Salem Chaker (born 1950 in Nevers) is an Algerian linguist. A specialist in

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

linguistics (syntax, diachrony, sociolinguistics), he is recognized as the "dean" of modern Berber studies.

Biography

Salem Chaker was born in 1950 in Nevers, France. In a family from Ait Iraten tribe of Kabylia. He studied at the University of Provence, then in

Paris Descartes University Paris Descartes University (french: Université Paris 5 René Descartes, links=no), also known as Paris V, was a French public university located in Paris. It was one of the inheritors of the historic University of Paris, which was split into 13 ...

where he received his ''Doctorat de troisième cycle'' in 1973 and a ''Doctorat d'Etat'' in 1978. After an early career in the Faculty of Letters of Algiers and CRAPE (''Centre de Recherches Anthropologiques Préhistoriques et Ethnologiques'') from 1973 to 1981, he joins University of Provence serving as an associate professor of Berber Language from 1981 to 1983, and

CNRS The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,637 ...

from 1984 to 1989 where he continued his research activities in the laboratory LAPMO (''Laboratoire d'anthropologie et de préhistoire de la Méditerranée occidentale'') founded and directed by Gabriel Camps. From 1989 to 2008, he worked as a Berber Language Professor at '' Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales'' ("''Langues'O''") in Paris, where he created in 1990 ''

Centre de Recherche Berbère Centre de Recherche Berbère (CRB, ) is a department at the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO) specializing in the Berber languages. The center is the oldest organization which focuses on Berber culture and language ...

'' (Berber Research Center) he directed until the end of 2009. He is currently Professor of Berber language at the Aix-Marseille University where he is also a research associate at Iremam (''Institut de recherches et d'études sur le monde arabe et musulman'').

Encyclopédie berbère

His involvement in the '' Encyclopédie berbère'' dates back to the launching phase of the project by Gabriel Camps in 1970, when he was still a student at the University of Provence. The founding team comprising only pre-historians and ethnologists, Gabriel asked him to invest in the linguistic field. Thus appeared his first contribution to the Encyclopedie, in Fascicle 1, dated 1970, of the provisional edition with restricted diffusion. It was also his first scientific text, while he was still studying linguistics. He started publishing regularly entries in the provisional edition, then in the final edition from 1984. At the launch of the final edition, he officially became a scientific advisor for linguistics. When Camps retired in 1992, he asked him to ensure the succession of the Encyclopédie berbère in case of default. Salem Chaker has been in charge of the ''Encyclopédie'' since the death of G. Camps in September 2002.

Works

* * *''Textes touaregs en prose'' de Charles de Foucauld..., Réédition critique avec traduction, Aix-en-Provence, Edisud, 1984, 359 p. n collaboration avec H. Claudot et M. Gast * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaker, Salem 1950 births Living people Academic staff of Aix-Marseille University Berberologists Kabyle people Paris Descartes University alumni People from Nevers University of Provence alumni