This article deals with the Chaouis people, for the language, to see Chaoui

The Chaouis or Chawis ( Icawiyen ) are Berber people of Algérie.

These Berber lives mainly the area of the Aurès, as well as the contiguous areas: the mounts and the plains of Belezma, the area of the Chott S and the high plains constantinoises, is most of the Algerian east. The chaouies main cities are: Batna, Khenchela, Oum-El-Bouaghi, Ain Beida, Tebessa, and Souk Ahras.

Etymology

In the beginning, the chaoui term would have been used by Arabic at the time medieval indicating in a pejorative way, the “payer of tax”, Berber the Zénètes. The term would have been then spread on all the population of the Aurès.

Tribe chaouie

A. the large tribes chaouiyas of northern bank or lower Aurès

The large tribes of northern bank are:

1. Aith Ali or sabor

2. Ouled Fatma - zoltan -
3. Ouled Sellam
4. Herractas
5. Jratna
6. Thleth
7. Segnia
8. Ouled Mhenna
9. Ouled Menaâ
10. Lahlaymia
11. Hiddoussiyene
12. Houarra
13. Ouled Mhemmed
14. Ouled sidi Lhadj
15. Ouled soltane
16. Ouled if Slimane

The tribal regrouping was facilitated, because its individuals present a whole of natures physical, artistic, linguistic, common. This ethnos group occupies all the area punt and mountainous in the North-West of the town of Batna, the south east of the town of Sétif and in north east of the town of Msila.

It is in these mountain pockets that still the last cultural originalities and linguistics chaouies remain. From the number point of view, no one cannot give an exact figure of evaluation of this first unit, so much the elements of this social group are mobile. One finds them in Batna, Merouana, Seriana, Ouled El My (Ighzer waman), Ngaous, Chaaba etc….

B. the large tribes chaouiyas of central Aurès or Average Aurès.

1. Chaouias arabized (by tribes):

1. Bni Ifren

2. Bni Freh
3. Bouazid
4. Ouled if Ahmed Benameur
5. Ouled Derradj
6. Bni Tazaght

This group is expressed in a proportion from 5 to 10% in chaoui. The 90% remainder are expressed in dialectical Arabic or tadzari. They constitute the essence of the rural migration and make excellent craftsmen whom one meets in the towns of Batna, Tbessa, Ain-Mlila, Biskra, Khenchela, Guelma, Barika…

2. Chaouiyas of the plain by tribe:

1. Ouled Chlih

2. Ouled Sidi Yahia
3. Ouled Hamla (Condorcet)

In front of such a variety, one easily realizes that it is easy to announce certain features of physical and cultural similarity of this group with their cousins of northern bank.

3. An alternative: Berberized Arabic

In this very approximate classification appear of the tribes which Islam had encouraged “to be diluted” in the Berber community which will give later (following osmosis) + Amazigh the Islamazigh current. Civilisationnelle interpenetration noticed in the customs and habits of certain tribes.

Principal tribes:

The hlayia

1. Ouled Aâdi

2. Laâwawta
3. El Khoudhrane
4. El Hachachina
5. El Souamaâ
6. Chaânba
7. Srahna
8. Chraffa
9. Lahrayek
10. Laâmamra
11. Ouled Zian

C. chaouiyas of Aurès higher (southern Bank)

The large tribes of southern bank are:

1. Has Daoud also called “Touabas”

2. Has sâada (common menàa tigherghar Ain zaatout maafa)
3. Ighassiren
4. Ah Yehmedh (Imessounin Has)
5. Icherkyene (Ahmar khedou)
6. Nmemchas
7. Has F' dhala
8. Ath larbaa
9. Has F' reh
10. Ouled Fadhel
11. Has abdhi
12. Laâchach
13. Has Sidi Ali
14. Amamra
15. Has Mloul
16. Bradja (Djebel Cherchar)
17. Has Bouslimane
18. Ah Bouzina
19. Ah Souik

Very interdependent between them, called Jbayliya , these chaouiyas is hard mountain dwellers.

See too