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Languages Of Morocco - The Language Pedia Podcast
May 15, 2025
Languages Of Morocco - The Language Pedia Podcast Hello language enthusiasts! It's Oualid here with another exciting video. Today, we're going to explore the diverse languages spoken in Morocco, showcasing the country's rich linguistic tapestry. It delves into the origins and prevalence of Moroccan Arabic, Amazigh dialects, French, and Spanish, highlighting the influence of colonial history on the country's language landscape. Additionally, the episode examines the growing significance of English and its impact on education and business, concluding that Morocco's multilingualism reflects its dynamic cultural evolution. You can read the full article here: https://lingualid.com/languages-of-morocco/ 🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and hit the bell icon so you won't miss out on any new videos. 📚 For more in-depth discussions and articles, check out my blog, Lingualid: https://lingualid.com **Social Links:** - 📘 Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/lingualid - 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/lingualid - 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/lingualid - Podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/oualid-cheddadi **Affiliate Links:** - 📚 Language Learning Resources: https://lingualid.com/language-learning-resources/ - 🎧 Recommended Language Learning Apps: https://lingualid.com/reviews/
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0:02
all right are you ready to have your
0:03
mind blown because today we are diving
0:05
deep into the languages of Morocco you
0:08
might think it's all just Moroccan
0:09
Arabic but trust me you are in for a
0:12
real surprise I remember this one time I
0:15
was trying to haggle over this rug in
0:18
Mar and like I thought my you know
0:20
really bad deia was really Charming this
0:22
vendor turns out he just like switched
0:24
to fluent Spanish on me completely out
0:26
of nowhere I was floored Morocco is just
0:29
like that it's like a linguistic
0:31
playground you never know what you're
0:32
going to hear next it really is
0:33
fascinating isn't it Morocco is like
0:35
this Crossroads you know geographically
0:37
culturally it's where like Africa Europe
0:39
in the Middle East all kind of like
0:42
Collide and that's reflected in its
0:44
language he's got centuries of migration
0:46
conquests influences all leaving their
0:48
mark on how people communicate so let's
0:50
unpack this linguistic tapestry shall we
0:53
we're diving into this article from
0:54
lingua.com called discover Morocco's
0:57
diverse languages and
0:58
dialects and one of the first things it
1:00
points out is what's official in Morocco
1:04
isn't always what you hear out on the
1:05
street yeah that's very true like you'll
1:07
see Modern Standard Arabic and standard
1:10
Moroccan M asai also known as kamite
1:13
listed as the official languages and
1:16
they are important don't get me wrong
1:17
they're using government education
1:18
formal settings but they're only part of
1:21
the story so it's like just because you
1:23
Ace your English exams doesn't mean
1:24
you're ready to like have a conversation
1:27
in a New York City Diner exactly think
1:29
give it this way those standardized
1:31
forms they're like the foundation of a
1:33
house essential but they don't tell you
1:35
about the people living inside the
1:36
stories they tell the music they play
1:38
that's where dialects come in in Morocco
1:40
has some real showstoppers and speaking
1:42
of showstoppers let's talk about the
1:45
language that's said to be spoken faster
1:46
than I can eat a plate of tajine deia ah
1:50
Daria now this isn't just like some
1:53
Moroccan slang as some people might
1:55
think it's a distinct dialect of Arabic
1:58
with its own grammatical quirks and a
2:00
flow that'll honestly make your head
2:02
spin the article even says it's the
2:04
fastest spoken Arabic dialect globally
2:06
which I totally believe oh absolutely
2:08
I've witnessed it firsthand it's like
2:10
trying to understand a high-speed
2:12
auction being held in a different
2:13
dimension seriously fluent Dera speakers
2:16
you have my utmost respect it's
2:17
incredible how much history is packed
2:19
into just this one language I mean you
2:21
can hear Echoes of Arabic of course but
2:23
also French Spanish even amazy languages
2:25
it's like a living breathing record of
2:28
Morocco's diverse cultural infuences
2:30
talk about a Melting Pot so we've got
2:31
this vibrant fast-paced Aria but what
2:34
about the language that was there before
2:36
all the others the one that's rooted
2:38
deep in Moroccan history I'm talking
2:40
about I miss it right you hit the nail
2:42
on the head and here's where gets really
2:43
interesting amsi isn't just one language
2:45
it's a whole family of languages each
2:48
with its own unique Story to Tell in
2:50
fact the article mentions that a
2:52
staggering 60 to 80% of Moroccans speak
2:55
some form of amazing wow that many I had
2:58
no idea so so even with Arabic French
3:01
and Spanish amazy languages are still
3:03
going strong that says a lot about their
3:05
cultural significance absolutely it
3:07
speaks volumes about the resilience and
3:09
enduring cultural identity of the
3:11
indigenous Berber people of whom the
3:14
amazy language is a Cornerstone Okay so
3:16
we've got this whole family of amazi
3:18
languages but if we were to pick a
3:20
couple of greatest hits the ones our
3:23
listeners should really know about which
