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Requests for new languages/Wikipedia Moroccan Amazigh

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submitted verification final decision

This proposal has been approved.
The Board of Trustees and language committee have deemed that there is sufficient grounds and community to create the new language project.

A committee member provided the following comment:

Approved by the language committee, awaiting creation: phab:T350216. Jon Harald Søby (talk) 08:05, 1 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]
  • The community needs to develop an active test project; it must remain active until approval (automated statistics, recent changes). It is generally considered active if the analysis lists at least three active, not-grayed-out editors listed in the sections for the previous few months.
  • The community needs to complete required MediaWiki interface translations in that language (about localization, translatewiki, check completion).
  • The community needs to discuss and complete the settings table below:
What Value Example / Explanation
Proposal
Language code zgh (SILGlottolog) A valid ISO 639-1 or 639-3 language code, like "fr", "de", "nso", ...
Language name Standard Moroccan Amazigh Language name in English
Language name ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ ⵜⴰⵏⴰⵡⴰⵢⵜ Language name in your language. This will appear in the language list on Special:Preferences, in the interwiki sidebar on other wikis, ...
Language Wikidata item Q7598268 - item has currently the following values:
Item about the language at Wikidata. It would normally include the Wikimedia language code, name of the language, etc. Please complete at Wikidata if needed.
Directionality LTR Is the language written from left to right (LTR) or from right to left (RTL)?
Links Links to previous requests, or references to external websites or documents.

Settings
Project name ⵡⵉⴽⵉⴱⵉⴷⵢⴰ "Wikipedia" in your language
Project namespace ⵡⵉⴽⵉⴱⵉⴷⵢⴰ usually the same as the project name
Project talk namespace ⴰⵎⵙⴰⵡⴰⵍ ⵏ ⵡⵉⴽⵉⴱⵉⴷⵢⴰ "Wikipedia talk" (the discussion namespace of the project namespace)
Enable uploads no Default is "no". Preferably, files should be uploaded to Commons.
If you want, you can enable local file uploading, either by any user ("yes") or by administrators only ("admin").
Notes: (1) This setting can be changed afterwards. The setting can only be "yes" or "admin" at approval if the test creates an Exemption Doctrine Policy (EDP) first. (2) Files on Commons can be used on all Wikis. (3) Uploading fair-use images is not allowed on Commons (more info). (4) Localisation to your language may be insufficient on Commons.
Optional settings
Project logo File:Wikipedia-logo-v2-zgh.svg This needs to be an SVG image (instructions for logo creation).
Default project timezone Africa/Casablanca "Continent/City", e.g. "Europe/Brussels" or "America/Mexico City" (see list of valid timezones)
Additional namespaces For example, a Wikisource would need "Page", "Page talk", "Index", "Index talk", "Author", "Author talk".
Additional settings Anything else that should be set
Once settings are finalized, a committee member will submit a Phabricator task requesting creation of the wiki. (This will include everything automatically, except the additional namespaces/settings.) After the task is created, it should be linked to in a comment under "final decision" above.

