Riffian people
Encyclopedia
The Rifians are a Berber people
who inhabit the Rif
in northern Morocco
. The mother tongue of the Rifians is called Rifian, though many speak Moroccan Arabic
, Spanish
or French
as second or third languages.
. While only a few tribes have moderate Alpinid
and Nordic admixture, these tribes are even closer to Europeans than to Africans. This is supported by a scientific study done on them in the Rif showing that some of the Rifian Berbers have blond hair and blue or green eyes, a percentage higher than that found in Italians, Spaniards
, or Portuguese
..
of the Zenati subgroup
, spoken mainly in the Moroccan
Rif
and in other cities by about 4 million people. There are about 2 million Rifian-speaking immigrants in Europe
. Rifian is still spoken in Beni Snouss (Tlemcen
) and used to be spoken in some other areas (Bethioua
, Arzew
) in Algeria
.
Rif
by about 4 million people, with a few speakers across the border in Algeria
and a large minority in the Spanish
Autonomous city
of Melilla
. There are also speakers of Rifian in Morocco outside the Rif, among significant communities in Oujda
, Tangiers, Tetouan
, Larache
, Fes
, and Casablanca
. A substantial Rifian-speaking community exists in the Netherlands
as well as in other Europe
an countries including Belgium
, Germany
, France
, and mainland Spain
. Its own speakers simply call it Thamazight, or Tamazight, a term also often applied in a broader sense to Berber languages
in general.
Traditionally, the principal Rifian tribes of the region are:
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
who inhabit the Rif
Rif
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
in northern Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. The mother tongue of the Rifians is called Rifian, though many speak Moroccan Arabic
Moroccan Arabic
Moroccan Arabic is the variety of Arabic spoken in the Arabic-speaking areas of Morocco. For official communications, the government and other public bodies use Modern Standard Arabic, as is the case in most Arabic-speaking countries. A mixture of French and Moroccan Arabic is used in business...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
or French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
as second or third languages.
Physical anthropology
Rifi Berbers are defined as MediterraneanMediterranean race
The Mediterranean race was one of the three sub-categories into which the Caucasian race and the people of Europe were divided by anthropologists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, following the publication of William Z. Ripley's book The Races of Europe...
. While only a few tribes have moderate Alpinid
Alpine race
The Alpine race is an historical racial classification or sub-race of humans, considered a branch of the Caucasian race. The term is not commonly used today, but was popular in the early 20th century.-History:...
and Nordic admixture, these tribes are even closer to Europeans than to Africans. This is supported by a scientific study done on them in the Rif showing that some of the Rifian Berbers have blond hair and blue or green eyes, a percentage higher than that found in Italians, Spaniards
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
, or Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
..
Rifian languages
Rifian is a Northern Berber languageNorthern Berber languages
The Northern Berber languages form a dialect continuum across the Maghreb that constitute a branch of the Berber language subgroup of the Afroasiatic family...
of the Zenati subgroup
Zenati languages
The Zenati languages, named after the medieval Zenata tribe, are a subgroup of the Northern Berber language family, spoken in North Africa, proposed in Destaing They are distributed across the central Maghreb, from northeastern Morocco to just west of Algiers, and the northern Sahara, from...
, spoken mainly in the Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Rif
Rif
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
and in other cities by about 4 million people. There are about 2 million Rifian-speaking immigrants in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Rifian is still spoken in Beni Snouss (Tlemcen
Tlemcen
Tlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
) and used to be spoken in some other areas (Bethioua
Bethioua
Bethioua is a town in the wilaya of Oran in the west of the Algeria. It has a gas port, petrochemical facilities and desalination plant....
, Arzew
Arzew
Arzew or Arzeu is a port city in Algeria, from Oran. It is the capital of Arzew District, Oran Province.-Antiquity:Like the rest of North Africa, the site of modern-day Arzew was originally inhabited by the Berbers...
) in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
.
Regional distribution
Rifian is spoken mainly in the MoroccanMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Rif
Rif
The Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
by about 4 million people, with a few speakers across the border in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and a large minority in the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Autonomous city
Autonomous city
Autonomous city is a type of administrative division.-Argentina:The 1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution granted Buenos Aires city, formerly a federal district of Argentina, the status of autonomous, and changed its formal name to Autonomous City of Buenos Aires .Another large city that is...
of Melilla
Melilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
. There are also speakers of Rifian in Morocco outside the Rif, among significant communities in Oujda
Oujda
Oujda is a city in eastern Morocco with an estimated population of 1 million. The city is located about 15 kilometers west of Algeria and about 60 kilometers south of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the Oriental Region of Morocco and the birthplace of the current Algerian president,...
, Tangiers, Tetouan
Tétouan
Tetouan is a city in northern Morocco. The Berber name means literally "the eyes" and figuratively "the water springs". Tetouan is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea. It lies a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about 40 mi E.S.E. of Tangier...
