Tifinagh block notes

a phonemically, eg. ⴳⴰⵏⴳⴰ ɡanɡa drum

Allophones

The phonetic realisation of this letter also includes the following sounds:

æ ɐ ɑ

b eg. ⴱⵓⵢⵉⵙⴽ bujisk rhinoceros

Arabic: i

β Adapted version of ⴱ [U+2D31 TIFINAGH LETTER YAB] representing a fricative sound in the IRCAM extended set for sounds that appear in literary works or regional and foreign sounds.

ɡ eg. ⵉⴳⵉⴷⵓ iɡidu sand

Combinations

ɡʷ is   ⴳⵯ   [U+2D33 TIFINAGH LETTER YAG + U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]. IRCAM views this digraph as a letter of the alphabet, representing a labio-velar sound, but in Unicode it is represented by following this character with a modifier, eg. ⵎⴰⴳⵯⵔⵜⵏ maɡʷrtn middle finger

Arabic: i

ʝ Rotated version of ⴳ [U+2D33 TIFINAGH LETTER YAG] representing a fricative sound in the IRCAM extended set for sounds that appear in literary works or regional and foreign sounds.

Arabic: u

d͡ʒ in touareg/kabyle.

Arabic: u

d͡ʒ in touareg/kabyle.

d

ⵜⴰⴷⴰⵍⴰ tadala classroom

Combinations

As part of their extended repertoire, IRCAM recognises 4 digraphs that can sometimes appear as ligatures, of which 2 are relevant here.

dz can be written ⴷⵣ [U+2D37 TIFINAGH LETTER YAD + U+2D63 TIFINAGH LETTER YAZ].

dʒ can be written ⴷⵊ [U+2D37 TIFINAGH LETTER YAD + U+2D4A TIFINAGH LETTER YAZH].

Arabic: i

ð Rotated version of ⴷ [U+2D37 TIFINAGH LETTER YAD] representing a fricative sound in the IRCAM extended set for sounds that appear in literary works or regional and foreign sounds, eg. ⵉⴱⵉⴱⴸ ibibð hoopoe

dˁ eg. ⵚⴹⵉⵚ sˁdˁisˁ six

Arabic: i

ðˁ Rotated version of ⴹ [U+2D39 TIFINAGH LETTER YADD] representing a fricative sound in the IRCAM extended set for sounds that appear in literary works or regional and foreign sounds.

ə eg. ⵜⵎⴻⵏⵢⴰ tmənja eight ⵜⵉⵏⴳⴻⵍⵉⵣⵜ tinɡəlizt English language

f eg. ⵜⴰⴷⴼⴼⵓⵢⵜ tadffujt apple

k eg. ⴽⴰⵡⴽⴰⵡ kawkaw peanut

Combinations

kʷ is   ⴽⵯ [U+2D3D TIFINAGH LETTER YAK + U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]. IRCAM views this digraph as a letter of the alphabet, representing a labio-velar sound, but in Unicode it is represented by following this character with a modifier, eg. ⴰⴽⵯⴼⴰⵢ akʷfaj milk

Arabic: u

k in Touareg.

Arabic: i

x Rotated version of ⴽ [U+2D3D TIFINAGH LETTER YAK] representing a fricative sound in the IRCAM extended set for sounds that appear in literary works or regional and foreign sounds.

h eg. ⵜⵉⵀⵉⵔⵉⵜ tihirit car

Arabic: u

h extended consonant.

Arabic: u

h in Touareg.

ħ eg. ⵜⴰⵃⵔⵓⵢⵜ taħrujt sheet

ʕ eg. ⵜⴰⵛⵛⵓⵎⵄⵉⵜ taʃʃumʕit candle

χ eg. ⵜⴰⵅⵉⵣⵣⵓⵜ taχizzut carrot

Combinations

Some dialects use a digraph to represent a labio-velar sound. In Unicode this is represented by simply following this character with ⵯ [U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]

xʷ is ⵅⵯ [U+2D45 TIFINAGH LETTER YAKH + U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK].

Arabic: u

χ in Touareg.

q phonemically, eg. ⵜⴰⵇⴰⵕⵉⴹⵜ taqarˤidˁt CD

Allophones

The phonetic realisation of this letter also includes the following sounds:

qʷ ɢ

Arabic: u

q ~ qʷ in Touareg.

i phonemically, eg. ⵉⴳⵉⴷⵓ iɡidu sand

Allophones

The phonetic realisation of this letter also includes the following sounds:

ɪ ɨ ɪj

ʒ eg. ⵟⵟⴰⵊⵉⵏ ttˁaʒin tagine

Combinations

dʒ can be written ⴷⵊ [U+2D37 TIFINAGH LETTER YAD + U+2D4A TIFINAGH LETTER YAZH]. This is one of 4 digraphs (which can sometimes appear as ligatures) recognised by IRCAM as part of their extended repertoire.

Arabic: u

ʒ in Ahaggar.

Arabic: u

ʒ in Touareg.

l ɫ eg. ⵍⵓⵟⴰⵕ lutˁarˤ lute

m eg. ⵙⵎⵎⵓⵙ smmus five

n eg. ⵢⴰⵏ jan one

Arabic: u

ɲ in Touareg.

Arabic: u

ŋ in Touareg.

