ixf

Tarifit

Alternative forms

• ixef
• iɣf, iɣef

Etymology

From Proto-Berber *e‐ɣăf (“head”).

Noun

ixf m (plural ixfawen, Tifinagh spelling ⵉⵅⴼ)

1. oneself

   Yewta ixf nnes. ― He hit himself.

2. summit, peak (of a mountain)

   Synonyms: azeǧif, tqiccat, řeɛři, rrageb, ssefq, aqwa

3. (rare, obsolete) head

   Synonyms: azeǧif, aqiyyuɛ

Inflection

Inflection of ixf

	singular	plural
free state	ixf	ixfawen
annexed state	yixf	yixfawen

Derived terms

• ixf useggʷas
• mi ixf

Tashelhit

Picture dictionary

aquq

allxf

tiṭṭ

tinzrt

imi

taqsmart

amayg

amzzuɣ

tussiɣt

agrḍ

Click on labels in the image

Alternative forms

• ifx (“head, start”) — Mesfioua

Etymology

Inherited from Medieval Tashelhit ايغڢ (iɣef, “head”), from Proto-Berber *e‐ɣăf (“head”), possibly from Proto-Afroasiatic [Term?], compare Arabic قَفًا (qafan, “back of the head”), Classical Syriac ܩܦܝܐ (qāp̄yā, “back of the neck”), and Migaama kúpó (“occiput”). See also Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“head”).

Cognates include Ghomara aɣef (“head”), Zenaga iʔf (“head, extremity”), Kabyle ixef (“head”), Northern Saharan Berber iɣef, ixf (“head”), Ghadames ēɣăf (“head”), Nefusa iɣéf (“head”), Tunisian Berber ixf, iɣaf (“head”), Siwi axfi (“head”), and Tuareg éɣăf (“head”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iχf/

Noun

ixf m (plural ixfawn, Tifinagh spelling ⵉⵅⴼ, Arabic spelling ايخف)

1. head

   Synonyms: agayyu, aqllal

   ايخف يقّورن لا بودّ اد رژين.

   Ixf iqquṛn la budd ad rẓin.

   A hard head deserves to be broken.

2. oneself

   اينّا د يخف نّس. ― inna d ixf nns. ― He said to himself.

3. chief, leader

   Synonyms: amɣar, amzwar

   آمژن مدّن يخفاون كابرنين.

   Amẓn mddn ixfawn kabrnin.

   People took the arrogant leaders.

4. end, extremity, tip

   Synonyms: tigira, tmmi

   ايخف وغاراس. ― ixf uġaras ― the end of the road

5. start, beginning

   غ يخف وسڭّاس. ― ixf usggas ― at the beginning of the new year

   ايخف ن وايّور. ― ixf n wayyur ― beginning of the month

6. intelligence, wit, attention

   Synonym: afulls

   دارس يخف. ― Dars ixf. ― He's intelligent.

Inflection

Inflection of ixf

	singular	plural
free state	ixf	ixfawn
annexed state	yixf	yixfawn

Derived terms

• ixf n tbubbat (“nipple”)
• taɣart n ixf (“stubborness”)

See also

• afgan (“human”)
• argaz (“man”)
• ixss (“bone”)
• tiɣssi (“body”)
• udm (“face”)

References

• Stroomer, Harry (2025), Dictionnaire berbère tachelḥiyt-français — Tome 2 f—l (Handbook of Oriental Studies – Handbuch der Orientalistik; 188/2) (in French), Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, →DOI, →ISBN, page 1168b