On Lexical Obsolescence in Tacawit: The Case of Six Berber Fauna Terms

Abstract

The present paper gives an account of a cross-regional study of lexical obsolescence in Tacawit. It aims to compare the rates of lexical erosion across three regions: the Aurès Massif, Occidental Aurès and Oriental Aurès. The data of the study were collected as part of a doctoral research project on contact- induced lexical erosion in Tacawit. For purposes of brevity, however, this paper is confined to the analysis of the data obtained from one semantic domain, namely animal lexicon. Six basic concepts denoting six species were examined. The study revealed significant differences in the rates of lexical erosion between the three regions. The Massif retained most of the Berber variants, and, to a lesser degree, Occidental Aurès. In Oriental Aurès, however, there was a general tendency towards lexical replacement. This regional variation in lexical maintenance reflects different social tendencies within Aurès towards the effects of contact between Berber and Arabic.