The Hassani dialect in southern Algeria between diversity and wealth

Abstract

The Hassani dialect is the dialect spoken in southern Algeria, it spreads - in addition to the city of Tindouf - in Sakia El Hamra and the Gold Valley in Mauritania, southern Morocco and northern Mali. It resulted from the mixing of the languages of the Arabs coming from the East with the Berber languages from Sanhaja on the one hand, and the African Negro elements on the other hand.
 The Hassani dialect is distinguished by its interesting singing in various oral expressive styles. In a desert society in which writing and its means are reduced, oral expressions have become the only means of communication that convey experiences and preserve collective memory.
 The Hassani dialect includes a rich poetic heritage, which is characterized by its various meters and circles that cover all aspects of expression. It also includes a large number of proverbs and wisdom that are distinguished by their connection to man and the earth. 
 In this study, we will deal with this diversity and what distinguishes it, through a reading in the Diwan manuscript of Hassan weld laerab in the Hassani dialect. He is one of the scholars of the city of Tindouf and its notables, who composed a huge collection in the Hassani dialect that is considered a reference to the social, cultural, and political life that prevailed in the city of Tindouf in the nineteenth century. This study comes as a new addition, as it aims to unveil the status of the Hassani dialect in southern Algeria, as it will contribute to preserving the Algerian identity. And in the formation of the Algerian personality, which is characterized by dialectical and cultural diversity.