Words R Us
- Tamashek (tmh)

Tamasheq is widely spoken by nomadic tribes across North Africa in Algeria, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It is spoken by about 500,000 people mostly in Mali, especially in its central region including Timbuktu, Kidal, and Gao. It is classified as a developing language, partly due to the Malian government's active promotion of the language.

Tamasheq is one of the three main varieties of Tuareg, the others being Tamajaq and Tamahaq. There are approximately 500,000 native speakers of Tamasheq, 378,000 of whom are Malian.

The Tahoua Tuareg of Mali belong to a larger group of Berber-speaking Tuareg who live in an area that stretches from the western Sahara to western Sudan. The Tuareg are divided into several main political groups or tribal units. Their distinguishing characteristics include the unity of their language, their alphabet which uses "tifinagh" characters, and their complex social organization.

Though the Tuareg are virtually all Sunni Muslim, they have a reputation among other Muslims for being lukewarm in their faith. They practice a passive form of Islam, infused with folk beliefs and magic. Most do not even celebrate the most important Muslim fast of Ramadan.

The origin and early history of the Tuareg are obscure. These tribal nomads appear to have traveled down from North Africa in a series of migrations as early as the seventh century. By the end of the 1300s, Tuareg tribes had established themselves as far south as the Nigerian border.

Today, the Tuareg depend on their animals for survival; however, meat and milk are not enough, especially during the dry years. The basic elements of the Tuareg diet are milk, grains, and dates. Fresh vegetables are rarely eaten. Millet is raised both in the Saharan oases and in Sudan. Though meat is highly preferred, it is not eaten on a regular basis. Goat is the most commonly eaten meat; camel is rarely eaten.

The Tuareg nomads live in small, lightweight, leather tents or grass huts. A tent is usually about 10 feet long and 10 to 15 feet wide. A household can pack its goods on the backs of two camels, while one or two donkeys carry their odds and ends.

The Tuareg wear clothing that is loose and lightweight. In direct contrast to Arab custom, all of the men wear veils called tidjelmousts; the women do not wear veils. The most preferred tidjelmousts are dyed indigo, though many men wear black. To show respect, the men always cover their mouths, noses, and foreheads while in the presence of foreigners or their in-laws.

There are few known Tahoua Tuareg Christians. The New Testament has been translated, but there is little else written in the language.

We now have Language Learning Lessons with audio available in Tamashek. The New Testament in audio is also available.

Sources:
The Joshua Project
Wikipedia
https://omniglot.com/writing/tamasheq.htm