Lexical Variation and Dialect Shift: A Gender-related Issue in Tlemcen Speech Community

Abstract

Because Tlemcen dialect is considered as being one of the most distinguished in the Algerian society, we tried throughout this research to shed light on the problem of dialect shift taking into consideration some social variables such as gender and age. In addition, since Tlemcen population has been mixed with the rural and external ones in different domains such as school, work, many of Tlemcenians have been influenced by the rural variety which has lead many of them use this latter and even promote it compared to Tlemcen dialect because it is the most widespread and the less stigmatized even in the Tlemcenian society. For this reason, and throughout this study we also tried to know about the motives behind this dialect change on the one hand. On the other one, we attempted to find out and propose some solutions to preserve this dialect via the valorization and the underscoring of the role of the feminine Tlemcenian gender in the maintenance of this latter since it is part of Tlemcen patrimony.