Tamahaq (''Tahaggart Tamahaq'', ''Tamahaq Tahaggart'') is the only known Northern Tuareg language, spoken in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, western Libya and northern Niger. It varies little from the Southern Tuareg languages of the

Aïr Mountains The Aïr Mountains or Aïr Massif ( tmh, Ayăr; Hausa: Eastern ''Azbin'', Western ''Abzin'') is a triangular massif, located in northern Niger, within the Sahara. Part of the West Saharan montane xeric woodlands ecoregion, they r ...

Azawagh The Azawagh (alias ''Azaouagh'' or ''Azawak'') is a dry basin covering what is today the northwestern Niger, as well as parts of northeastern Mali and southern Algeria. The Azawagh is mainly made up of Sahelian and Saharan flatlands and has ...

and Adagh. The differences mostly consist of sound substitutions, such as ''Tamahaq'' instead of ''Tamajaq'' or ''Tamasheq''.

Varieties

There are three main varieties of Tamahaq:
/ref> *''Tahaggart'', spoken around the Ahaggar Mountains in southern Algeria by the

Kel Ahaggar Kel Ahaggar ( Berber: ⴾⵍ ⵂⴴⵔ) (trans: "People of Ahaggar") is a Tuareg confederation inhabiting the Hoggar Mountains (Ahaggar mountains) in Algeria. The confederation is believed to have been founded by the Tuareg matriarch Tin Hinan, ...

confederation *''Ajjer'', spoken by the

Kel Ajjer Kel Ajjer (also Kel Azjar, Kel Azjer) is a Tuareg confederation inhabiting western Libya and eastern Algeria. Their main stronghold was Ghat, followed by Ubari. The Kel Ajjer speak Tamahaq, or Northern Tuareg. See also * Azjar ** Kel Adagh **Kel A ...

confederation *''Ghat'', spoken around Djanet in southeast Algeria and Ghat in Libya. According to Blench (2006), Tahaggart and Ghat are distinct Tuareg languages.

References

Tuareg languages Berbers in Algeria Berbers in Libya Berbers in Niger Languages of Algeria Languages of Libya Languages of Niger {{Berber-lang-stub