The Zenati languages are a branch of the Northern Berber language family of North Africa. They were named after the medieval Zenata Berber tribal confederation. They were first proposed in the works of French linguist Edmond Destaing (1915) (1920–23). Zenata dialects are distributed across the central Berber world (Maghreb), from northeastern Morocco to just west of Algiers, and the northern Sahara, from southwestern Algeria around Bechar to Zuwara in Libya. The most widely spoken Zenati languages are Tmazight of the Rif in northern Morocco and Tashawit Berber in northeastern Algeria, each of which have over 3 million speakers. Languages Kossmann (2013) According to Kossmann (2013: 21–24), Zenati is a rather arbitrary grouping, in which he includes the following varieties: Riffian (Riffian Berber, or Rif-Berber, local name: Tmaziɣt, north of Morocco); Includes Arzew dialect, in Arzew in western Algeria Iznasen (north east of Morocco) Eastern Middle Atlas: Ait Seghrouchen and a group of dialects including Ait Warain (Ayt Warayn) (north-central Morocco) Western Algerian, west of Algiers (a diffuse group): Beni Snous (Tlemcen) dialect, in western Algeria near the border Jebel Bissa (intelligible with Shenwa) Shenwa (Chenoua), between Tipasa and Ténès in north-central Algeria west of Algiers Beni Messaoud (Shenwa?) Beni Menacer Metmata (of Algeria; distinct from Matmata Berber of Tunisia) etc. (see article) Shawiya (Chaouia), around Batna and Khenchela, south of Constantine in northeastern Algeria Mzab–Wargla (Northern Saharan oases): South Oran and Figuig, in the ksours along the Algerian–Moroccan border and in Figuig in southeastern Morocco Gourara Berber (Taznatit) (Gourara, southwestern Algeria, around Timimoun) Tidikelt and Tuat (Touat, Algeria) Mozabite aka Mzab, Tumzabt (northern Algerian Sahara, near Ghardaia) Wargla (Ouargli aka Tagergrent, Teggargarent), northern Algerian Sahara, near Ouargla Oued Righ Berber (incl. Touggourt; Ethnologue name "Temacine Tamazight") in Oued Righ, around Touggourt and Temacine, Algeria Southeastern Tunisian–Libyan: Djerbi (island of Djerba), Matmata Berber (Matmata), Sened and Zuwara Berber (Zuwara in northwestern Libya) Features According to Kossmann (1999:31-32, 86, 172), common innovations defining the Zenati languages include: The vowel a- in nominal prefixes is dropped in a number of words when it precedes CV, where C is a single consonant and V is a full (non-schwa) vowel. For example, afus "hand" is replaced with fus. (A similar development is found in some Eastern Berber languages, but not Nafusi.) Verbs whose original aorist forms end in -u while their perfect forms end in -a end up with -a in the aorist as well,