_Languages of Africa — Various Dialects of the Arabic Language —
Difference between the Berebber and Shelluh Languages — Specimen
of the Mandinga — Comparison of the Shelluh Language with that of
the Canary Islands, and Similitude of Customs._
Yareb, the son of Kohtan,[167] is said to have been the first who
spoke Arabic, and the Mohammedans contend that it is the most eloquent
language spoken in any part of the globe, and that it is the one which
will be used at the day of judgment. To write a long dissertation
on this copious and energetic language, would be only to repeat what
many learned men have said before; a few observations, however, may
not be superfluous to the generality of readers. The Arabic language
is spoken by a greater proportion of the inhabitants of the known
world than any other: a person having a practical knowledge of it,
may travel from the shores of the Mediterranean sea to the Cape
of Good Hope, and notwithstanding that in such a journey he must
pass through many kingdoms and empires of blacks, speaking distinct
languages, yet he would find men in all those countries versed in
Mohammedan learning, and therefore acquainted with the Arabic; again,
he might cross the widest part of the African continent from west
to east, and would every where meet with persons acquainted with it,
more particularly if he should follow the course of the great river
called the Nile of the Negroes, on the banks of which, from Jinnie
and Timbuctoo, to the confines of Lower Egypt, are innumerable cities
and towns of Arabs and Moors, all speaking the Arabic. Again, were
a traveller to proceed from Marocco to the farthest shore of Asia,
opposite the islands of Japan, he would find the Arabic generally
spoken or understood wherever he came. In Turkey, in Syria, in Arabia,
in Persia, and in India, it is understood by all men of education;
and any one possessing a knowledge of the Korannick Arabic, might,
in a very short time, make himself master of the Hindostannee,
and of every other dialect of the former.
The letters of this language are formed in four distinct ways,
according to their situation at the beginning, middle, or end of
words, as well as when standing alone; the greatest difficulty,
however, to be overcome, is the acquiring a just pronunciation,
(without which no living language can be essentially useful), and to
attain which, the learner should be able to express the difference
of power and sound between what may be denominated the synonymous
letters, such as ط and ث with ت; ع with ا; ص with س; ض and
ظ with د; ه with ح; ڧ and ك with خ; غ with ر.
Besides these, there are other letters, whose power is extremely
difficult to be acquired by an European, because no language in Europe
possesses sounds similar to the Arabic letters ع غ خ, nor has any
language, except, perhaps, the English, a letter with the power of
the Arabian ث. Those who travel into Asia or Africa scarcely ever
become sufficiently masters of the Arabic to speak it fluently, which
radical defect proceeds altogether from their not learning, while
studying it, the peculiar distinction of the synonymous letters. No
European, perhaps, ever knew more of the _theory_ of this language
than the late Sir William Jones, but still he could not converse
with an Arabian, a circumstance of which he was not conscious until
he went to India. This great man, however, had he been told that his
knowledge of this popular eastern language was so far deficient, that
he was ignorant of the separate powers of its synonymous letters,
and consequently inadequate to converse intelligibly with a native
Arab, he would certainly have considered it an aspersion, and have
disputed altogether that such was the fact. Considering how much we
are indebted to the Arabians for the preservation of many of the
works of the ancients, which would otherwise have never, perhaps,
been known to us, it is really surprising that their language should
be so little known in Europe. It is certainly very difficult and
abstruse (to learners particularly), but this difficulty is rendered
insurmountable by the European professors knowing it only as a dead
language, and teaching it without due attention to the pronunciation
of the before mentioned synonymous letters, a defect which is not
likely to be remedied, and which will always subject the speaker to
incessant errors.
To shew the Arabic student the difference between the Oriental and
Occidental order of the letters of the alphabet, I shall here give
them opposite each other.
1 Alif ا — 1 Alif ا
2 ba ب — 2 ba ب
3 ta ت — 3 ta ت
4 thsa ث — 4 tha ث
5 jim ج — 5 jim ج
6 hha ح — 6 hha ح
7 kha خ — 7 kha خ
8 dal د — 8 dal د
9 dsal ذ — 9 dth’al ذ
10 ra ر — 10 ra ر
11 za ز — 11 zain ز
12 sin س — 12 ta ط
13 shin ش — 13 da ظ
14 sad ص — 14 kef ك
15 dad ض — 15 lam ل
16 ta ط — 16 mim م
17 da ظ — 17 nune ن
18 ain ع — 18 sad ص
19 gain غ — 19 dad ض
20 fa ف — 20 ain ع
21 kaf ق — 21 r’gain غ
22 kef ك — 22 fa ف
23 lem ل — 23 kaf ق
24 mim م — 24 sin س
25 nun ن — 25 shin ش
26 waw و — 26 hha ه
27 he ه — 27 wow و
28 ya ي — 28 ia ي
29 lam-alif لا — 29 lam-alif لا
Besides this difference of the arrangement of the two alphabets,
the student will observe that there is also a difference in the
punctuation of two of the letters: thus—
Oriental. Occidental.
