Stylizing Tamazight (Berber)-Influenced Moroccan Arabic in a Moroccan Stand-Up Comedy

Elaborating on the concept of heteroglossic stylization, this paper examines how a Moroccan comedian—Zakaria Ouarssam—stylizes Tamazight (Berber)-influenced Moroccan Arabic (MA) in order to evoke comedic personae associated with the country’s Middle Atlas region. Our analysis focuses on Ouarssam’s on-stage performances to document the complex multilingual repertoire that allows him to (i) create contrasts between a supposedly unmarked MA and a stylized Tamazight-influenced MA and (ii) evoke comedic stances that associate the latter with stereotypes of his home region. Particular attention is given to Ouarssam’s use of code switching between Tamazight-influenced MA and untranslated Tamazight as a novel and potentially boundary-pushing practice when considered in the context of its live performance on national television. The paper argues that Ouarssam’s stylized performances contribute to the construction and valorization of an alternative expression of Amazigh and regional pride, even as they reproduce certain linguistic hierarchies and ideologies.