Classification
Kossmann (1999:29, 33) divides them into two groups:
- one consisting of Ghadamès and Awjila. These two languages are the only Berber languages to preserve proto-Berber *β as β; elsewhere in Berber it becomes h or disappears.
- the other consisting of Nafusi (excluding Zuwara and southern Tunisia), Sokna (El-Foqaha), and Siwi. This shares some innovations with Zenati, and others (e.g. the change of *ă to ə and the loss of *β) with Northern Berber in general.
The Ethnologue excludes Ghadamès and Nafusi from Eastern Berber, and subgroups Sokna with Awjila in an "Awjila–Sokna group" rather than with Siwa.
Blench (ms, 2006) lists the following as separate languages, with dialects in parentheses; like Ethnologue, he classifies Nafusi as Eastern Zenati.
- Siwa
- Awjila
- Sokna
- Ghadames
- Zurg/Kufra
- Fezzan (Tmessa, Al-Foqaha)
Read more about this topic: Eastern Berber Languages