fa ف fa ڢ
kaf ق kaf ڧ
Among the Western Arabs, the ancient Arabic figures are used, viz. 0,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9: they often write 100 thus, 1 . .-200, 2 . .
To explain the force of the synonymous letters on paper would
be impossible; the reader, however, may form some idea of the
indispensable necessity of knowing the distinction by the few words
here selected, which to one unaccustomed to hear the Arabic language
spoken, would appear similar and undistinguishable.
ENGLISH. ARABIC. ARABIC.
Rendered as near
to European
pronunciation
as the English
Alphabet will admit.
A horse Aoud عودْ
Wood Awad اعوادْ
To repeat Aoud عَودْ
Fish Hout حُوتْ
A gun Mokhalla امُكْحلَ
A foolish woman Mokeela مُخيلهَ
A frying-pan Makeela مَڧلُ
A lion Sebah اَّلسبعْ
Morning Sebah اَّلصبحْ
Seventh Sebah اَّلسبعْ
Hatred Hassed احسَدْ
Harvest Hassed احصدْ
Learning Alem, or El Alem العالمْ or عالمْ
A flag El Alem الاعلامْ
Granulated paste Kuscasoe كسكْسُ
The dish it is made in Kuscas كسكاسْ
Heart Kul’b ڧلبْ
Dog Kil’b كلبْ
Mould Kal’b ڧالبْ
Captain Rice الرُايسُ
Feathers Rish الرُيش
Mud Ris الغيسْ
Smell Shim الشُمْ
Poison Sim ألسمْ[168]
Absent R’gaib الغايبْ
Butter milk Raib الرَّايبْ
White Bëad اْبيضْ
A black El Abd العبدْ
Eggs Baid البَيضْ
Afar-off Baid ابْعيدْ
A pig Helloof حلوڢْ
An oath Hellef احلڢْ
Feed for horses Alf العّلڢ
A thousand Alf الڢْ
It is difficult for any one who has not accurately studied the
Arabic language, to imagine the many errors which an European
commits in speaking it, when self-taught, or even when taught in
Europe. Soon after my arrival in Africa, when I had not attained
the age of eighteen, I happened one day to be in the house of an
European gentleman who had then been in the country twenty years; an
Arab of the province of Tedla came in, when the former (at all times
desirous of exhibiting his knowledge of their language) addressed him,
and after making a long speech, the Arab very coolly replied, “I
entreat thee to speak Arabic, that I may understand thee (_tkillem
Eaudie b’lorbea besh en fhemik_).” This was interpreted to me
by a friend, who was present, and it made such a strong impression
on my mind, that I resolved to apply myself assiduously to discover
the reason why a person who spoke the language tolerably quick,
should be altogether so little understood, and I was some time
afterwards, by making various observations and trials, convinced
that the deficiency originated in the inaccuracy of the application
of the synonymous letters.
The ain ع and the غ r’gain cannot be accurately pronounced by
Europeans, who have not studied the language grammatically when
young, and under a native; I have, however, heard an Irishman,[169]
who did not understand it grammatically, but had acquired it by ear,
pronounce the latter equally as correct as any Arabian; but this was
a rare instance. He was in England whilst Elfie Bey was here, who,
as I was afterwards informed, had declared, that he was the only
European whose Arabic he could easily understand. The aspirated _h_,
and the hard _s_, in the word for _morning_ (sebah), are so much like
their synonymes, that few Europeans can discern the difference; the
one is consequently often mistaken for the other; and I have known a
beautiful sentence absolutely perverted through an inaccuracy of this
kind. In the words rendered _Hatred_ and _Harvest_, the two synonymes
of س and ص or _s_ hard and _s_ soft, are indiscriminately used by
Europeans in their Arabic _conversations_, a circumstance sufficient
to do away the force and meaning of any sentence or discourse.
