How to Spell "Tuareg" in the Tamashek Language

The Tuareg people—a nomadic Berber group inhabiting Niger, Mali, Algeria, and Libya—have their own distinct language called Tamashek. In their native script (Tifinagh), the word is written as:

ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵞⴰⵖ

Transliterated, this reads tamajeγ (with the γ representing a voiced uvular fricative sound).

Cultural Context

Tamashek belongs to the Berber branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. The Tuareg are often called the "Blue People" for their indigo-dyed turbans and veils, which stain their skin over time. Their language and script have survived centuries of migration across the Sahara, preserving a unique cultural identity.

So while English speakers write "Tuareg," the people themselves render their identity in the ancient Tifinagh characters above.