabic, 63% spoke French, 26% Berber, 14% spoke English, and 10% spoke Spanish.

Education

Literate population of Morocco (2024)
percent
Can read and write in Arabic 99.2%
Can read and write in French 57.7%
Can read and write in English 20.5%
Can read and write in Berber languages 1.5%
Can read and write in Spanish 1.2%
Can read and write in other languages 1%

Framework Law 17:51 allowed scientific subjects to be taught in foreign languages—especially French—in public elementary schools.

In 2019, the Parliament voted to expand Berber classes to all Moroccan schools. According to Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, about 2,000 schools taught Amazigh in 2022 and the government was training more teachers to accelerate the roll out of Berber teaching. As of 2023, this reform is still in progress.

In July 2023, the gradual generalization of learning English from secondary school was decided by the Ministry of Education.

Arabic

Percentage of Arabic speakers in Morocco by subdivision

Arabic, along with Berber, is one of Morocco's two official languages, although it is the Moroccan dialect of Arabic, namely Darija, meaning "everyday/colloquial language"; that is spoken or understood, frequently as a second language, by the majority of the population (about 85% of the total population). Many native Berber speakers also speak the local Arabic variant as a second language. Arabic in its Classical and Standard forms is one of the two prestige languages in Morocco. Aleya Rouchdy, editor of Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic, said that Classical/Modern Arabic and French are constantly in conflict with one another, but that most Moroccans believe that the bilingualism of Classical Arabic and French is the most optimal choice to allow for Morocco's development.

In 1995 the number of native Arabic speakers in Morocco was approximately 18.8 million (65% of the total population), and 21 million including the Moroccan diaspora.

As a member of the Maghrebi Arabic grouping of dialects, Moroccan Arabic is similar to the dialects spoken in Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya (and also Maltese). The so called Darija dialect of Morocco is quite different from its Middle Eastern counterparts but in general understandable to each other, it’s estimated that Darija shares 85%-90% of its vocabulary with Modern Standard Arabic. The country shows a marked difference in urban and rural dialects. This is due to the history of settlement. traditionally, Arabs established centers of power in only a few cities and ports in the region, with the effect that the other areas remained Berber-speaking. Then, in the 13th century, Bedouin tribes swept through many of the unsettled areas, spreading with them their distinct Arabic dialect in the non-urbanized areas and leaving speakers of Berber isolated in the mountainous regions.

Modern Standard and Classical Arabic

Moroccans learn Standard Arabic as a language. It is generally not spoken at home or on the streets. Standard Arabic is frequently used in administrative offices, mosques, and schools. According to Rouchdy, within Morocco Classical Arabic is still only used in literary and cultural aspects, formal traditional speeches, and discussions about religion.

Dialectal Arabic

Moroccan Arabic

Main article: Moroccan Arabic

Moroccan Arabic, along with Berber, is one of two mother tongues acquired by Moroccan children and spoken in homes and on the street. The language is not used in writing. Abdelâli Bentahila, the author of the 1983 book Language Attitudes among Arabic–French Bilinguals in Morocco, said that Moroccans who were bilingual in both French and Arabic preferred to speak Arabic while discussing religion; while discussing matters in a grocery store or restaurant; and while discussing matters with family members, beggars, and maids. Moha Ennaji, author of Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco, said that Moroccan Arabic has connotations of informality, and that Moroccan Arabic tends to be used in casual conversations and spoken discourse. Ennaji added that Bilingual Moroccans tend to use Moroccan Arabic while in the house. Berbers generally learn Moroccan Arabic as a second language and use it as a lingua franca, since not all versions of Berber are mutually intelligible with one another.

2014 population census by region

The below table presents statistical figures of speakers, based on the 2014 population census. This table includes not only native speakers of Arabic, but also people who speak Arabic as a second or third language.

Region Moroccan Arabic Total population % of Moroccan Arabic

speakers

Casablanca-Settat 6,785,812 6,826,773 99.4%
Rabat-Salé-Kénitra 4,511,612 4,552,585 99.1%
Fès-Meknès 4,124,184 4,216,957 97.8%
Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima 3,426,731 3,540,012 96.8%
Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab
(See Western Sahara)
102,049 114,021 89.5%
Marrakesh-Safi 4,009,243 4,504,767 89.0%
Oriental 2,028,222 2,302,182 88.1%
Béni Mellal-Khénifra 2,122,957 2,512,375 84.5%
Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra
(See Western Sahara)
268,509 340,748 78.8%
Souss-Massa 1,881,797 2,657,906 70.8%
Guelmim-Oued 264,029 414,489 63.7%
Drâa-Tafilalet 1,028,434 1,627,269 63.2%
Morocco 30,551,566 33,610,084 90.9%

Hassaniya Arabic

Hassānīya, is spoken by about 0.8% of the population, mainly in the territory of Western Sahara, claimed by both Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Communities of speakers exist elsewhere in Morocco too.