Arabic: l

p in the IRCAM extended repertoire for representing regional and foreign sounds, eg. ⵒⵖⵉⵣ priz electrical socket

u phonemically, eg. ⵓⵙⵎⴰⵏ usman lightning

Allophones

The phonetic realisation of this letter also includes the following sounds:

ʊ o ʊw

r rˤ eg. ⵔⵔⵉⴱⴰⴱ rribab ribab (musical instrument)

rˤ eg. ⵜⴰⵇⴰⵕⵉⴹⵜ taqarˤidˁt CD

ʁ ɣ eg. ⵜⴰⴱⵖⴰⵛⵜ tabʁaʃt raspberry

Combinations

Some dialects use the following digraph to represent a labio-velar sound. In Unicode this is represented by simply following this character with ⵯ [U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]

ɣʷ is ⵖⵯ [U+2D56 TIFINAGH LETTER YAGH + U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]

Arabic: u

ʁ in Touareg.

Arabic: u

ʁ in Aïr.

s eg. ⵙⵉⵏ sin two

Combinations

ts is ⵜⵙ [U+2D5C TIFINAGH LETTER YAT + U+2D59 TIFINAGH LETTER YAS]. As part of their extended repertoire, IRCAM recognises 4 digraphs that can sometimes appear as ligatures.

ⵜⵙⵄⵓⴷ tsʕud nine

sˁ eg. ⵚⴹⵉⵚ sˁdˁisˁ six

ʃ eg. ⵓⵛⵛⵏ uʃʃn wolf

Combinations

tʃ is ⵜⵛ [U+2D5C TIFINAGH LETTER YAT + U+2D5B TIFINAGH LETTER YASH]. As part of their extended repertoire, IRCAM recognises 4 digraphs that can sometimes appear as ligatures.

t eg. ⵜⴰⴼⵓⴽⵜ tafukt sun

Combinations

As part of their extended repertoire, IRCAM recognises 4 digraphs that can sometimes appear as ligatures.

ts is ⵜⵙ [U+2D5C TIFINAGH LETTER YAT + U+2D59 TIFINAGH LETTER YAS]

tʃ is ⵜⵛ [U+2D5C TIFINAGH LETTER YAT + U+2D5B TIFINAGH LETTER YASH]

Arabic: i

θ extended consonant. Rotated version of ⵜ [U+2D5C TIFINAGH LETTER YAT] representing a fricative sound in the IRCAM extended set for sounds that appear in literary works or regional and foreign sounds.

Arabic: u

t͡ʃ in Touareg/Kabyle.

tˁ eg. ⵟⵟⴰⵊⵉⵏ ttˁaʒin tagine

Arabic: i

v in the IRCAM extended repertoire for representing regional and foreign sounds, eg. ⴰⵠⵓⵔⵖⵙ avurʁs grasshopper

w eg. ⵡⴰⵡⵊⴹⵎ wawʒdˁm dandelion ⴽⴰⵡⴽⴰⵡ kawkaw peanut

j eg. ⵢⴰⵏ jan one ⵜⴰⵃⵔⵓⵢⵜ taħrujt sheet

z eg. ⵜⴰⵅⵉⵣⵣⵓⵜ taχizzut carrot

Combinations

As part of their extended repertoire, IRCAM recognises 4 digraphs that can sometimes appear as ligatures.

dz is ⴷⵣ [U+2D37 TIFINAGH LETTER YAD + U+2D63 TIFINAGH LETTER YAZ]

ⴷⴷⵣⴰⵢⵔ ddzajr Algeria

Arabic: u

z in Tawellemet.

zˁ eg. ⴰⴱⵓⴱⴱⴰⵥ abʊbbazˁ bear

Arabic: u

eː in Touareg.

Arabic: u

oː in Touareg.

Used with other consonants to indicate labiovelarisation.

IRCAM's Tifinagh alphabet uses it for 2 combinations.

ɡʷ is ⴳⵯ [U+2D33 TIFINAGH LETTER YAG + U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]

ⴰⴳⵯⵍⵉⵎ aɡʷlim skin

kʷ is ⴽⵯ [U+2D3D TIFINAGH LETTER YAK + U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]

ⴰⴽⵯⴼⴰⵢ akʷfaj milk

The extended IRCAM list includes 3 labioverlarised consonants, written as digraphs:

xʷ is ⵅⵯ [U+2D45 TIFINAGH LETTER YAKH + U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]

qʷ is ⵇⵯ [U+2D47 TIFINAGH LETTER YAQ + U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]

ɣʷ is ⵖⵯ [U+2D56 TIFINAGH LETTER YAGH + U+2D6F TIFINAGH MODIFIER LETTER LABIALIZATION MARK]

Arabic: u

Punctuation, called tazarast, used in some areas (such as Niger, Mali, Algeria 7) for phrase and sentence breaks.8 In right to left text, this character should be mirrored.

Arabic: u

Tamazight text written in Neo-Tifinagh typically displays consonants with no intervening vowels by simply putting them side by side, eg. ⵡⴰⴷⴷⴰⴷ waddad

Consonant clusters may, however, be displayed as ligated forms in Tuareg.9 This is particularly useful in text that is not fully vowelled. There are two ways to achieve this in Unicode-encoded text.

When a bi-consonant is considered obligatory,   ⵿  [U+2D7F TIFINAGH CONSONANT JOINER] is added between the two consonants. If the font supports bi-consonant shapes, the joiner is not shown, but the consonants are ligated. If the font doesn't support the joiner, it should be displayed visually, eg. ⵎ⵿‌ⵜ

Examples of ligated biconsonants include:

More information about the origin of the biconsonant glyph6→

The second approach uses ZWJ [U+200D ZERO WIDTH JOINER] rather than the Tifinagh joiner, and serves as an optional hint to the font. The fallback is simply the two consonants side by side.

The ligated shapes may vary from font to font. The ligated biconsonants shown below are rendered using two different fonts (top, Tagmukay; bottom, Noto Sans Tifinagh).