Food, contact phenomena and reconstruction in Oriental Berber

Berber subclassification is notoriously problematic, due to overlapping innovations and retentions across hypothesized sub-branches. Focussing on Oriental Berber, we analyze the lexicon of food, on the assumption that linguistic contacts within Berber and between Berber and Arabic are reflected in material and immaterial culture. An original method for the analysis of food terms and their denotations is proposed. We illustrate the method through a case-study of food preparation, in which various denominations are cognates of the stem *βazin, and which confirms most linguistic hypotheses about subgroupings and contacts, additionally exemplifying a case of levelling due to borrowing into Arabic followed by re-borrowing into Berber. Our results also point to further contacts across Berber language groups (best analyzed in terms of linkage), and confirm the relevance of the study of food culture in support of the historical reconstruction of Berber languages.