The below table presents statistical figures of speakers, based on the 2014 population census.

Region Hassaniya Arabic Total population % of Hassaniya Arabic

speakers

Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra 133,914 340,748 39.3%
Guelmim-Oued Noun 86,214 414,489 20.8%
Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab 21,322 114,021 18.7%
Souss-Massa 13,290 2,657,906 0.5%
Drâa-Tafilalet 3,255 1,627,269 0.2%
Casablanca-Settat 6,827 6,826,773 0.1%
Rabat-Salé-Kénitra 4,553 4,552,585 0.1%
Marrakesh-Safi 4,505 4,504,767 0.1%
Béni Mellal-Khénifra 2,512 2,512,375 0.1%
Fès-Meknès 0 4,216,957 0.0%
Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima 0 3,540,012 0.0%
Oriental 0 2,302,182 0.0%
Morocco 268,881 33,610,084 0.8%

Berber

Berber-speaking areas in Morocco

The exact population of speakers of Berber languages is hard to ascertain, since most North African countries do not—traditionally—record language data in their censuses (An exception to this was the 2004 Morocco population census). The Ethnologue provides a useful academic starting point; however, its bibliographic references are inadequate, and it rates its own accuracy at only B-C for the area. Early colonial censuses may provide better documented figures for some countries; however, these are also very much out of date. The number for each Berber language is difficult to estimate.

Berber serves as a vernacular language in many rural areas of Morocco. Berber, along with Moroccan Arabic, is one of two languages spoken in homes and on the street. The population does not use Berber in writing. Aleya Rouchdy, editor of Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic, said that Berber is mainly used in the contexts of family, friendship, and "street". In his 2000–2002 research, Ennaji found that 52% of the interviewees placed Berber as a language inferior to Arabic because it did not have a prestigious status and because its domain was restricted. Ennaji added that "he dialectisation of Berber certainly reduces its power of communication and its spread."

Speakers of Riffian language were estimated to be around 1.5 million in 1990. The language is spoken in the Rif area in the north of the country and is one of the three main Berber languages of Morocco.

The Tashelhit language is considered to be the most widely spoken as it covers the whole of the Region Souss-Massa-Drâa, and is also spoken in the Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz and Tadla-Azilal regions. Studies done in 1990 show around 3 million people, concentrated in the south of Morocco, speak the language.

Central Morocco Tamazight is the second Berber language in Morocco. A 1998 study done by Ethnologue, shows that around 3 million people speak the language in Morocco. The language is most used in the regions Middle Atlas, High Atlas and east High Atlas Mountains.

Other Berber languages are spoken in Morocco, as the Senhaja de Srair and the Ghomara dialects in the Rif mountains, the Figuig Shilha (not to be confused with Atlas Shilha) and Eastern Zenati in eastern Morocco, and Eastern Middle Atlas dialects in central Morocco.

2014 population census

Local used languages in Morocco:

Local used languages Male Female Total
Moroccan Arabic 92.2% 89.7% 90.9%
Tashelhit 14.2% 14.1% 14.1%
Tamazight 7.9% 8.0% 7.9%
Tarifit 4.0% 4.1% 4.0%
Hassaniya Arabic 0.8% 0.8% 0.8%

2014 population census by region

The below table presents statistical figures of speakers of Berber languages, based on the 2014 population census.

Region Tashelhit Tamazight Tarifit % of Berber speakers Number of Berber speakers Total population
Drâa-Tafilalet 22.0% 48.5% 0.1% 70.6% 1,148,852 1,627,269
Souss-Massa 65.9% 1.1% 0.1% 67.1% 1,783,455 2,657,906
Guelmim-Oued Noun 52.0% 1.3% 0.2% 53.5% 221,752 414,489
Oriental 2.9% 6.5% 36.5% 45.9% 1,056,702 2,302,182
Béni Mellal-Khénifra 10.6% 30.2% 0.1% 40.9% 1,027,561 2,512,375
Marrakesh-Safi 26.3% 0.5% 0.1% 26.9% 1,211,782 4,504,767
Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab 17.9% 4.6% 0.4% 22.9% 26,110 114,021
Fès-Meknès 1.9% 12.9% 2.4% 17.2% 725,317 4,216,957
Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra 12.8% 2.7% 0.3% 15.8% 53,838 340,748
Tangier-Tetouan-Alhoceima 1.7% 0.6% 10.3% 12.6% 446,041 3,540,012
Rabat-Salé-Kénitra 5.2% 6.3% 0.4% 11.9% 541,758 4,552,585
Casablanca-Settat 6.9% 0.7% 0.2% 7.8% 532,488 6,826,773
Morocco 14.1% 7.9% 4.0% 26.0% 8,738,622 33,610,084

2024 population census by region

The below table presents statistical figures of speakers of Berber languages, based on the 2024 population census.