The poetry as well as prose of the Arabians is well known, and has
been so often discussed by learned men, that it would be irrelevant
here to expatiate on the subject; but as the following description of
the noblest passion of the human breast cannot but be interesting to
the generality of readers, and without any exception to the fair sex,
I will transcribe it.
“Love (العشك) beginneth in contemplation, passeth to meditation; hence
proceeds desire; then the spark bursts forth into a flame, the head
swims, the body wastes, and the soul turns giddy. If we look on the
bright side of love, we must acknowledge that it has at least one
advantage; it annihilates pride and immoderate self-love: true love,
whose aim is the happiness and equality of the beloved object, being
incompatible with those feelings.
“Lust is so different from true love (العشك), and so far from
a perfection, that it is always a species of punishment sent by God,
because man has abandoned the path of his pure love.”
In their epistolary writing, the Arabs have generally a regular and
particular style, beginning and ending all their letters with the
name of God, symbolically, because God is the beginning and end of
all things. The following short specimen will illustrate this:
Translation of a letter written in the Korannick Arabic by
Seedy Soliman ben Mohammed ben Ismael, Sultan of Marocco, to his
Bashaw —— of Suse, &c. &c.
“Praise be to the only God! for there is neither power, nor
strength, without the great and eternal God.”
[L.S. containing the Emperor’s name and titles, as Soliman ben
Mohammed ben Abdallah, &c. &c.]
“Our servant, Alkaid Abdelmelk ben Behie Mulud, God assist,
and peace be with thee, and the mercy and grace of God be upon thee!
“We command thee forthwith to procure and send to our exalted
presence every Englishman that has been wrecked on the coast of
Wedinoon, and to forward them hither without delay, and diligently
to succour and attend to them, and may the eye of God be upon thee!”
26th of the lunar month Saffer, year of the Hejira 1281.
(May 1806.)[170]
The accuracy of punctuation in the Arabic language is a matter
that ought to be strictly attended to; thus they maintain writing to
be the first qualification of a scholar, and that, from a want of
a due knowledge of punctuation, the Christians have misunderstood
the word of God, which says, “I have begotten thee, and thou art
my son.” This passage, they say, first stood as follows, (which
if the Scriptures had been originally written in Arabic would have
had some plausibility.)
“I have adopted thee, and thou art my prophet.” The difference of
punctuation in one word makes all this difference in signification,
for—
ٮٮ punctuated thus بن signifies _son_, and
ٮٮ punctuated thus, نب signifies _prophet_.
It has been already observed, that the Mohammedans believe in Jesus
Christ, and that he was a prophet sent from God; but they acknowledge
no equal with God. The doctrine of the Trinity is incomprehensible
to them, hence they will not admit of the punctuation بن but allow
that of نب.
The foregoing observations will serve to prove the insufficiency of a
knowledge of this language, as professed or studied in Great Britain
when unaccompanied with a practical knowledge. These observations
may apply equally to the Persian language.[171]
If the present ardour for discovery in Africa be persevered in,
the learned world may expect, in the course of a few years, to
receive histories and other works of Greek and Roman authors, which
were translated into the Arabic language, when Arabian literature
was in its zenith, and have ever since been confined to some
private libraries in the cities of the interior of Africa, and in
Arabia. Bonaparte, aware of the political importance of a practical
knowledge of this language, has of late given unremitting attention
to the subject, and if we may believe the mutilated accounts which we
receive occasionally from France, he is likely to obtain from Africa
in a short period relics of ancient learning of considerable value,
which have escaped the wreck of nations.
Having said thus much with regard to the Arabic of the western
Arabs, which, with little variation, is spoken throughout all the
finest districts of North Africa, I shall proceed to say a few words
respecting the other languages spoken north of Sahara: these are the
Berebber and its dialects, viz. the Zayan and Girwan, and Ait Imure;
the Shelluh of Suse and South Atlas, all which, though latterly
supposed by some learned men to be the same, differ in many respects;
any one possessing a knowledge of the Berebber language might, with
little difficulty, make himself understood by the Zayan of Atlas,
the Girwan, or the Ait Imure; but the Shelluh is a different language,
and each so different from the Arabic, that there is not the smallest
resemblance, as the following specimen will demonstrate:
BEREBBER. SHELLUH. ARABIC. ENGLISH.
