What is the correct way to call people from Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco etc?

Question

My Algerian boyfriend call himself mediterranean. But I would like to know what is the best way to call people born in North Africa, meaning a common ethnic name I could use without offending anybody, is it arabs? Thanks in advance!

I'm ready to learn!!!!

Answer 1

Ah, race is always a complicated question.

As far as I’m concerned Mediterranean works both geographically and racially for North Africa and the Middle East as well as southern Europe. But people of different backgrounds live here. If your boyfriend doesn’t look a far cry from a dark Spaniard or Italian or Portuguese, Mediterranean probably does him justice.

Most North Africans consider themselves Arab but this doesn’t mean we are. True Arabs come from the Arabian Peninsula and the deserts of Iraq, Syria, and Sinai. People in other parts of what is referred to as the Arab world either have little or no Arab blood or are descended from Arabs who intermarried with the local peoples. North Africans and Middle Easterners in general accept the label of Arab. Arab would probably describe your boyfriend culturally at least, IF—

He doesn’t consider himself an Amazigh (plural Imazighen). Imazighen are the indigenous inhabitants of Algeria. They were conquered by the Arabs in the seventh century. Some Algerians consider themselves Imazighen and not Arabs. Ask him. If he is an Amazigh, it’s better to call him that than the more common term (Berber). Berber means barbarian. Amazigh means free man. Much better. :-) (Egyptians are NOT Imazighen.)

Differing slightly with the first answerer, Libyans are not very different from Algerians, Tunisians, or Moroccans (they are also a mix of Arab and Imazighen), but the geographical area known as the Maghreb (Arabic for “west”) only covers Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. So you could also call him a Maghrebi (“from the Maghreb").

So in short—

If he looks like a dark southern European (Caucasian facial features but dark skin) he’s Mediterranean.

If he considers himself Arab, call him Arab, but keep in mind he probably has some Imazighen ancestry.

If he considers himself Amazigh, call him Amazigh, but not Berber (and he’ll probably have a bit of Arab blood then too).

And he’s automatically a Maghrebi.

Ultimately the only names you could use to describe North Africans in general are Arab and North African. :-)

Answer 2

"Mediterranean" is not the right word, since it also represents Spaniards, Italians,Greeks,Turks,Israelis,etc.

"Arab" is too general, since it also represents countries which are not in North Africa.

"North African" is also too general, since Lybia and Egypt are quite different from these three countries ( even if they are arab too"

The right word is "people from Maghreb", because Maghreb is the region which Morocco,Algeria and Tunisia are in...

It's a similar culture...

Answer 3

the area of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia is called Maghreb. So the best way is to call your boyfriend maghreban.

Answer 4

Hi there, first of all congratulation for the Algerian boyfriend, indeed you have a proud warrior beside you who can protect you till the last breath guaranteed.

The correct way to call them is mediterranean.

Answer 5

Those I know from the African continent have nationalistic ties so : Algerian, Tunisian, ect.........

Answer 6

Most people from Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco are Berber or Arab.

If you want to say that they're from North Africa - its "North African". If you don't want to include Egypt, Sudan or any other parts of Saharan African, then say "Northwest African" or "Maghrebi".

Answer 7

don't know i did never call my self lool

but try to him with his nationality, the French version is 'Maghrébin' and it works very well for us loool