Region % of native Berber speakers
Drâa-Tafilalet 64%
Souss-Massa 56.4%
Guelmim-Oued Noun 40.2%
Béni Mellal-Khénifra 34.3%
Oriental 32.3%
Marrakesh-Safi 21.6%
Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab 14.6%
Fès-Meknès 10.3%
Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra 8.9%
Tangier-Tetouan-Alhoceima 7.3%
Rabat-Salé-Kénitra 5.2%
Casablanca-Settat 3.6%
Morocco 18.9%

Other studies

"Few census figures are available; all countries (Algeria and Morocco included) do not count Berber languages. Population shifts in location and number, effects of urbanization and education in other languages, etc., make estimates difficult. In 1952 A. Basset (LLB.4) estimated the number of Berberophones at 5,500,000. Between 1968 and 1978 estimates ranged from eight to thirteen million (as reported by Galand, LELB 56, pp. 107, 123–25); Voegelin and Voegelin (1977, p. 297) call eight million a conservative estimate. In 1980, S. Chaker estimated that the Berberophone populations of Kabylie and the three Moroccan groups numbered more than one million each; and that in Algeria, 3,650,000, or one out of five Algerians, speak a Berber language (Chaker 1984, pp. 8-)

In 1952, André Basset ("La langue berbère", Handbook of African Languages, Part I, Oxford) estimated that a "small majority" of Morocco's population spoke Berber. The 1960 census estimated that 34% of Moroccans spoke Berber, including bi-, tri-, and quadrilinguals. In 2000, Karl Prasse cited "more than half" in an interview conducted by Brahim Karada at Tawalt.com. According to the Ethnologue (by deduction from its Moroccan Arabic figures), the Berber-speaking population is estimated at 65% (1991 and 1995). However, the figures it gives for individual languages only add up to 7.5 million, or about 57%. Most of these are accounted for by three dialects:

Riff: 4.5 million (1991)
Shilha: 7 million (1998)
Central Morocco Tamazight: 7 million (1998)

This nomenclature is common in linguistic publications, but is significantly complicated by local usage: thus Shilha is sub-divided into Shilha of the Dra valley, Tasusit (the language of the Souss) and several other (mountain) dialects. Moreover, linguistic boundaries are blurred, such that certain dialects cannot accurately be described as either Central Morocco Tamazight (spoken in the Central and eastern Atlas area) or Shilha. The differences among all Moroccan dialects are not too pronounced: public radio news are broadcast using the various dialects; each journalist speaks his or her own dialect with the result that understanding is not obstructed, though most southern Berbers find that understanding Riff requires some getting used to.

French

French and Arabic (MSA) coexist in Moroccan administration and business.
Main article: French language in Morocco

Within Morocco, French, one of the country's two prestige languages, is often used for business, diplomacy, and government; and serves as a lingua franca. Aleya Rouchdy, editor of Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic, said that "For all practical purposes, French is used as a second language."

Different figures of French speakers in Morocco are given. According to the OIF, 36% of Moroccans speak French overall, while 47% of students have French as their medium of instruction at schools. According to the 2014 census, about 66% of literate people can read and write French, that is, 66% of 68% = 45%. Other sources put the number of total French speakers at 64% as of 2014.

This section's factual accuracy is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help to ensure that disputed statements are reliably sourced. (June 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Spanish

In a survey from 2005 by the CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs), 21.9% of respondents from Morocco claimed to speak Spanish, with higher percentages in the northern regions. By 2017, that figure had declined to about 4.5% of the population.

Spanish was used in northern Morocco and Western Sahara due to Spanish occupation of those areas and the incorporation of Spanish Sahara as a province. After Morocco declared independence in 1956, French and Arabic became the main languages of administration and education, causing the role of Spanish to decline. In northern Morocco, transmission of Spanish television is often available and there are interactions in Spanish on a daily basis in areas bordering the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

Today, Spanish is still offered as one of the foreign languages in the educational system but has fallen well behind French and English. According to the Cervantes Institute, there were 11,409 students learning Spanish in Morocco in 2016, a large decline from about 50,000 in 2005. Demand for Spanish and overall competency in the language has fallen since the start of the 21st century.

