Jebala
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| Map of Jbala's land in Northern Morocco |
| Total population |
|---|
| approximately 1 million |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Northern Morocco, mostly concentrated in the Western Rif Mountains |
| Languages |
| Religion |
| Related ethnic groups |
Jebala (also Moroccan Arabic:Jbala (جبالة) and Spanish:Yebala) refers to the inhabitants of the north-western region of Morocco.
Contents |
[edit] Etymology
The word Jbala comes from Arabic Jbel which means mountain. Thus Jbala means mountain people. A man or boy is called a Jebli while a woman or a girl is called a Jebliya.
[edit] Origins
The Jebala are of Berber origin;[1] they adopted the Arabic language in the 12th and 13th centuries, influenced by Arabic-speaking neighbor population of Fes, northern Morocco and Al-Andalus.[2]
[edit] Culture
[edit] Language
The Jebala speak a non-hilalian Arabic dialect, which is influenced by the neighboring Berber languages and by the Spanish language following the occupation of the area by Spain during the protectorate era.
[edit] Clothing
The traditional clothing for women includes shawls called "mendils" made from cotton or wool. These rectangular shawls are often woven in stripes of white and red in the region. They are wrapped around the waist to form skirts. They are also used as shawls and securing holding babies or goods on the back or front of the body.
The traditional man's outer garment is the djellaba, a one piece cotton or woolen cloak with a pointed hood. In the Jebela region the wool is usually un-dyed so dark brown and off-white colours are common. White djellabas are worn for religious festivals.
The Jelaba favour pointed toed leather slippers. Natural light brown, yellow and white are the most common colours.
Reed hats are another traditional feature of Jebala dress for both men and women.
Women's hats are often adorned with woven woollen tassels and roping of black, white and red in variations.
[edit] External links
[edit] References and notes
- ^ (French) A. Zouggari & J. Vignet-Zunz,Jbala: Histoire et société, dans Sciences Humaines, (1991). (ISBN 2-222-04574-6)
- ^ (French) S. Levy, EDNA n°1 (1996), Reperes pour une histoire linguistique du Maroc, pp.127-137
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