A lexicostatistical survey of northern Berber languages

Abstract The Berber languages of North Africa comprise a collection of speech varieties where differences can be found as one moves across a Berber-speaking region, or from oasis to oasis. The varieties have a complex history, with multiple layers of contact, both with non-Berber languages and between Berber languages. These two factors make it difficult to categorise the relationships between Berber varieties, or to use the comparative method to provide a neat history of genetic developments. This paper uses lexicostatistical methods on a large dataset to provide a fine-grained picture of the synchronic relationships between Berber varieties, and thus to contribute to a broader understanding of the history and development of Berber.