Judeo-Spanish

After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, thousands of Sephardic Jews took refuge in Morocco. The Jews of Portugal were similarly expelled in 1496. They spoke Old Spanish, Portuguese, Judeo-Catalan, Judeo-Aragonese and other Romance languages. Mixing in Morocco and influenced by local Arabic, their language became Haketia (with an offshoot in Oran, now part of Algeria). Unlike other Judeo-Spanish dialects, Haketia did not develop a literature and, during colonization, North African Sephardim adopted Spanish and French. Emigration to Spain, Iberoamerica, and Israel has significantly reduced the number of speakers of Haketia.

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Gauthier, Christophe. "كلمة افتتاحية للسيد المندوب السامي للتخطيط بمناسبة الندوة الصحفية الخاصة بتقديم معطيات الإحصاء العام للسكان والسكنى 2024". Site institutionnel du Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc (in French). Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  2. ^ La langue française dans le monde, 2022." Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. p. 31. Retrieved on 1 April 2023.
  3. "British Council – United Kingdom" (PDF). britishcouncil.org. May 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-05-13.
  4. Saga, Ahlam Ben. Instituto Cervantes: 1.7 Million Moroccans Speak Spanish Archived 15 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Morocco World News, 29 Nov 2018. Retrieved 11 Apr 2022.
  5. ^ "2014 General Population and Habitat Census". rgphentableaux.hcp.ma. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  6. ^ 2011 Constitution of Morocco Full text of the 2011 Constitution (French) Archived 2012-02-29 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "La Francophonie dans le monde." (Archive) Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. p. 16. Retrieved on 15 October 2012.
  8. Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. Babas, Latifa (18 December 2024). "How many Moroccans consider Tamazight their mother tongue, and where do they live ?". Yabiladi.
  10. ^ Ennaji, p. 164.
  11. Ennaji, p. 162-163.
  12. Francophonie: 88 Etats et gouvernements
  13. ^ Fernández Vítores, David (2014), La lengua española en Marruecos (PDF), ISBN 978-9954-22-936-1, archived from the original (PDF) on November 22, 2019
  14. Markoe, Glenn (2000-01-01). Phoenicians. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-22614-2.
  15. Pennell, C. R. (2013-10-01). Morocco: From Empire to Independence. Oneworld Publications. ISBN 978-1-78074-455-1.
  16. Elder.), Pliny (the (1857). The Natural History of Pliny. H. G. Bohn.
  17. Martin Haspelmath; Uri Tadmor (22 December 2009). Loanwords in the World's Languages: A Comparative Handbook. Walter de Gruyter. p. 195. ISBN 978-3-11-021844-2.
  18. Smaïli, Kamel (2019-10-04). Arabic Language Processing: From Theory to Practice: 7th International Conference, ICALP 2019, Nancy, France, October 16–17, 2019, Proceedings. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-32959-4.
  19. ^ المنصور, محمد (2017-01-02). "كيف تعرب المغرب". زمان (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-03-30.
  20. كنون، عبد الله (2014). النبوغ المغربي في الأدب العربي. دارالكتب العلمية،. ISBN 978-2-7451-8292-0. OCLC 949484459.
  21. ^ "The Preaching of the Almohads: Loyalty and Resistance across the Strait of Gibraltar", Spanning the Strait, BRILL, pp. 71–101, 2013-01-01, doi:10.1163/9789004256644_004, ISBN 9789004256644, retrieved 2023-02-13
  22. "الملعبة، أقدم نص بالدارجة المغربية". 27 May 2018.
  23. "Décret n° 2-59-1965 du 15 rejeb 1379 (14 Janvier 1960) portant création d'un Institut d'études et de recherches pour l'arabisation". adala.justice.gov.ma. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  24. Alalou, Ali (2006). "Language and Ideology in the Maghreb: Francophonie and Other Languages". The French Review. 80 (2): 408–421. ISSN 0016-111X. JSTOR 25480661.
  25. ^ "Le dossier de l'arabisation". Lamalif. 58: 14. April 1973.
  26. Deroche, Frédéric (2008-01-01). Les peuples autochtones et leur relation originale à la terre: un questionnement pour l'ordre mondial (in French). L'Harmattan. ISBN 9782296055858.
  27. ^ James Cohen; Kara T. McAlister; Kellie Rolstad; Jeff MacSwan, eds. (2005), "From Monolingualism to Multilingualism: Recent Changes in Moroccan Language Policy" (PDF), ISB4: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism, Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Press, pp. 1487–1500, retrieved 30 April 2017
  28. Berets, Rachel. The Latest in Language Confusion: Morocco Switches Back from Arabic to French, Al-Fanar Media, 2 March 2020.
