Moroccan

Classification
Moroccan (La Llengua d'Marroc, or simply Marroc/Marroque) is an Ibero-Romance language, directly descended from Old Spanish (with significant influence from Old Catalan) spoken by about 9 million people (or 26% of the population), mostly descended from Conquistadores who settled primarily in the northern and western coasts of the country. The indigenous Berber languages have left a sizeable impact on the language, and many Berber tribes adopted the tongue for themselves, to the point that a majority of Marroque speakers are ethnically Berber today.

The language is co-official with standardied Amazigh and Maghrib Arabic.

There is also a significant French influence, due to the French colonial presence, and the association with French words as modern, sophisticated, and Western. In modern times the influence of English is growing.

Phonology
Consonants Vowels Diphthongs Orthography

Like all Romance languages, Moroccan (Marroc) uses /c/ where most languages prefer /k/. Before a front vowel, /c/ represents the [θ] phoneme. /z/ is used to represent this phoneme before a back vowel, to represent the phoneme [k] before a front vowel /qu/ is used. In a similar fashion, /g/ before a front vowel represents the [x/χ ] phoneme, whereas /j/ represents this phoneme before a front vowel, and to represent [g] before a front vowel, /gu/ is used (note that gue is pronounced [gø ]).

The digraph /ch/ represents [ʃ], except in the trigraph /cht/, which is pronounced [xt] or [χt] (this only appears in Berber loanwords).

The letter /d/ usually represents the phoneme [d], except in intervocalic positions, where it almost always represents [ð]; /d/ also frequently represents this phoneme when immediately preceding or following a voiced liquid. For example, 'ordenador' (computer) may be pronounced /ordenaðor/ or /orðenaðor/.

The letter /h/ is always silent, and rarely used (except in a few common verbs).

The digraph /eu/ is pronounced [ø], and can also be spelled /ue/ (almost always in the combinations /que/ and /gue/, though /pue/ is common too). The diphthong / üe/ is pronounced [wø], and the diphtong [ øi]/[ øy] (allophony exists between them) can be spelled /eui/, /euy/, /uei/, or /uey/.

Amazigh Loanwords

l'Amasichta= Berber

l'avarruso= monkey

le cinere= desert

la zada= palm (tree)

le zaine= date

l'aquidòn= tent

la zarralma= caravan

l'aljono= camel

l'iguide= dune

l'assedraro= mounain dweller

le lisèn= lion

la tafsa= trail

l'achevòn= rag/cloth

l'amda= oasis

l'aquella= pot/pottery

le quedràn= tar

la zàchol= pot

sfurrar= to cook (by steaming)

guemer= to hunt

nenguero= hunter

l'ilne= sorghum

le cimse= barley