The Impact of Extralinguistic Factors on Linguistic Variation and Change in the Berber Variety of Beni Mzab

The present study analyses linguistic variation and change in the Mzabi community. The objective is to understand how extralinguistic variables determine linguistic variation and language change. The first research instrument is a glossary translated to Mzabi dialect showing linguistic variation and change. The second is a questionnaire that elicits data about the participants' attitudes towards their ethnic variety. The study is supported with an interview designed to observe the linguistic behaviour of the participants. The sample consists of 62 Mzabi. The translation of the glossary shows that there are many instances of contact-induced language change that is mostly from Arabic. The findings also reveal that there are some differences between the participants' attitudes with regard to their age and education while gender remains of a peripheral impact. Finally, the study concludes that the young educated male participants are the leaders of linguistic change in the Mzabi community.