A. METTOUCHI : recherches de terrain

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Fieldwork

Berber languages are scattered in North Africa, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Nile

(West-East), and the Mediterranean and Nigeria and Burkina-Faso (North-South). They

belong to the Afroasiatic phylum.

I am currently doing fieldwork on two Berber languages spoken in Algeria, one well-known

but insufficiently analyzed (Kabyle, code KAB in the map below), the other endangered and

undescribed (Tarighit, code TJO).

IN KABYLIE

dwork | Amina METTOUCHI http://aminamettouchi.linguanet.org/?page_id=18

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My fieldwork has been conducted, for about twenty years, in the Algerian region of Kabylie

(KAB on the map above). Most of my recordings have been made in the town of Azazga and

the village of At Ikhlef.

Fieldwork is essential to my experience as a linguist, and in no way incompatible with a high

degree of abstraction in the final analysis of the language. I have never considered

description and theory to be antagonistic, on the contrary. The challenge (and the pleasure)

lies in continually weaving the links between empirical data and theoretical modelling.

More precisely, here is why fieldwork is so important to me: it makes me aware of all the

shortcuts I am making when I generalize and come up with theoretical constructs that are

often far removed from language use. It makes me sensitive to context, gender, the process

of speech production, etc. It is a way to stay in touch with evolutions in the language linked to

evolutions in society.

By working on data that I collected myself, I can take into account various factors when I

analyse utterances, pragmatically, prosodically or semantically. I am fully aware of what it is

to be a speaker of a language with a very recent written tradition, a situation that has

non-negligible effects on acceptability judgments, for instance.

Fieldwork also makes me aware of the problem of variation: from one village to the other, on

a lexical and grammatical level, formulations vary. And recording ones own data, and

discussing formulations with other speakers is extremely precious in that respect.

And last but not least, it is a great pleasure to visit regularly all the persons, family and

friends, who have, each in their own way, participated in my research.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all the people who have helped me, and particularly the following

persons:

In At Ikhlef:

Zouina Mettouchi, for her active participation in my recordings and her hospitality. And also,

Yamina-Zahra and Wardia Mettouchi, Tounsia Rabia, Akli and Ferroudja Mettouchi, Ahmed-


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Lahlou and Makhlouf Mettouchi, Hdjila, Malika and Ounissa Mettouchi, Messaad and Fayrouz

Mettouchi, Arezki Mettouchi, Hnia Mettouchi, Ahmed and Farid Mettouchi.

Many thanks also to Nna Hadja Wardia Mettouchi, and to my great-aunt Taos, who

participated in my earlier recordings. May they rest in peace.

In Azazga:

The Belkassi family: Belkacem Belkassi, Jeggiga Sari-Belkassi, Nouara, Zahra, Nama and

Malika Belkassi, Wardia Khelafi-Belkassi, Nassima Seghouane-Belkassi. Many thanks also to

Jeggiga Khelaf-Khelafi for her poetry, and to Hadja Taos Haddad-Khelafi.

The Zadat family: Mohand and Jocelyne Zadat, Nadia and Ramdane Kerkache, Samir and

Zahia Zadat.

Boualem Rabia, for his invaluable collection of proverbs and sayings, and his knowledge of

poetry.

Many thanks also to Mrs Sahnoun, and to Sad Sadi for accepting to be recorded many

years ago.

My thanks also to Omar Belkacem, Dahmane Bentaha, Arezki Boudif, Boumediene Hanou,

Ahcne Sari, and Chrifa Zerraf for the help provided in technical and material fields.

Of course, none of this research would have been possible without Colette and Mahmoud

Mettouchi.

A website dedicated to the inhabitants of the village of At Ixlef (At Ikhelef) is currently under

construction. It is entitled Taddart n At Ixlef and contains materials initially recorded for

research purposes, that will shortly be available in a framework and format that will

enhance their cultural import.

In the Oued Righ region (Temacine, Blidet Amor, Ghomra)


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Information about this fieldwork will soon be available here.

For the moment, let me just thank very warmly all the people who made it possible in

the region of Touggourt !


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A. METTOUCHI : recherches de terrain