Tumtoot Tayelt Ishira A girl
Ajurode Ayel Ishire A boy
Askan Tarousa Hajar A thing
Aram Algrom Jimmel Camel
Tamtute Tamraut Murrah A woman
Ishiar Issemg’h L’abd A slave
Aouli Izimer Kibsh A sheep
Taddert Tikimie Dar House
Ikshuden Asroen Lawad Wood
Eekeel Akfai Hellib Milk
Tifihie Uksume El Ham Meat
Buelkiel Amuran Helloof A hog
Abreede Agares Trek A road
Bishee Fikihie Ara Give me
Adude Asht Agi Come
Alkam Aftooh Cire Go
Kaym Gäuze Jils Sit down
Imile Imeek Serire Little
SPECIMEN OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ARABIC AND SHELLUH LANGUAGES.
SHELLUH. ARABIC ENGLISH.
Is sin Tamazirkt Wash katarf Shelluh Do you understand
Shelluh?
Uree sin Man arf huh I do not understand
it
Matshrult Kif enta How are you?
Is tekeete Marokshe Wash gite min Are you come from
Marockshe Marocco?
Egan ras Miliah Good
Maigan Ala’sh Wherefore?
Misimmink As’mek What is your name?
Mensh kat dirk Shall andik How much have you
got?
Tasardunt Borella A mule
Romi Romi An European
Takannarit Nasarani A Christian
Romi Kaffer An infidel
Misem Bebans Ashkune mula Who is the owner?
Is’tkit Tegriwelt Wash jite min Are you come from
Tegriwelt Cape Ossem?
Auweete Imkelli Jib Liftor Bring the dinner
Efoulkie Meziana Handsome
Ayeese El aoud A horse
Tikelline El Baid Eggs
Amuran Helloof Hog
Tayuh Tatta Camelion
Tasamumiat Adda Green lizard
Tandaraman Ertella b’hairie Venemous spider
Tenawine Sfune Ships
Marmol says, the Shelluhs and Berebbers write and speak one language,
called Killem Abimalick,[172] the name of the person who was accounted
the inventor of Arabic letters; but the foregoing specimen, the
accuracy of which may be depended on, clearly proves this assertion to
be erroneous, as well as that of many moderns who have formed their
opinion, in all probability, on the above authority. Now, although
the Shelluh and Berebber languages are so totally dissimilar, that
there is not one word in the foregoing vocabulary which resembles its
corresponding word in the other language, yet, from the prejudice
which Marmol has established, it will still be difficult, perhaps,
to persuade the learned that such an author could be mistaken on
such a subject. My account therefore must remain for a future age to
determine upon, when the languages of Africa shall be better known
than they are at present; for it is not a few travellers occasionally
sent out on a limited plan that can ascertain facts, the attainment
of which requires a long residence, and familiar intercourse with
the natives. Marmol has also misled the world in saying that they
write a different language; the fact is, that when they write any
thing of consequence, it is in the Arabic, but any trifling subject
is written in the Berebber words, though in the Arabic character. If
they had any peculiar character in the time of Marmol, they have
none now; for I have conversed with hundreds of them, as well as
with the Shelluhs, and have had them staying at my house for a
considerable time together, but never could learn from any that a
character different from the Arabic had ever been in use among them.
In addition to these languages, there is another spoken at the Oasis
of Ammon, or Siwah, called in Arabic (الواح الغاربي) El Wah El Garbie,
which appears to be a mixture of Berebber and Shelluh, as will appear
from the list of Siwahan words given by Mr. Horneman,[173] in his
Journal, page 19, part of which I have here transcribed, to shew the
similitude between those two languages, whereby it will appear that the
language of Siwah and that of the Shelluhs of South Atlas are one and
the same language.
ENGLISH. SIWAHAN, SHELLUH.
as given by Mr.
Horneman, p. 19.
Sun Itfuckt Atfuct
Head Achfé Akfie
Camel Lgum Arume
Sheep Jelibb Jelibb
Cow Tfunest Tafunest
Mountain Iddrarn Iddra[174]
Have you a horse? Goreck Ackmar Is derk Achmar?[175]
Milk Achi Akfie
Bread Tagor Tagora[176]
Dates Tena Tenie (sing.)
Tena (plural.)
South of the Desert we find other languages spoken by the blacks;
and are told by Arabs who have frequently performed the journey
from Jinnie to Cairo, and the Red Sea, that thirty-three different
Negroe languages are met with in the course of that route, but that
the Arabic is spoken by the intelligent part of the people, and the
Mohammedan religion is known and followed by many; their writings
are uniformly in Arabic.
