Linguistic practices in northwest Morocco: A female sociolect or a linguistic ideology?

Numerous linguistic studies in the different regions of the Maghreb show that the varieties of Arabic used in the oldest cities have been considered prestigious because they were associated with an old traditional way of life and the upper classes. Nowadays, these same varieties of Maghrebi Arabic are also related to feminine sociolects and are considered chic or snobbish. In the present study, two phonetic variants normally identified with the old-urban variety of the Moroccan city of Tetouan are analyzed. Its objective is to check whether there is an identification between these variants with a feminine speech, clarify whether it is a prestigious or stigmatized way of speaking, and describe the social values associated with it. This analysis shows that most of the beliefs expressed by speakers are not supported by empirical data but instead respond to what are considered linguistic ideologies.