Tifinagh (ⵜⵉⴼⵉⵏⴰⵖ) is the traditional writing system associated with the Amazigh languages. It has been used continuously by Tuareg communities for over two thousand years, and modern standardised forms are now used for education, signage and publishing — most notably Tifinagh-IRCAM, the official standard in Morocco.

History

Tifinagh is one of the oldest writing systems in Africa. Its origins are debated:

• Some scholars trace it to the ancient Libyco-Berber script used across North Africa in antiquity, with inscriptions dated to at least the 3rd century BCE
• Others argue that the Tuareg Tifinagh tradition is older and independent, preserved orally and passed down between generations
• The name itself, tifinagh, has been connected to the Punic word for "Phoenician", though this etymology is not settled

What is certain: the script has lived in the Sahara for millennia, and continues to be written by hand, carved, tattooed and printed today.

Modern standardisation

Two main forms exist today:

Tuareg Tifinagh

Traditional form used across Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Libya. Each Tuareg group uses slightly different character variants, and the script is often written without vowels.

Neo-Tifinagh (IRCAM)

Standardised by the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) in Morocco in the early 2000s. Used in Moroccan schools, government signage, publishing, and Unicode. It has 33 letters and represents vowels explicitly.

The two forms are related but not identical.

The alphabet

The Neo-Tifinagh alphabet, with Latin transliteration:

This is the character set used in Morocco's official curriculum and in most modern printed Amazigh.

The letter ⵣ (yaz)

The character ⵣ (yaz) is the most recognisable symbol of modern Amazigh identity. It appears:

• On the Amazigh flag at the centre, in red on a blue-green-yellow background
• In logos, jewellery, tattoos and public art across North Africa and the diaspora
• As a marker of linguistic and cultural pride

It represents the sound /z/ in Kabyle and most other varieties.

Writing systems in Amazigh languages

Amazigh languages have been written with three main scripts at different times and in different places:

No single script is "the" Amazigh script. Each has its own history, uses and communities.

Unicode

Tifinagh is fully supported in Unicode, in the range U+2D30–U+2D7F (Tifinagh block). This means Tifinagh text can be typed, copied and displayed like any other writing system — on computers, phones, and this website.

You can copy the letter ⵣ directly from this page and paste it anywhere.