3:24
ones are we spotlighting today well the
3:26
article focuses on two in particular
3:29
first up we have terrafit spoken
3:31
primarily in the just breathtaking riff
3:34
mountains of Northern
3:36
Morocco imagine this rugged Landscapes
3:39
vibrant communities and a dialect that
3:42
seems to EG with an independent Spirit
3:44
sounds almost mythical but if terrafit
3:46
is holding cord up north what about down
3:48
south uh in the South stretching across
3:50
the Majestic High Atlas the anti-atlas
3:52
mountains and even down into the cth
3:54
valley you'll encounter tulet it's
3:57
actually the most widely spoken amazi
3:58
dialect with a really cultural presence
4:01
so we've got these two heavyweights
4:02
parit and talit each ruling their own
4:05
corner of Morocco but they still fall
4:07
under that broader amazing umbrella like
4:09
they're more like Regional flavors than
4:12
entirely separate languages precisely
4:15
and that's what makes studing language
4:16
so fascinating it's not just about words
4:18
but about the stories they carry the
4:20
history they embody the the cultural
4:22
identity they represent this is all so
4:24
fascinating but let's bring it back down
4:26
to earth for a sec if I were to hop on a
4:28
plane to Morocco tomorrow
4:30
armed with like all this newfound
4:32
knowledge what should I keep in mind I'm
4:34
guessing knowing a few deria phrases
4:36
might help me navigate the sus but what
4:38
about these other languages where do
4:40
they fit into the everyday life of
4:41
Morocco that's a great question and it
4:43
brings us to kind of a pivotal point in
4:46
our linguistic Journey the impact of
4:48
Morocco's Colonial past because it's not
4:51
just the indigenous languages that have
4:52
shaped how people speak today French and
4:55
Spanish have left their Mark as well but
4:57
their roles are a bit more complicated
4:59
interwoven with issues of power and
5:01
opportunity oo now that's a story I want
5:03
to unpack but for all that juicy
5:05
linguistic Intrigue you'll have to join
5:07
us for part two of our Moroccan
5:09
Adventure don't go anywhere welcome back
5:11
language lovers we're picking right back
5:13
up with our exploration of Morocco's
5:15
linguistic scene and like I said things
5:17
are about to get even more interesting
5:19
so we're stepping into the world of
5:20
colonial influence now which is
5:22
fascinating but also kind of tricky
5:24
right yeah yeah you're right it is
5:26
complicated because now we're talking
5:28
about French and Spanish
5:30
in Morocco and it begs the
5:33
question are they just remnants of the
5:35
past or do they actually still hold
5:37
weight in Moroccan society today that's
5:40
the million Durham question for sure but
5:42
luckily our friends at lingual a.com
5:44
they gave us some clues in that article
5:46
they said that over 30% of Moroccans
5:48
speak French fluently mostly in the
5:50
cities and like among the more educated
5:52
so that's going to mean something right
5:53
yeah it definitely does it really
5:55
highlights how language and power are
5:56
just so closely connected you see during
5:58
the French protectorate French became
6:00
the language of like opportunity the key
6:03
to government jobs education all of it
6:05
so if you wanted to like climb the
6:07
ladder you had to learn French which I
6:09
mean it makes sense but it's kind of a
6:11
raw deal for like everyone else but what
6:14
about now you know now that Morocco is
6:16
independent does speaking French still
6:18
give you an edge that's a great question
6:21
and that's where I think the idea of
6:23
linguistic Capital comes in it sounds
6:25
kind of fancy but it really just means
6:28
that certain languages they carry more
6:30
like social currency you know okay like
6:33
knowing French in Morocco might mean you
6:35
get better job opportunities you have
6:37
access to certain Social Circles maybe
6:39
even a certain level of prestige ah so
6:42
it's like that whole it's not what you
6:43
know it's who you know but in Morocco
6:45
it's more like it's not just what you
6:47
know but what language you speak to who
6:49
you know exactly you got it and you're
6:51
right it can feel you know a bit unfair
6:55
it's a sensitive topic for sure I mean
6:57
there's a lot of historical baggage
6:58
there like you're much more like to
7:00
overhear French being spoken in say a
7:03
Casablanca boardroom than you are you
7:06
know in a village in the Atlas
7:08
Mountains so while not a hard and fast
7:10
rule speaking French in Morocco can
7:13
definitely open certain doors it's
7:15
another layer of complexity we can't
7:16
ignore no Okay so we've covered French
7:19
but what about Spanish the article
7:21
mentioned that it's mostly spoken up
7:22
north right right so Spain's influence
7:25
is mainly concentrated in the north
7:26
places like Tangier and tetan you know
7:29
because they're close to Spain just
7:30
across the straight of jalter goes back
7:32
to the Spanish protectorate obviously
7:33
which is shorter than the French one but
7:35
an equally impactful period for sure so
7:37
even though the Spanish were there for a
7:39
shorter time than the French their
7:40
presence is still felt today at least
7:43
like linguistically absolutely you can
7:45
erase history and in those Northern
7:48
regions speaking Spanish isn't just like
7:50
practical it's a living link to a shared
7:53
past you know what I mean you'll hear it
7:55
in everyday conversations you'll see it
7:57
in the architecture even taste it in the
7:59
food Okay so we've got this incredible
