Editing Awjila language (section)

==General information==

Awjila is a member of the [[Berber languages|Berber]] branch of the [[Afroasiatic language family]], of the Eastern Berber subgroup. It is closely related to the extinct [[Sokna language|Sokna]] language of Libya and is considerably endangered, with an estimated 2,000–3,000 native speakers remaining.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Brenzinger |first=Matthias |title=Language Endangerment in Northern Africa |encyclopedia=Language Diversity Endangered |doi=10.1515/9783110905694-008 |year=2008 |page=123 |isbn= 9783110170504}}</ref> [[UNESCO]] considers Awjila to be seriously endangered as the youngest speakers have reached or passed middle age.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The Berber languages of Libya faced severe oppression during the period of [[Muammar Gaddafi]], which has likely been the cause of the demise of some varieties such as [[Sokna language|Sokna]] and the endangerment of others, including Awjila and Ghadames. The usage of Berber/[[Amazigh language|Amazigh]] languages was effectively prohibited, and Gaddafi completely denied the existence of the [[Imazighen]] people, reportedly saying, "call yourselves whatever you want inside your homes – Berbers, children of Satan, whatever – but you are only Libyans when you leave your homes".<ref name = "gaddafi">{{cite news |url=http://muftah.org/denied-existence-libyan-berbers-under-gaddafi-and-hope-for-the-current-revolution/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325093654/http://muftah.org/denied-existence-libyan-berbers-under-gaddafi-and-hope-for-the-current-revolution/#.VvUGu-vP32c |archive-date=2016-03-25 |last=Solieman |first=Ishrah |title=Denied Existence: Libyan-Berbers under Gaddafi and Hope for the Current Revolution |publisher=Muftah |date=2011-03-24}}</ref> He denied the existence of Berbers as a separate ethnicity, and called Berbers a "product of [[colonialism]]" created by the West to divide Libya.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201103200010.html |title=Libya: Gaddafi Rails Against 'No Fly' Attacks and Berbers |date=2011-03-20 |publisher=allAfrica.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libyan-rebels-seize-western-border-crossing-as-fighting-in-mountains-intensifies/2011/04/21/AFaoxhIE_story.html |title=Libyan rebels seize western border crossing, as fighting in mountains intensifies |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2011-04-21 |last=Denyer |first=Simon |location=Tripoli}}</ref> He repeatedly targeted Amazigh rights activists (including linguists from abroad), to which can be attributed the lack of current and updated information on the Libyan Berber languages and the relatively limited content available, even in [[Arabic]], on the Internet (as opposed to the more extensive resources found on Moroccan and Algerian Amazigh varieties).  The language is, however, used on Facebook by some Awjili members.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://orientalberber.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/awjili-negation-and-facebook/ |title=Awjili negation and Facebook |website=Oriental Berber |date=2014-02-18 |last=Souag |first=Lameen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140603053102/http://orientalberber.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/awjili-negation-and-facebook/ |archive-date=2014-06-03}}</ref>