  29. Marley, D. (2004). Language Attitudes in Morocco Following Recent Changes in Language Policy. Language Policy 3. Klauwer Academic Publishers. Pp. 25–46.
  30. ^ "Au Maroc, le long chemin vers la reconnaissance de l'identité amazighe". Le Monde.fr (in French). 2023-02-09. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  31. "Le berbère enseigné dans les écoles marocaines". BBC News Afrique (in French). 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  32. ALAMI, Malak EL. "La stratégie du gouvernement pour promouvoir l'Amazigh dans l'administration publique". L'Opinion Maroc – Actualité et Infos au Maroc et dans le monde. (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  33. "Maroc : l'Amazigh reconnue officiellement comme une langue de travail". bladinet (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  34. Berets, Rachel (2020-03-02). "The Latest in Language Confusion: Morocco Switches Back from Arabic to French". Al-Fanar Media. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  35. "La langue amazighe (berbère) sera enseignée dans les écoles du Maroc". Franceinfo (in French). 2019-06-13. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  36. "Enseignement de l'amazigh : Le ministre de l'Éducation nationale dévoi". m.lematin.ma. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  37. LesEco.ma (2021-01-14). "Enseignement : l'amazigh sera généralisé". LesEco.ma (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  38. LEMATIN.ma. "Akhannouch: 1.941 écoles primaires ont enseigné l'amazighe en 2022". lematin.ma (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  39. Yabiladi.com. "Maroc : Une application dédiée à l'apprentissage de l'Amazigh bientôt développée". www.yabiladi.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  40. Collas, Aurélie. "MAROC Au Maroc, les jeunes préfèrent l'anglais au français". LeMonde Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2023-08-04.
  41. Wehr, Hans: Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (2011); Harrell, Richard S.: Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic (1966)
  42. Ethnologue report for language code: shi. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.
  43. ^ Rouchdy, Aleya, ed. (2002). Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic: Variations on a Sociolinguistic Theme. Psychology Press. p. 71. ISBN 0700713794.
  44. Ethnologue report for language code: ary. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.
  45. ^ Ennaji, p. 162.
  46. ^ Rouchdy, Aleya, ed. (2002). Language Contact and Language Conflict in Arabic: Variations on a Sociolinguistic Theme. Psychology Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-7007-1379-0.
  47. Stevens, p. 73.
  48. ^ Ennaji, Moha (2005). Multilingualism, Cultural Identity, and Education in Morocco. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 127. ISBN 9780387239798.
  49. Ennaji, p. 163.
  50. ^ Ethnologue report for language code: rif. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.
  51. Ethnologue report for language code: tzm. Ethnologue.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-23.
  52. "RGPH_2024". resultats2024.rgphapps.ma. Retrieved 2024-12-23.
  53. "Morocco", CIA World Factbook, retrieved 13 October 2012, French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)
  54. "Bitter Fruit: where Donegal's jobs went." Irish Independent. Saturday January 16, 1999. Retrieved on October 15, 2012. "Behind the locked gates and the sign saying "Interdit au Public" (forbidden to the public) (French is the lingua franca in Morocco)"
  55. Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat 2014. Présentation des premiers résultats (in French)
  56. English and Soft Skills in the Maghreb, p.37 British Council, 2016.
  57. Leyre Gil Perdomingo; Jaime Otero Roth (2008), "Enseñanza y uso de la lengua española en el Sáhara Occidental" (PDF), Analysis of the Real Instituto Elcano nº 116
  58. "Spanish". Ethnologue. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  59. Peregil, Francisco. Morocco’s diminishing interest in learning Spanish, El País, 17 Jan 2018.

Further reading

Languages of Morocco
Official languages
Native vernaculars
Arabic
Pre-Hilalian
Hilal-Mâqil
Koiné
Berber
Atlas
Zenati
Romance
Western
Undescribed
Main foreign languages
Main liturgical languages
Morocco articles
History
Ancient
Early Islamic
Empire
European protectorate
Modern
Geography
Politics
Economy
Culture
Demographics
Languages of Africa
Sovereign states
States with limited
recognition
Dependencies and
other territories
Category: