TashelhitShilha

Tashelhit (also spelled Tachelhit or Shilha) is a Berber language of the Amazigh family spoken in southwestern Morocco by the Shilha people, sometimes referred to as Chleuh. It is one of the principal Amazigh languages of Morocco and serves as a key means of communication in the Souss region, extending into the Anti-Atlas and nearby areas. The language comprises several regional varieties, whose speakers often understand each other to varying degrees depending on dialectal differences.

Linguistically, Tashelhit is classified as a Southwestern Berber language within the Berber branch of the Afroasiatic family. Like related Amazigh languages, it features root-and-pattern morphology and marks gender and number on nouns and verbs. Its phonology includes emphatic consonants and consonant inventories characteristic of Berber languages. There is no single standardized spoken form, and dialects differ in pronunciation, vocabulary, and some syntactic traits.

Writing and standardization have evolved significantly in recent decades. Historically, Tashelhit was transmitted orally and used in Arabic script for religious and literary purposes. In contemporary contexts, it is written with Tifinagh or Latin scripts, and standardized orthographies have been developed to support education, media, and publishing. The Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) and other institutions have promoted the standard written form and increased visibility of Tashelhit in textbooks, broadcasts, and digital resources.

Status and vitality: In Morocco, Amazigh languages including Tashelhit were officially recognized in the 2011 constitution as official languages alongside Arabic, with ongoing efforts to promote their use in schooling, administration, and public life. Despite official support, language shift to Moroccan Arabic and French persists in some domains, while media, education initiatives, and community programs continue to bolster Tashelhit transmission and intergenerational use.