Nafusi language

 ( Eastern Berber Languages ) 

Nafusi (also spelt Nefusi; or Tanfust) is a Berber language spoken in the Nafusa Mountains (Adrar 'n Infusen), a large area in northwestern Libya. Its primary speakers are the Ibadism communities around Jadu, Nalut (Lalut) and Yafran.

The dialect of Yefren in the east differs somewhat from that of Nalut and Jadu in the west. Old Nafusi phrases appear in Ibadite manuscripts as early as the 12th century.

The dialect of Jadu is described in some detail in Beguinot (1931). Motylinski (1898) describes the dialect of Jadu and Nalut as spoken by a student from Yefren.

Nafusi shares several innovations with the Zenati languages, but unlike these Berber varieties, it maintains prefix vowels before open syllables. For example, ufəs "hand" < * afus, rather than Zenati fus. It appears especially closely related to Sokna language and Siwi language to its east.

• Vowels may also be shortened /ĭ, ɛ̆, ă, ɔ̆, ŭ/ or lengthened as /iː, ɛː, aː, ɔː, uː/.

• /a/ can also be heard as æ, and /u/ as ʊ in different environments.

• (2025). 9788820391836, Ulrico Hoepli Editore. ISBN 9788820391836
• Maarten Kossmann (1999). 9783896450357, Köppe. ISBN 9783896450357

• Nafusi Swadesh List