TheHilalian dialects (Arabic:اللهجات الهلالية) are a continuum ofArabic dialects of theMaghreb, which were introduced during theHilalian invasions between the 11th and 12th centuries, as well as the migration of Arab Hilalian tribes to the Western Maghreb. These dialects played a great role in the emergence of theEgyptian andMaghrebi dialects.^[1] TheBani Hilal tribes settled in the region ofCasablanca-Settat in Morocco, parts ofLibya, centralAlgeria, andTunisia.

The termHilalian dialects refer toBanu Hilal, a confederation of Arab nomadic tribes who invaded North Africa in the eleventh century. The story is documented in an epic poem calledSirat Bani Hilal. One famous man who fought against the Berber tribes ofZenata andSanhaja and guaranteed the independence of theHawazin tribes wasAbu Zayd al-Hilali.

Along with the pre-existing sedentarypre-Hilalian Arabic dialects, they constitute the largerMaghrebi Arabic family. The Hilalian dialects hold a close resemblance to theGulf Arabic dialect, since they both developed from tribal Arabian dialects.

Hilalian dialects are found across North Africa, from the western plains ofMorocco and theMauritanian desert to westernEgypt, includingLibya, the Algerian Hautes-Plaines and coast, andTunisia.

Nevertheless, there are several enclaves ofPre-Hilalian Arabic dialects in this area, including old urban dialect-speaking cities (such asFez,Rabat,Tétouan,Salé,Casablanca,Tlemcen,Constantine,Tunis) and four major sedentary rural dialects speaking areas as well as several Berber speaking areas.

Hilalian Arabic has six major varieties:^[2][3]

• Sulaym dialects: inLibya and southernTunisia;
• Eastern Hilal dialects: in centralTunisia and easternAlgeria;
• Central Hilal dialects: in central and southernAlgeria;
• Western Hilal dialects: in the western plains ofMorocco (Chaouia,Doukkala,Abda,Gharb, etc).
• Maqil dialects: in westernAlgeria andMorocco.

Hassaniya Arabic, spoken inMauritania, southernMorocco and parts of northernMali, is also classified asMaqil.

Recent urbanization and Amazigh migrations have significantly reduced the number of speakers of the Hilalian dialects, as generations after French colonization began to abandon these dialects in favor of either the standard dialect of their country or a pre-Hilalian dialect spoken in the cities to which they migrated.

• Varieties of Arabic
• Pre-Hilalian Arabic dialects
• Maghrebi Arabic

• Maghrebi Arabic

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