View source for Chaoui people

{{Short description|Berber ethnic group in northeast Algeria}}

{{Infobox ethnic group
| group            = Chaoui people (Shawiya)
| image            = Chaoui cavalier.jpg
| image_caption    = Chaoui horserider
| population       = 2,870,000<ref>{{cite web|title=Centre de Recherche Berbère - Chaouia|url=http://www.centrederechercheberbere.fr/chaouia.html|website=www.centrederechercheberbere.fr}}</ref>
| genealogy        = 
| popplace         = [[Aurès]], [[Algeria]]
| langs            = [[Shawiya language|Shawiya]]
| rels             = [[Sunni Islam]]
| related_groups   = [[Kabyles]]
| native_name      = Išawiyen
| native_name_lang = shy
}}
The '''Chaoui people''' or '''''Shawyia''''' ({{langx|ar|الشاوية}}, {{langx|shy|Išawiyen}}) are a [[Berbers|Berber]] [[ethnic group]] native to the [[Aurès]] region in northeastern [[Algeria]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shawiya {{!}} Berber Tribe, North Africa & Algeria {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shawiya |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

They call themselves ''Išawiyen''/''Icawiyen'' (pronounced {{IPA|ber|iʃawijən|}}) and speak the [[Shawiya language]]. They are the second largest [[Tell Atlas]] [[Berber languages|Berber]]-speaking ethnicity, alongside the [[Kabyle people|Kabyles]] and [[Chenouas]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

== Etymology ==
According to [[William McGuckin de Slane|de Slane]], translator of the books of Ibn Khaldun, the term Chaoui/Shawi means "[[shepherd]]" and designates the [[Zenata|Zenata Berbers]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Khaldûn |first=ʻAbd al-Raḥman b Muḥammad Ibn |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ANcOAAAAQAAJ |title=Histoire des Berbères et des dynasties musulmanes de l'Afrique septentrionale |year=1856 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ANcOAAAAQAAJ/page/n202 495] |language=fr |translator-last=de Slane |translator-first=William McGuckin}}</ref>

== History ==
Historically, the [[Aurès Mountains]] served as a refuge for [[Berber people]]s, forming a base of resistance against the [[Roman Empire]], the [[Vandals]], the [[Byzantine Empire]] and [[Arabs]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

[[File:Medghasen.jpg|thumb|left|[[Madghacen]], the burial of [[Numidia]]s kings]]

The patriarch of Berbers is believed to have been ''Madghacen'', the common ancestor of the [[Zenata]] and of the Botri as well. [[Ibn Khaldun]] identified the Zenata as Berbers. Modern historians rank this Berber region within the group of [[Numidians]] and [[Gaetuli]] or the much more ancient [[Meshwesh]], [[Maesulians]] and Mazaxes, from whom the Zenata formed, the main inhabitants of the Aurès in the [[Middle Ages]]. Chaoui clans known by Ibn Khaldoun were the Ifren, Maghrawa, Djerawa, Abdalwadides, Howara and Awarba.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

After the independence of Algeria, the Chaouis remained localized mainly in the Auresian region. They are the second largest Berber-speaking group in terms of number of speakers, the first being the [[Kabyle people|Kabyle]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

== Language ==
{{main|Shawiya language}}
[[File:Aires linguistiques du nord-est algérien.svg|thumb|Map of linguistic areas in North-Eastern Algeria (in French)]]
The Chaoui traditionally speak the [[Shawiya language]] (''Berber:'' Tachawit). It belongs to the [[Berber languages|Berber]] branch of the [[Afroasiatic languages|Afro-Asiatic]] family, and is a variety of the [[Zenati languages]]. Shawiya is a closely related cluster of dialects spoken in the Aurès region (''Berber:'' Awras) of eastern Algeria and surrounding areas including [[Batna Province|Batna]], [[Khenchela]], south [[Sétif]], [[Oum El Bouaghi]], [[Souk Ahras]], [[Tébessa]], and the north part of [[Biskra]]. Recently the Shawiya language, together with the [[Kabyle language]], has begun to achieve some cultural prominence due to the Berber cultural and political movements in [[Algeria]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