Arguments in favour

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  • The first argument is that Tamazight (Tamazight in native language can be Amazigh as well as a neutral form used in a foreing language) is definelty a language. This language was not written for several secularies, and thus the usage of the written language has been lost up to the 20th century were a cultural and intellectual renaissance took place. Now it this language is growing to be written and it is taught in schools in many northern African countries like morocco.
  • The second argument is that the number of speakers is that 70% of Morrocan population plus some 30% of algerian population and also in Mali, niger, Libya, Tunisia and Muritania. There are no official numbers of Amazigh speakers but some indicates that they are over 60 million in all North Africa.
  • The third argument is that Tamazight is a language which is widely oppressed by governments in its original countries, even if in the late years it has been recognised as an official language in Morocco since 2011 and Algeria since 2016 and national language in some countries, but still it is not promoted and to use it in wikipedia could be a great opportunity to enrich the language and keep one of the humanity assets preserved
  • Amazighs are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley, their language is Amazigh and they are around 40 million people, whose alphabet is the ancestor of Tifinagh, Tifinagh is the script used in Standard Moroccan Amazigh Wikipedia based on the grammar of IRCAM which is the Institution of Amazigh Culture in Morocco. 213.177.168.7 15:27, 1 February 2011 (UTC)Mehdi SB[reply]
  • We think having wikipedia in Tamazight is very important because north africa is amazigh by origin, also we amazighs feel the pride of having and reading things in our own language which is neither Arabic nor any other language but Tamazight but still we think this should be done using Tifinagh, this script can be learned in just few days, some learn it in just two days.
  • Tamazight est la langue natale de plus de 15 millions personnes au Maroc, donc wikipedia Tamazight va être un support multimédia pour la culture Amazigh au Maroc et le caractère Tifinagh adopté par l'IRCAM favorise l'unification de Tarifit, Tamazight et Tachlhit surtout au Maroc.
    —The preceding unsigned comment was added by ⵕⴰⵊⵉ (talk) 16:24, 20 July 2016 (UTC)[reply]
  • I Support the creation of Moroccan Amazigh project, the identity consciousness is rising in Morocco and so as the lingual renaissance of the aboriginal language of North Africans. There's -for sure- a huge cultural heritage that should be conserved and revived through its original language. I suggest that this project can have the possibility to switch between latin and tifinagh scripts -just like the Serbian and Kazakh wikipedias-, as both writing systems are largely used. And thus attract many readers/writers to the community.
    — The preceding unsigned comment was added by Muhnmas (talk)
  • I fully agree with everything that was said above. But looking at the Test Wiki, Tifinagh should not be the main script used, it only makes Tamazight a lot less accessible and obscure. How many people have Tifinagh keyboards? How do you expect Amazigh people raised in western countries to read and contribute? I understand the cultural value of using Tifinagh, but I see this Wiki growing to be a great resource online to actually learn Tamazight, so we should lower the barrier to entry. --moboudra (talk) 17:43, 28 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]
  • I am totally with the creation of Moroccan Amazigh, like this I will be able to access to the knowledge in a language I heard every day; I think this is what WMF looking to estabilish. For the script used to write Moroccan Amazigh I think the right choice is Tifinagh (the keyboard is not a question here since tifinagh is supported by Unicode) & for people who don't understand the alphabets we can write in both scripts (tifinagh & latin) as some verions of Wikipedia used to do.--A. SADIQUI (Talk) 21:28, 8 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]
  • Strong Support Standard Moroccan Amazigh (zgh) is an official language in Morocco (alongside Standard Arabic), with a State institution created specifically to develop it, support its adoption and maintain it, known as IRCAM. Furthermore, the official script used for Standard Moroccan Amazigh is Neo-Tifinagh. So while I support lowering the barrier of entry by having the option to enter text in the Latin script, I think the main script should remain Tifinagh. The wiki now has more than 500 articles I believe, and would definitely improve tremendously if it went live.--Ideophagous (talk) 20:07, 26 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
  • Strong Support Amazigh language is an official language of two countries that are Morocco and Algeria, it is spoken by millions of Amazigh people around the North Africa, it is studies at Moroccan universities and school, Tifinagh is the supported script to write this language however there is Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture in Rabat the capital of Morocco. ⵣⵉⵔⵉ ⴰⵎⵖⵏⴰⵙ (talk). 00:04, 27 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
  • Strong Support Standard Moroccan Amazigh is spoken by approximately 20 million people in Morocco, making it one of the most spoken languages in the country. It is also a language of instruction in many schools, and there is a growing interest in the language from learners around the world and Adding Standard Moroccan Amazigh to Wikipedia would bring numerous advantages. First, it would provide a platform for the language to be promoted and preserved, which is especially important given that Amazigh is an endangered language. Second, it would provide a valuable resource for learners and researchers who wants to learn more about the language and its cultural significance. In addition, there are a number of notable works of literature, music, and film that have been produced in Standard Moroccan Amazigh, and these should be documented and made accessible to a wider audience through Wikipedia.
    --Wop thy (talk) 18:55, 27 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
  • Strong Support Amazigh language is a languagespoken by millions in North Africa. It is used in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, libya, Mali, Niger and Mauritania. People who speaks Amazigh are called Amazighs or Imazighen. Amazigh has its own writing script which is Tifinagh and it contains main 33 letters. Some people also use modified versions of Arabic and Latin scripts.
    Today Amazigh is an official language in Morocco and Algeria. Amazigh is taught in schools and universities. Morocco has been standardizing Moroccan Amazigh since 2003 through IRCAM which is the Institution Royal of Amazigh Culture in Morocco. Amazigh has always been believe to be threatening the Arabic language and identity in North Africa. Therefore, the governments didn't use it and didn't put effort in supporting it and still. They were fighting against it for decades.
    While some Amazighs are trying to preserve it, Many Amazighs intend to use Arabic in their daily life which affects the number of native speakers.
    --ABDELHAQUE amazig (talk) 23:42, 27 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
  • Strong Support Standard Moroccan Amazigh (zgh) should have its own Wikipedia. This is one of the two official languages in Morocco and we have to support this project --AyourAchtouk (talk) 00:34, 28 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
  • Strong Support I am an Amazigh from Morocco. The Amazigh language is my mother tongue. I consider it part of my identity and of my ancient Amazigh culture. However, it was deliberately excluded in order to obliterate the Amazigh identity with it for many reasons, including religious and political ones... It is a North African language spoken by millions of people in their daily life. It must be noted that the Amazigh language has become taught in schools thanks to tremendous efforts, and it is considered an official language in both Morocco and Algeria. We respect all languages, identities and cultures, including our language and our identity. We hope that it will not be excluded by your administration, and thank you. --Mouna yanis (talk) 10:03, 28 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]
  • Strong support Strong support It is the national standard for Amazigh languages in Morocco, serving a role similar to Modern Standard Arabic. It will stimulate more contribution in Amazigh languages of Morocco. It can also unite the speakers of Amazigh languages in one Wikipedia, increasing it's reach. So I fully support the project. NikosLikomitros (talk) 19:02, 25 October 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Clerking note

