The language of the Senhaja de Srair is a Northern Berber language spoken in the southern part of the MoroccanRif. It is most closely related to the Atlas languages, but heavily influenced by the neighboring Tarifit language (also Berber.) Contrary to the Ethnologue, it is not extinct; Harry Stroomer reports that "Senhaja de Srair is alive" (p. c. quoted in Behnstedt 2002.) It is apparently not immediately mutually intelligible with Tarifit, and is spoken only by a small minority among the Senhaja, in the area known as the "Little Senhaja".
Bibliography
Peter Behnstedt, "La frontera entre el bereber y el árabe en el Rif", Estudios de dialectología norteafricana y andalusí vol. 6, 2002.
Esteban Ibañez, Diccionario español-senhayi (dialecto beraber de Senhaya de Srair), 1959.
A. Renisio, Études sur les dialectes berbères des Beni Iznassen, du Rif et des Senhaja de Sraïr. Grammaire, textes et lexique. PIHEM, vol. 12. Paris 1932.
The issue of language may be a cause of the low literacy, although this has not been determined.
A language is one with a clear-cut grammar and syntax.
Two Tamazight languages are listed as extinct: Ghomara, which was spoken north and west of Central Atlas Tamazight, near Chechaouen, Western Rif highlands, and Oued Laou Valley; and Senhaja of Srair, spoken west of Tarifit.
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