8:01
blend of languages right Arabic amazi
8:05
French Spanish all layered on top of
8:07
each other shaping the way people
8:08
communicate but get this there's a new
8:11
player in town and it's kind of shaking
8:13
things up believe it or not we're
8:14
talking about English you're absolutely
8:17
right and just when you thought we
8:18
covered all the bases English enters the
8:20
scene and this one my friend is a real
8:24
game changer I know right it's not like
8:26
England like rolled over Morocco so how
8:28
did English muscle its way into this
8:30
linguistic party this is going to be
8:32
good welcome back to the show we've made
8:35
it to the grand finale of our linguistic
8:37
journey through Morocco we've covered
8:39
ancient languages like Mazi unpacked the
8:41
complexities of colonialism with its
8:43
French and Spanish influences and even
8:45
witnessed English kind of barging its
8:47
way into the linguistic party but hold
8:50
on to your hats dear listeners because
8:51
we've got one last surprise for you
8:53
don't we we do you know we've talked
8:55
about all the big names right Arabic
8:57
amaz French Spanish even English Eng but
9:00
the really cool thing about language is
9:01
that it's always changing it's always
9:03
reflecting these changes that are
9:05
happening in a society and in Morocco
9:08
those changes well they're leading into
9:10
something really fascinating okay you
9:11
know I love a good linguistic mystery
9:13
what's got you so excited well remember
9:15
how we were talking about deia being
9:16
this incredible Fusion of Arabic French
9:19
Spanish and even some amazy words well
9:22
that Fusion it's going even further now
9:25
it's even incorporating English into
9:27
everyday vocabulary wait seriously
9:29
English words are like sneaking their
9:30
way into duia so it's like this evolving
9:33
language is evolving even more exactly
9:36
it's like duia is taking bits and pieces
9:38
from English yeah and just weaving them
9:40
seamlessly into its already vibrant
9:42
tapestry I mean just imagine like
9:44
hearing phrases peppered with English
9:46
words all delivered in that like rapid
9:48
fire deia style it's really something
9:50
else that's wild so it's not just that
9:52
like younger Generations are learning
9:54
English separately right but English is
9:56
actually becoming a part of the language
9:57
of their parents and grandparents
9:59
exactly and this is what I think is so
10:01
fascinating from like a cultural
10:03
perspective this isn't happening by
10:05
accident this Fusion it's often driven
10:07
by young people you know they're the
10:09
ones who are the most plugged into
10:10
Global pop culture social media all the
10:13
latest trends so it's like the language
10:15
itself is reflecting this kind of
10:18
generational shift young Moroccans are
10:21
literally changing the way der is spoken
10:24
that's pretty powerful it is it's a form
10:26
of linguistic Innovation you know it's
10:28
their way of expressing exing their
10:29
identity in a world that's like changing
10:32
so rapidly of course not everyone's
10:33
thrilled about it some people see it as
10:34
I don't know diluting traditional Aria
10:37
but others they embrace it they see it
10:39
as just a Natural Evolution which let's
10:41
be real is kind of unavoidable in our
10:43
globalized world but here's what I find
10:46
so interesting by incorporating English
10:49
is it possible that deria is almost like
10:51
reclaiming its own power it's like yeah
10:54
we'll take your words but we're going to
10:55
make them our own oh I love that you're
10:58
totally right and it gets right to the
10:59
heart of language and identity doesn't
11:01
it it's not just a simple case of like
11:03
borrowing equal surrendering it can be a
11:06
way of asserting agency you know shaping
11:08
your language to reflect your own unique
11:10
experiences so by adding a little
11:12
English young Moroccans are making Daria
11:15
even more their own ready for the future
11:18
but still deeply connected to their past
11:20
exactly it's subtle but it's so
11:22
significant it's a real Testament to
11:24
this Dynamic relationship between
11:26
language culture and identity and just
11:29
goes to show language is never static
11:31
it's a living breathing reflection of
11:34
the people who speak it constantly
11:36
adapting to meet their needs that is so
11:38
well said this entire Deep dive has been
11:41
honestly mind-blowing he started with a
11:43
like simple question about language in
11:45
Morocco and we ended up on this
11:46
incredible journey through history
11:49
culture generational shifts you name it
11:51
it's amazing what you can learn about a
11:53
place and its people just by like
11:55
scratching the surface of its language I
11:56
know right it's amazing and honestly
11:59
that's the beauty of exploring language
12:00
it's like a window into the soul of a
12:01
culture it helps us to understand not
12:04
just what people say but like why they
12:06
say it and what it means to them well
12:07
said so to everyone listening if you
12:10
ever find yourselves wandering through
12:11
the streets of Morocco keep your ears
12:14
open because every word every phrase you
12:16
hear is a thread in this beautiful
12:17
tapestry a tapestry of History culture
12:20
and identity and just like language
12:22
itself that tapestry is always evolving
12:24
reflecting the everchanging story of
12:25
Morocco and its people until next time
12:27
keep exploring keep asking questions and
12:30
never stop being Amazed by the power of
12:32
language