I also thought it was from the Horn of Africa at first, with all the central vowels and geminate consonants, but as I hear no ejectives, I’m starting to think it’s a Berber language instead. (The hints about not being a Cushitic language, and having French influence, support that too.) Is it Tamazight?
Something in the pronunciation makes me think “French influence”… Bambara?
If I heard this anywhere else besides the Language Quiz I would have just assumed it was Arabic.
I’d rather have a Cushitic language in mind. Maybe Rendille or Afar?
There is probably some French influence on it, but it’s not Bambara. It’s not Arabic either, or a Cushitic language.
I also thought it was from the Horn of Africa at first, with all the central vowels and geminate consonants, but as I hear no ejectives, I’m starting to think it’s a Berber language instead. (The hints about not being a Cushitic language, and having French influence, support that too.) Is it Tamazight?
Berber was my thought too, though I don’t know enough about the Berber languages to name a specific one.
The language is Tamasheq (Tafaghist), a Berber language spoken in Mali and Burkina Faso.
The recording comes from YouTube.