== Culture and art ==
Chaoui music is a specific style of [[Berber music]]. The Shawia dance is called Rahaba;  men and women dancing at weddings. There are many 20th century singers, such as [[Aïssa Djermouni]], [[Ali Khencheli]], Massinissa, [[Ishem Boumaraf]], Djamel Sabri, [[Groupe Iwal]], Houria Aïchi, etc.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

Chaoui painters and sculptors (of whom there are many) include [[Cherif Merzouki]], [[Abdelkhader Houamel]], [[Hassane Amraoui]], [[Adel Abdessemed]], and [[Mohamed Demagh]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

The [[Fantasia (culture)|fantasia]] is a traditional exhibition of horsemanship in the [[Aurès]] performed during cultural festivals.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

The Chaoui were featured in [[Amor Hakkar]]'s 2008 film ''[[La Maison jaune]]''.

{{see also|Chaoui music}}
{{Gallery
| title        = Examples of Chaoui craftwork
| align        = center
| footer       =
| style        =
| state        =
| height       =
| width        =
| captionstyle =
| File:bendir.jpg
 | alt1=Bendir with snares
 | Bendir with snares.
| File:Bijou chaouis.jpg
 | alt2=Chaoui jewelry, Museum of Man, Paris, during an exhibition Germaine Tillion.
 | Chaoui jewelry, Museum of Man, Paris, during an exhibition [[Germaine Tillion]].
| File:Le pain des chaouis.jpg
 | alt3=Chaoui bread.
 | Chaoui bread.
| File:Traditional clouths berbère chaoui.jpg
 | alt4= A girl wearing traditional berbère chaoui
 | A woman wearing traditional chaoui dress. 
| File:لباس تقليدي شاوي ، clouths traditional algerien chaoui.jpg
 | alt5= A girl wearing traditional algerien chaoui
 | An Algerian girl wearing traditional chaoui dress.
}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin|2}}
* Basset A., ''Atlas linguistique des parlers berbères'', Alger, 1936 and 1939 (+ cartes).
* Basset A., "Présentation de cartes linguistiques berbères", ''Comptes Rendus du Groupe Linguistique d’Études Chamito-Sémitiques'', 1–2, 1934/1937, p.&nbsp;42/p.&nbsp;81-82.
* Basset, A., "Sur la toponymie berbère et spécialement sur la toponymie chaouïa Aït Frah", ''Onomastica'', 1948, p.&nbsp;123-126.
* Basset A., ''Textes berbères de l'Aurès (parler des Aït Frah), Paris, Publ. de l'Institut d'Etudes Orientales'', 1961.
* Basset R., ''Loqmân berbère'' ... , Paris, 1890 (15 textes de l’Aurès).
* Basset R., "Notice sur le chaouïa de la province de Constantine (Sedrata)", ''Journal asiatique'', 1896, 36p.
* Boughida B.K., ''Bibliographie sur l’Aurès de 1830 à 1880'', 103p., 2cartes, 760 réf. Bibl.:Mémoirede Licence Institut de bibliothéconomie Univ. De Constantine.
* Boulhaïs, N., "Recherches sur l'Aurès, bibliographie ordonnée", ''Etudes et Documents Berbères 15-16 (1998)'', pp.&nbsp;284–312.
* Chaker S., "Chaoui/Chaouia (linguistique/littérature)", ''Encyclopédie berbère'', XII, Aix-en-Provence, Edisud, 1993, p.&nbsp;1875-1877.
* Chaker S., "Aurès (linguistique)", ''Encyclopédie berbère'', VIII, Aix-en-Provence, Edisud, 1989–90, p.&nbsp;1162-1169.
* Dejeux J., "La Kahina: de l’Histoire à la fiction littéraire. Mythe et épopée", ''Studi Magrebini'', 15, 1983, p.&nbsp;1-42.
* Dejeux J., "Le bandit d’honneur en Algérie, de la réalité et l’oralité à la fiction", ''Études et Documents Berbères'', 4, 1988, p.&nbsp;39-60 (deux poèmes sur Ben Zelmat, p.&nbsp;56-7).
