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A figure like a person with arms raised, from Tifinagh.
Also known as: Aza, Amazigh symbol, Tifinagh yaz, Figure with raised arms
The yaz is the Tifinagh letter ⵣ, adopted as the emblem of Amazigh identity across North Africa. It stands at the centre of the Amazigh flag, and its use is political as well as linguistic — Tifinagh's official recognition in Morocco and Algeria came after decades of suppression.
Denotes the Tifinagh letter yaz, adopted as the emblem of Amazigh (Berber) identity and placed at the centre of the Amazigh flag.
Contexts: History
Belongs to Tifinagh, a script of ancient Libyco-Berber ancestry that remained in continuous use among the Tuareg while being suppressed elsewhere.
Contexts: History
Gained official status in Morocco in 2011 and in Algeria in 2016, after long periods in which Amazigh language and script were not recognised.
The symbol's adoption is bound up with a live movement for Amazigh linguistic and cultural rights. This entry records the script, the emblem and the documented dates of official recognition, and takes no position on the political questions.
Contexts: History
A vertical stroke crossed near the top by a horizontal stroke whose ends turn upward, resembling a standing figure with both arms raised.