, Larache
Larache
Larache is an important harbour town in the region Tanger-Tétouan in northern Morocco. It was founded in the 7th century when a group of Muslim soldiers from Arabia extended their camp at Lixus onto the south bank of the Loukkos River.In 1471, the Portuguese settlers from Asilah and Tangier drove...
, Fes
Fes
Fes or Fez is the second largest city of Morocco, after Casablanca, with a population of approximately 1 million . It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane region....
, and Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. A substantial Rifian-speaking community exists in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
as well as in other Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries including Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and mainland Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Its own speakers simply call it Thamazight, or Tamazight, a term also often applied in a broader sense to Berber languages
Berber languages
The Berber languages are a family of languages indigenous to North Africa, spoken from Siwa Oasis in Egypt to Morocco , and south to the countries of the Sahara Desert...
in general.
Tribes
- Aith OuriaghelAith OuriaghelThe Aith Waryaghar is an Amazigh tribe of the Rif region of north-east Morocco.The Aith Waryaghar were the main group which participated in the Rif wars against the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco at the beginning of 20th century...
near AjdirAjdirAjdir is a small city in Morocco near Al Hoceima. It was the capital of the Republic of the Rif from 1922 to 1926 under the leadership of Abd el-Krim .-See also:* *Republic of the Rif*Aith Ouriaghel...
, around Oued Ghis (Abd el-Krim's tribe) - GzennayaGzennayaGzennya is one of the eminent Berber locality of Rif in northern Morocco.-Etymology:The word Gzennya is Berber. Originally the tribe was known by the land of "Igzinnayan" which means the land of beauty; that area is well known by its high mountains , huge valleys and rivers, green woods, and its...
, around Aknoul, west of the Metalsa - Iqer3iyen, in the region of NadorNadorNador is a city located in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco. The city is a Mediterranean port on the Bḥar Ameẓẓyan lagoon , and it is the major trading center in the region for fish, fruit, and livestock...
and MelillaMelillaMelilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
- Mazuza
- Aith Shisher / Ait Shiker
- Aith Sidal
- Aith Bu Ifrur
- Aith Buyafar
- KebdanaKebdanaKebdana Tribe Amazigh In Rif , the name came Kebdana relative to the Queen of Amazigh name Dana Was to govern the region.According to the source is easy to bare rock, which extends along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, passing through Twisted river Without the restrictive manner, and limit...
, along the coast next to Oued Moulouya near the AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n border - Aith Said, west of Oued Kert
- Oulad Stut,south of the KebdanaKebdanaKebdana Tribe Amazigh In Rif , the name came Kebdana relative to the Queen of Amazigh name Dana Was to govern the region.According to the source is easy to bare rock, which extends along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, passing through Twisted river Without the restrictive manner, and limit...
- Aith Bu Yahi, along Oued Moulouya south of the Oulad Stut
- Metalsa, east of the Aith Bu Yahi
- Aith Ulishk, southwest of TemsamanTemsamanTemsaman is a region located in the Rif, northwest of Morocco. It is also the name of the main city in the region. The center of the province is Krouna...
- TafersitTafersitTafersit is a town in Province Driouch, Oriental, Morocco. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 3,555.-References:...
, southeast of TemsamanTemsamanTemsaman is a region located in the Rif, northwest of Morocco. It is also the name of the main city in the region. The center of the province is Krouna... - Aith Tuzin, south of TemsamanTemsamanTemsaman is a region located in the Rif, northwest of Morocco. It is also the name of the main city in the region. The center of the province is Krouna...
- TemsamanTemsamanTemsaman is a region located in the Rif, northwest of Morocco. It is also the name of the main city in the region. The center of the province is Krouna...
, around the town of that name - Aith Amart, south of Aith OuriaghelAith OuriaghelThe Aith Waryaghar is an Amazigh tribe of the Rif region of north-east Morocco.The Aith Waryaghar were the main group which participated in the Rif wars against the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco at the beginning of 20th century...
- TarguistTarguistTarguist is a town in Al Hoceïma Province, Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate, Morocco. According to the 2004 census it has a population of 11,560.-References:...
, southeast of Aith OuriaghelAith OuriaghelThe Aith Waryaghar is an Amazigh tribe of the Rif region of north-east Morocco.The Aith Waryaghar were the main group which participated in the Rif wars against the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco at the beginning of 20th century... - Bokoya, in the west of Aith OuriaghelAith OuriaghelThe Aith Waryaghar is an Amazigh tribe of the Rif region of north-east Morocco.The Aith Waryaghar were the main group which participated in the Rif wars against the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco at the beginning of 20th century...
- Aith Itteft, east of Bades
- Aith Bu Frah, east of Aith Itteft
- Mestassa, east of Aith Bu Frah
- Mtiwa, between Mestassa and Oued Ouringa
- Beni Guemil, west of Aith Bu Frah