It may not be improper in this place, seeing the many errors and
mutilated translations which appear from time to time of Arabic,
Turkish, and Persian papers, to give a list of the Mohammedan moons
or lunar months, used by all those nations, which begin with the
first appearance of the new moon, that is, the day following, or
sometimes two days after the change, and continue till they see the
next new moon; these have been mutilated to such a degree in all
our English translations, that I shall give them, in the original
Arabic character, and as they ought to be spelt and pronounced in the
English character, as a clue whereby to calculate the correspondence
between our year and theirs. They divide the year into 12 months,
which contain 29 or 30 days, according as they see the new moon;
the first day of the month Muharam is termed راس العام Ras
Elame, i.e. the beginning of the year.
As we are more used to the Asiatic mode of punctuation, that will
be observed in these words.
Muharam مُحَارَمْ
Asaffer اَصاَفرْ
Arabia Elule الَّرابيع الَّوله
Arabea Atthenie الَّرابيع الَّثاني
Jumad Elule جوماد الول
Jumad Athenie جوماد الَّثاني
Rajeb راجب
Shaban شعبان
Ramadan رامدان
Shual شوال
Du’elkada دُلكعدهَ
Du Elhagah دُلحاجَهْ
The first of Muharram, year of the Hejira 1221, answers to the 19th
March of the Christian æra, 1806.
Among the various languages spoken south of the Desert, or Sahara,
we have already observed that there are thirty-three different ones
between the Western Ocean and the Red Sea, following the shores of
the Nile El Abide, or Niger: among all these nations and empires,
a man practically acquainted with the Arabic may always make himself
understood, and indeed it is the language most requisite to be known
for every traveller in these extensive regions.
The Mandinga is spoken from the banks of the Senegal, where that
river takes a northerly course from the Jibel Kumera to the kingdom of
Bambarra; the Wangareen tongue is a different one; and the Houssonians
speak a language differing again from that.
_Specimen of the difference between the Arabic and Mandinga
language; the words of the latter extracted from the vocabularies
of Seedi Mohammed ben Amer Soudani._
ENGLISH. MANDINGA ARABIC.
One Kalen Wahud
Two Fula Thanine
Three Seba Thalata
Four Nani Arba
Five Lulu Kumsa
Six Uruh Setta
Seven Urn’klu Sebba
Eight Säae Timinia
Nine Kanuntée Taseud
Ten Dan Ashra
Eleven Dan kalen Ahud ash
Twelve Dan fula Atenashe
Thirteen Dan seba Teltashe
Nineteen Dan kanartée Tasatash
Twenty Mulu Ashreen
Thirty Mulu nintau Thalateen
Forty Mulu fula Arbä’in
Fifty Mulu fula neentan Kumseen
Sixty Mulu sebaa Setteen
Seventy Mulu sebaa nintan Sebä’in
Eighty Mulu nani T’ammana’een
Ninety Mulu nani neentaan Tasa’een
One hundred Kemi Mia
One thousand Uli Elf
This Neen Hadda
That Waleem Hadduk
Great Bawa Kabeer
Little Nadeen Sereer
Handsome Nimawa Zin
Ugly Nuta Uksheen (k guttural)
White Kie Bead
Black Feen Abeed, or khal
Red Williamma Hummer
How do you do? Nimbana mountania Kif-enta
Well Kantée Ala khere
Not well Moon kanti Murrede
What do you want Ala feeta matume Ash-bright
Sit down Siduma Jils
Get up Ounilee Node
Sour Akkumula Hamd
Sweet Timiata Helluh
True Aituliala Hack
False Funiala Kadube
Good Abatee Miliah
Bad Minbatee Kubiah
A witch Bua Sahar
A lion Jatta Sebaâ
An elephant Samma El fele
A hyæna Salua Dubbah
A wild boar Siwa El kunjer
A water horse Mali Aoud d’Elma
A horse Suhuwa Aoud
A camel Kumaniun Jimmel
A dog Wallee Killeb
Hel el Killeb or the Hel Wallee Hel El Killeb
dog-faced race
A gazel Tankeen Gazel (g guttural)
A cat Niankune El mish
A goat Baâ El mâize
A sheep Kurenale Kibsh
A bull Nisakia Toôr
A serpent Saâ Hensh
A camelion Mineer Tatta
An ape Ku’nee Dzatute
A fowl or chicken Susee Djez
A duck Beruee El Weese
A fish Hihu El hout
Butter Tulu Zibda
Milk Nunn El hellib
Bread Mengu El khubs (k guttural)
Corn Nieu Zra
Wine Tangee Kummer (k guttural)
Honey Alee Asel
Sugar Tobabualee Sukar
Salt Kuee Mil’h
Ambergris Anber Anber
Brass Tass Tass
Silver Kudee Nukra
Gold-dust Teber Tiber
Pewter Tass ki Kusdeer
A bow Kula El kos
An arrow Binia Zerag
A knife Muru Jenui
A spoon Kulia Mogerfa
A bed El arun El ferrashe
A lamp El kundeel El kundeel
A house Su Ed dar
A room Bune El beet
A light-hole or Jinnee Reehâha
window
A door Daa Beb
A town Kinda Midina
Smoke Sezee Tkan (k guttural)
Heat Kandia Skanna (k guttural)
Cold Nini Berd
Sea Bedu baba Bahar
River Bedu Wed
A rock Berri Jerf
