a group of peoples settled mainly in the countries of North Africa (Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Arab Republic of Egypt) and in central and western Sudan (Niger, Mali, Upper Volta, and others). They number over 6 million (1967 estimate). They speak dialects of the Berber language; the majority also speaks Arabic. The Berbers’ basic tribal groups are Tamazight, Riff, Shluh, Tuareg, and Kabyll. The Berbers are the most ancient population of North Africa; their ancestors lived west of Egypt and are first recorded in Egyptian inscriptions of the late fourth millennium B.C. by the name Tehenu. Later, the ancient Egyptians used the terms Lebu or Libu to designate these tribes (hence the name Libyans). The ethnic name “Berber,” appearing shortly after the Arab conquest of North Africa (seventh-eighth centuries), probably derives from the Greek barbaros, and the Arabs originally used the terms to signify “non-Arab” or “unbelievers.” After the Arab conquest of the Maghreb, the process of Arabization of the Berbers began with their acceptance of Islam, which was comparatively easy owing to the closeness of their languages and culture. The Berbers’ basic occupations are agriculture, gardening, and semi-nomadic cattle raising. Some Berbers, particularly those living in Morocco and Algeria, work in industry.
G. A. NERSESOV