* Dejeux J., ''Les femmes d’Algérie; légendes, tradition, histoire, littérature'', Paris, la Boîte à documents, 1987, 347 p.
* Djarallah A., "Un conte chaouï: Hend utteγyult", ''Awal, Cahiers d’études berbères'', 1, 1985, p.&nbsp;163-175.
* Djarallah A., "Baγyay, un conte chaouï", ''Awal, Cahiers d’études berbères'', 3, 1987, p.&nbsp;198-201.
* Djarallah A., "Un conte dans le parler des Aït Abdi (Aurès méridional)", ''Études et Documents Berbères'', 4, 1988, p.&nbsp;139-142.
* Djeghloul A., ''Éléments d’histoire culturelle algérienne'', Alger : ENAL, 1984, 244 p.
* Faublée J. "A propos de Thérèse Rivière (1901-1970) et de ses missions dans l’Aurès", ''Études et Documents Berbères'', 4, 1988, 94–102.
* Fery R., "Aurès (Le Haf)", ''Encyclopédie Berbère'', (43), 1988, 1p.
* Galand L., "Libyque et berbère", ''Annuaire EPHE'' (IVe section), 1977–78, p.&nbsp;199-212.
* Gaudry M., ''La femme chaouïa de l’Aurès'', Étude de sociologie berbère, Paris, P. Geuthner, 1929 (texte poétique, p.&nbsp;274-279).
* Hamouda N., "Les femmes rurales de l’Aurès et la production poétique", ''Peuples méditerranéens'', 22–23, 1983, p.&nbsp;267-269 (texte poétique).
* Huyghe R.P., ''Dictionnaire français-chaouïa'' (Qamūs rūmi-caui), Alger, Jourdan, 1906, 750 p.
* Huyghe R.P., ''Dictionnaire chaouïa-arabe-kabyle- français'', Alger, 1907, 571 p.
* Joly A., ''Le chaouiya des Ouled Sellem, suivi d’un vocabulaire'', Alger, 1912, 88 p. (Revue africaine, 1911–4, p.&nbsp;441-449 et 1912–2, p.&nbsp;219-266).
* Lafkioui M. & Merolla D., ''[https://www.academia.edu/37710581/Contes_berb%C3%A8res_Chaouis_de_lAur%C3%A8s Contes berbères chaouis de l'Aurès d'après Gustave Mercier].'' Köln, Köppe, 2002.
* Maougal M., "L’arabisation des Chaouïa", ''Nedjma'', Paris, 1, 1981, p.&nbsp;20-42.
* Maougal M., "Une étude sociolinguistique en pays chaouïa", ''Nedjma'', Paris, 6, 1984, p.&nbsp;35-50.
* Masqueray, E., ''Comparaison d’un vocabulaire des Zenaga avec les vocabulaires correspondents des dialectes Chawia et des Beni Mzab'', Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, (Archives des missions scientifiques et littéraires 3/5), 1879, p.&nbsp;473-533.
* Masqueray, E., ''Formation des cités chez les populations sédentaires de l’Algérie. Kabyles du Djurdjura'', ''Chaouia de l’Aourâs'', Beni Mezâb. (Réed.) Aix-en-Provence, Edisud, 1886–1983, 374 p. (Archives maghrébines, CRESM) (Fac-sim. Del’éd. De Paris, Leroux, 1886).
* Masqueray, E., "Le Djebel-Chechar", ''Revue africaine'', 22, 1878, p.&nbsp;26-48, 129–145, 202–214, 259–281, 1885, p.&nbsp;72-110.
* Masqueray, E., "Traditions de l’Aourâs oriental", ''Bulletin de Correspondance africaine'', 3/185, p.&nbsp;72-110.
* Masqueray, E., "Voyage dans l’Aourâs", ''Bulletin de la Société de Géographie'', juillet 1876 (texte, p.&nbsp;55-56).
* Mercier G., ''Cinq textes berbères en dialecte chaouïa'', Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 1900. (Journal asiatique).
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* Mercier G., ''Le chaouïa de l'Aurès'' (dialecte de l'Ahmar-Khaddou) (Étude grammaticale, texte en dialecte chaouïa) Paris, Publications de la Faculté des Lettres d'Alger, 1896, 326 p. (Bulletin de correspondance africaine 17).
