Darija and Tamazight

doi:10.1017/9781009748810.008

6 - Darija and Tamazight

from Part II - What? The Languages of Modern Arabic Literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 July 2026

Brahim El Guabli

Edited by

Michael Allan and

Zeina G. Halabi

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Michael Allan: Affiliation:
University of Oregon
Zeina G. Halabi: Affiliation:
Orient Institute Beirut

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Summary

This chapter interrogates the marginalization and recent resurgence of Darija (Moroccan Arabic) and Tamazight as legitimate literary languages in Morocco. Historically sidelined by Arabization policies and the dominance of the Franco–Arabic literary binary, these Indigenous languages have been mostly excluded from national literary historiography. This chapter traces how postindependence nationalist ideologies suppressed Morocco’s multilingual, literary heritage, privileging fuṣḥā and French while dismissing Darija and Tamazight as purely oral languages. Combining close readings of novels with institutional developments, the chapter highlights the emergence of a new literary consciousness that reclaims linguistic plurality as a pillar of Moroccan literature. It argues that despite institutional resistance, the rise of fiction written in Darija and Tamazight signals a transformative shift in Moroccan literature, challenging hegemonic narratives and redefining the language of the novelistic genre. It ultimately advocates for a reconfiguration of scholarly frameworks to reflect the multilingual realities of Moroccan cultural production.

Keywords

Darija Tamazight Moroccan novel Arabization linguistic decolonization language ideology multilingualism

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Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Companion to Modern Arabic Literature , pp. 99 - 115

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009748810.008 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2026

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