Investigating Language Contact Situation in Algeria

Abstract

This article attempts to describe the linguistic situation in Algeria from the perspective of language contact as Algerians use languages that are genetically unrelated. The language situation in Algeria is an open issue. Even if it is agreed that Arabic is the mother tongue of almost all Algerians (except for Berbers), the contact situation has imposed the implantation of borrowings and expressions from other languages, mainly French, the legacy of the colonizer. The method of investigation is based on short recordings from daily life. The data obtained illustrate the language dynamics among Algerian speakers and reveal, on the other hand, estimation on the parts of speech that are most borrowed.