The Berber and the Berbers
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Jean-Michel Dugoujon
Abstract
In Northern Africa, two main blocks of languages are spoken: the vernacular Arabic varieties and the Berber languages. Our objective is to correlate linguistic characters to genetic data. The precise language affiliation of the samples is controlled. Relationships with Arabic speakers are examined. Four informative genetic markers have been studied: two are autosomal (Gm allotypes and Alu sequences) and the other two are of maternal (mitochondrial DNA) and paternal (Y chromosome) lineages. Four populations were studied (514 samples): three are from Morocco (Asni, Bouhria and Figuig oasis) and the fourth from Egypt (the Siwa oasis). The results were compared with previously published analyses. The genetic differentiation between North-Western and North-Eastern African Berbers (Siwan) seems to be correlated with linguistic studies.
Abstract
In Northern Africa, two main blocks of languages are spoken: the vernacular Arabic varieties and the Berber languages. Our objective is to correlate linguistic characters to genetic data. The precise language affiliation of the samples is controlled. Relationships with Arabic speakers are examined. Four informative genetic markers have been studied: two are autosomal (Gm allotypes and Alu sequences) and the other two are of maternal (mitochondrial DNA) and paternal (Y chromosome) lineages. Four populations were studied (514 samples): three are from Morocco (Asni, Bouhria and Figuig oasis) and the fourth from Egypt (the Siwa oasis). The results were compared with previously published analyses. The genetic differentiation between North-Western and North-Eastern African Berbers (Siwan) seems to be correlated with linguistic studies.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Language and archaeology
- From the origin of language to the diversification of languages 13
- Early diffusion of domestic bovids in Europe 69
-
Language and genes
- Linguistic, cultural and genetic perspectives on human diversity in west-central Africa 93
- The Berber and the Berbers 123
- East meets West 147
- Genetic and linguistic diversity in Central Asia 163
- Genetic and linguistic borders in the Himalayan Region 181
-
Language acquisition and language universals
- From babbling to first words in four languages 205
-
Language and animal communication
- The primate roots of human language 235
-
Language evolution and computer modeling
- Can agent-based language evolution contribute to archeology? 267
- Index 287
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Language and archaeology
- From the origin of language to the diversification of languages 13
- Early diffusion of domestic bovids in Europe 69
-
Language and genes
- Linguistic, cultural and genetic perspectives on human diversity in west-central Africa 93
- The Berber and the Berbers 123
- East meets West 147
- Genetic and linguistic diversity in Central Asia 163
- Genetic and linguistic borders in the Himalayan Region 181
-
Language acquisition and language universals
- From babbling to first words in four languages 205
-
Language and animal communication
- The primate roots of human language 235
-
Language evolution and computer modeling
- Can agent-based language evolution contribute to archeology? 267
- Index 287