Sand Kinnikanni Rummel
The earth Binku Dunia
Mountain Kuanku Jibbel
Island Juchüi Dzeera
Rain Sanjukalaeen Shta
God Allah Allah
Father Fa Ba
Mother Ba Ma
Hell Jahennum Jehennume
A man Kia Rajil
A woman Musa Murrah
A sister Bum musa Kat (k guttural)
A brother Bum kia Ka
The devil Buhau Iblis
A white man Tebabu Rajil biad
A singer Jalikea Runai (r guttural)
A singing woman Jalimusa Runaiah (r guttural)
A slave June Abeed
A servant Bettela Mutalem
Having now given some account of the languages of Africa, we shall
proceed to animadvert on the similitude of language and customs
between the Shelluhs of Atlas and the original inhabitants of the
Canary Islands. The words between inverted commas are quotations
from Glasse’s History of the Discovery and Conquest of the Canary
Islands.
“The inhabitants of Lancerotta and Fuertaventura are social and
cheerful;” like the Shelluhs of Atlas; “they are fond of singing
and dancing; their music is vocal, accompanied with a clapping of
hands, and beating with their feet:” the Shelluhs resemble them
in all these respects; “Their houses are built of stone, without
cement; the entrance is narrow, so that but one person can enter at
a time.”
The houses of the Shelluhs are sometimes built without cement,
but always with stone; the doors and entrances are low and small,
so that one person only can enter.
“In their temples they offered to their God milk and butter.”
Among the Shelluhs milk and butter are given as presents to princes
and great men: the milk being an emblem of good will and candour.
“When they were sick (which seldom happened) they cured themselves
with the herbs which grew in the country; and when they had acute
pains, they scarified the part affected with sharp stones, and burned
it with fire, and then anointed it with goat’s butter. Earthen
vessels of this goat’s butter were found interred in the ground,
having been put there by the women who were the makers, and took
that method of preparing it for medicine.”
The custom of the Shelluhs on similar occasions is exactly similar;
the butter which they use is old, and is buried under ground many
years in (bukul) earthen pots, and is called budra: it is a general
medicine, and is said to possess a remarkably penetrating quality.
“They grind their barley in a hand-mill, made of two stones,
being similar to those used in some remote parts of Europe.”
In Suse, among the Shelluhs, they grind their corn in the same way,
and barley is the principle food.
“Their breeches are short, leaving the knees bare;” so are those
worn by the Shelluhs.
“Their common food was barley meal roasted and mixed with goats
milk and butter, and this dish they called Asamotan.”
This is the common food of the Shelluhs of Atlas, and they call it
by a similar name, Azamitta.
The opinion of the author of the History and Conquest of the Canary
Islands, is, that the inhabitants came originally from Mauritania,
and this he founds on the resemblance of names of places in Africa
and in the islands: for, says he, “Telde,[177] which is the name of
the oldest habitation in Canaria, Orotaba, and Tegesta, are all names
which we find given to places in Mauritania and in Mount Atlas. It
is to be supposed that Canaria, Fuertaventura, and Lancerotta,
were peopled by the Alarbes,[178] who are the nation most esteemed
in Barbary; for the natives of those islands named milk Aho, and
barley Temecin, which are the names that are given to those things
in the language of the Alarbes of Barbary.” He adds, that
“Among the books of a library that was in the cathedral of St. Anna
in Canaria, there was found one so disfigured, that it wanted both the
beginning and the end: it treated of the Romans, and gave an account,
that when Africa was a Roman province, the natives of Mauritania
rebelled and killed their presidents and governors, upon which
the senate, resolving to punish and make a severe example of the
rebels, sent a powerful army into Mauritania, which vanquished and
reduced them again to obedience. Soon after the ringleaders of the
rebellion were put to death, and the tongues of the common people,
together with those of their wives and children, were cut out, and
then they were all put aboard vessels with some grain and cattle,
and transported to the Canary islands.”[179]
The following vocabulary will shew the similarity of language between
the natives of Canaria and the Shelluhs (inhabitants of the Atlas
mountains south of Marocco).