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As I merged Requests for new languages/Wikipedia Standard Moroccan Berber into this page, I noticed that neither page had ever been formally verified by LangCom. There is no reason zgh should not be eligible, though I suppose there is a question as to whether projects in zgh and tzm should really be separate projects. But in any event, until someone in LangCom formally verifies this project as "eligible", I've marked it as "open". StevenJ81 (talk) 16:43, 26 June 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Hi @StevenJ81:, I do not know why this project has not yet been marked as a eligible. But If the confusion between these two languages is what prevents zgh from being eligible, i will try to explain the difference between these languages. tzm is one of the three Berber varieties spoken in morocco (Which are: shi, tzm and rif), and zgh is the standard form of this varieties. It was developed by the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture in 2003 for its integration in the educational system. (IRCAM Website). tzm and shi have a high degree of mutual intelligibility, Riffian may appear unintelligible at first glance for Shilha and Atlas Tamazight speakers, but it becomes quickly more familiar with a little time and practice, Because the differences between Rifan and other two varieties are largely phonological, rather than syntactic, and they share a high degree of the same vocabulary and grammar. So The Atlas Tamazight, Shilha and Riff languages can coexist on the standard Amazigh language Wikipedia. In addition, the project has a chance of success more than others and it is better to focus on one project rather than dispersion of efforts in various projects.--Mdb897 (talk) 18:31, 24 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
We need your help because this project has not yet been marked as a eligible. But If the confusion between these two languages is what prevents zgh from being eligible, the ISO code "zgh" is the standard form of this Amazigh varieties (Shilha, Riffian and Central Atlas Tamazight). It was developed by the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture in 2003 for its integration in the educational system. (IRCAM Website). I want to say that the project has a chance of success more than others and it is better to focus on one project rather than dispersion of efforts in various projects. ⵣⵉⵔⵉ ⴰⵎⵖⵏⴰⵙ (talk) 19:15, 27 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

"Strong support" I am an amazigh from Morocco. We consider Tamazight as our mother tongue. Most of the peoples of North Africa, not just Morocco, speak it. In both the Moroccan and Algerian constitutions, it has become an official language. It is taught in public schools in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.. The language is part of our identity and our identity is Amazigh, so we redouble our efforts to preserve our language as we preserve our ancient culture and heritage. Thank you01:38, 29 April 2023 (UTC)