page_title: History of medieval Tunisia
section_title: Result of migrations
hierarchical_section_title: History of medieval Tunisia / Berber language history / Result of migrations
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Karte der Berbersprachen English: Map of Berber Languages Español: Mapa de las lenguas bereberes Français&#160;: Localisation des variantes berbères en Afrique du Nord Suomi: Berberikielten kartta
context_page_description: The medieval era of Tunisia starts with what will eventually return Ifriqiya to local Berber rule. The Shia Islamic Fatimid Caliphate departed to their newly conquered territories in Egypt leaving the Zirid dynasty to govern in their stead. The Zirids would eventually break all ties to the Fatimids and formally embrace Sunni Islamic doctrines.
  During this time there arose in Maghrib two strong local successive movements dedicated to Muslim purity in its practice. The Almoravids emerged in the far western area in al-Maghrib al-Aksa establishing an empire to as north as modern Spain and south to Mauretania; Almoravid rule never included Ifriqiya. Later, the Berber religious leader Ibn Tumart founded the Almohad movement, supplanted the Almoravids, and would eventually bring under the movement's control al-Maghrib and al-Andalus. Almohad rule would be succeeded by the Tunis-based Hafsids. The Hafsids were a local Berber dynasty and would retain control with varying success until the arrival of the Ottomans in the western Mediterranean.
context_section_description: Twenty or so Berber languages (also called Tamazight) are spoken in North Africa. Berber speakers were once predominant over all this large area, but as a result of Arabization and later local migrations, today Berber languages are reduced to several large regions (in Morocco, Algeria, and the central Sahara) or remain as smaller language islands. Several linguists characterize the Berber spoken as one language with many dialect variations, spread out in discrete regions, without ongoing standardization. The Berber languages may be classified as follows (with some more widely known languages or language groups shown in italics). Ethnic historical correspondence is suggested by the designation |Tribe|.
  I. Guanche [extinct] - (Canary Islands).
  II. Old Libyan [extinct] - (West of ancient Egypt).
  III. Berber Proper.
  A. Eastern: Siwa, Awjila, Sokna - (Libya & Egypt).
  B. Tuareg - (Central Sahara region). |Sanhaja|
  C. Western: Zenaga - (Mauritania & Senegal). |Sanhaja|
  D. Northern Berber languages - (Maghrib).
  1. Atlas: Shilha, Central Morocco Tamazight - (Morocco & Algeria). |Masmuda|
  2. Kabyle - (East of Algiers). |Sanhaja|
  3. Zenati - (Morocco, Algeria, & Tunisia). |Zenata|
  Nota Bene: The classification and nomenclature of Berber languages lack complete consensus.
caption: Modern Berber languages. Untinted: mostly Arabic.
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