LANCEROTTA SHELLUH
AND OR
FUERTAVENTURA LYBIAN ENGLISH.
DIALECT. TONGUE.
Temasin Tumzeen Barley
Tezzezes Tezezreat Sticks
Taginaste Taginast A palm-tree
Tahuyan Tahuyat A blanket, covering or petticoat
Ahemon Amen Water
Faycag Faquair Priest or lawyer
Acoran M’koorn God
Almogaren Talmogaren Temples
Tamoyanteen Tigameen Houses
Tawacen Tamouren Hogs
Archormase Akermuse Green figs
Azamotan Azamittan Barley meal fried in oil
Tigot Tigot Heaven
Tigotan Tigotan The Heavens
Thener Athraar A mountain
Adeyhaman Douwaman A hollow valley
Ahico Tahayk A hayk or coarse garment
Kabehiera Kabeera A head man or a powerful
Ahoren — Barley meal roasted
Ara — A goat
Ana — A sheep
Tagarer — A place of justice
Benehoare, the name of the natives of Palma.
Beni Hoarie, a tribe of Arabs in Suse between Agadeer and
Terodant.[180]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 167: This Kohtan is the Yoctan, son of Eber, brother to
Phaleg, mentioned in Genesis. Chapter 10, verse 25.]
[Footnote 168: The African Jews find it very difficult in speaking,
to distinguish between _shim_ and _sim_, for they cannot pronounce
the _sh_, (ش) but sound it like _s_ (س); the very few who have
studied the art of reading the language, have, however, conquered
this difficulty.]
[Footnote 169: Mr. Hugh Cahill.]
[Footnote 170: When they write to any other but Mohammedans, they
never salute them with the words “Peace be with thee,” but
substitute—“Peace be to those who follow the path of the true
God,” Salem ala min itaba el Uda.]
[Footnote 171: “One of the objects I had in view in coming to Europe
was to instruct young Englishmen in the Persian language. I however
met with so little encouragement from persons in authority, that I
entirely relinquished the plan. I instructed however (as I could not
refuse the recommendations that were brought to me) an amiable young
man, Mr. S——n, and thanks be to God, my efforts were crowned with
success! and that he, having escaped the instructions of _self-taught_
masters, has acquired such a knowledge of the principles of that
language, and so correct an idea of its idiom and pronunciation,
that I have no doubt after a few years residence in India he will
attain to such a degree of excellence, as has not yet been acquired
by any other Englishman.” Vide Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan,
vol. i. p. 200.]
[Footnote 172: Killem Abimalick signifies the Language of Abimalick.]
[Footnote 173: In reading Mr. William Marsden’s observations on
the language of Siwah, at the end of Horneman’s Journal, in page
190, I perceive that the short vocabulary inserted corresponds with
a vocabulary of the Shelluh language, which I presented to that
gentleman some years past.]
[Footnote 174: Plural Iddrarn.]
[Footnote 175: Or, Is derk ayeese?]
[Footnote 176: This is applied to bread when baked in a pan, or over
the embers of charcoal, or other fire; but when baked in an oven it
is called Agarom (g guttural.)]
[Footnote 177: Telde or Tildie is a place in the Atlas mountains,
three miles east of Agadeer; the castle is in ruins.]
[Footnote 178: The Alarbes, this is the name that the inhabitants
of Lower Suse and Sahara have, _El Arab_ or Arabs.]
[Footnote 179: One Thomas Nicols, who lived seven years in the Canary
Islands, and wrote a history of them, says that the best account he
could get of the origin of the natives, was that they were exiles
from Africa, banished thence by the Romans, who cut out their tongues
for blaspheming their gods.]
[Footnote 180: For further particulars see Glasse’s History of
the Canary Islands, 4to. page 174.]