Female Tlemcen vernacular maintenance in the wave of dialect change : when prestige defeats social stigma

Abstract EN

This paper attempts to investigate dialect preservation and maintenance exercised by females from distinct age cohorts in the sedentary context of Tlemcen speech community.

Following a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data collected from a survey interview, the results confirm the research hypothesis that despite the extensive spread of dialect contact, accommodation and change, female speakers play a significant role in the maintenance of this indigenous urban variety of Arabic spoken in Tlemcen which, according to the participants' attitudes, is considered as a symbol of identity affiliation, social prestige and high-status belonging.