* Mercier G., "Les noms des plantes en dialecte chaouïa de l’Aurès", ''XVIe Congrès International des Orienatlistes'', Alger, 1905, 2/4, p.&nbsp;79-92.
* Merolla D., "Il ‘Tempo di Roma’ in alcuni racconti orali dei gruppi berberofoni chaouia dell Aures (Algéria)", ''Studi e materiali di Storia delle religioni'', 54 (12-1), 1988, p.&nbsp;133-150.
* Morizot J., ''L’Aurès ou le mythe de la montagne rebelle'', Paris, l’Harmattan, 1991, 273 p.
* ''Note concernant les Aoulad-Daoud du Mont-Aurès'' (Aourâs), Alger, A. Jourdan, 1879
* Papier A., "De l’étymologie des mots employés par les Grecs, les Romains, les Arabes pour désigner le Djebel Aurès", ''Revue de l’Afrique française'', 1887.
* Penchoen Th.G., ''Etude syntaxique d'un parler ber''bère (Ait Frah de l'Aurès), Napoli, Istituto Universitario Orientale (Studi magrebini V), 1973, 217p.
* Plault, "Études berbères, La langue berbère dans la commune mixte de Barika", ''Revue africaine'', 1946, p.&nbsp;194-207, (vocabulaire, bovins).
* Riviere Th., "Coutumes agricoles de l’Aurès", ''Études et Documents berbères'', 3, 1987, p.&nbsp;124-152 (informations sur les documents recueillis par Th. R., Cinq textes de chansons, p.&nbsp;148-152).
* Servier J., Chants de femmes de l’Aurès, Thèse complémentaire pour le doctorat des Lettres, Paris, 1995 (Inédite).
* Sierakowsky A., ''Das Schaui, ein Beitrag zur berberischen Sprach- und Volkskunde'', Dresde, Kraszewski, 1871, 137 p.
* Sorand C., "La Fibule berbère: le type chaouïa", AWAL No.3, Paris, 1987 et CNRS: {{INIST|11906904}}
* Stricker B.H., "Compte rendu de: A. Basset, ''Textes berbères de l’Aurès, 1961''{{-"}}, Kroniek van Afrika, Leyde, 1967, p.&nbsp;122-125.
* Stuhlmann F., ''Die Kulturgeschichtlicher Ausflug in den Aures'', Atlas von Süd-Algerien, Hamburg, Friederichsen, 1912, XII/205 p., ill.
* Stumme H., ''Arabische und berberische Dialekte'', Berlin, 1928, p.&nbsp;14-19.
* ''Tafsut'' (série normale, Tizi-Ouzou), 4, 1982, p.&nbsp;24-28: Dihya, neγ tigγri n Wawras (Dihya, ou l’appel des Aurès), (texte berbère sur une chanteuse aurésienne).
* Vycichl W., "Un probléme de cartographie historique: Claude Ptolémée et la cartographie de la Tunisie actuelle", ''Polyphème'' (Genève), 1, 1969, 31–33. (dénominations des points cardinaux).
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* {{YouTube|id=fDFm0sBHX6k|title=Chawi people in 1952}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060525202711/http://c.1asphost.com/imazighen/chawis/algeria.htm Pictures of Chaouis]
* [http://injilchaoui.com Videos in Chaoui]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050406093644/http://www.chawinet.com/ chawinet.com] (in French)
* http://www.truveo.com/khouya-ya-chaoui/id/2928217872 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927065120/http://www.truveo.com/khouya-ya-chaoui/id/2928217872 |date=2020-09-27 }}
* [https://archive.org/details/amonghillfolkofa00hiltuoft ''Among the hill-folk of Algeria: journeys among the Shawía of the Aurès Mountains (1921)''] by [[Melville William Hilton-Simpson]]

{{Ethnic groups in Algeria}}
{{Berber}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Chaoui people| ]]
[[Category:Berber peoples and tribes]]
[[Category:Berbers in Algeria]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Algeria]]
[[Category:Indigenous peoples of North Africa]]