tawsit
Diamond / Lozenge
Also: tadist, aghil, rhombus
Attested Usage
What is documented — academic sources, fieldwork, museum collections
Representation of cultivated field, agricultural fertility
Source:Becker, C. (2006). Amazigh Arts in Morocco
academic · high confidence
The diamond represents the irrigated garden plot - land divided for cultivation
Female symbol - the womb, source of life
Source:Camps, G. (1980). Berbères: Aux marges de l'histoire
academic · medium confidence
This interpretation is contested but widely cited
Oral Interpretations
What people say it means — often multiple, sometimes contradictory
“The shape of our fields - when I weave this, I weave the land”
— Elderly weaver, Tafraoute (2019)
“It's a woman's shape - the diamond is feminine, the triangle is masculine”
— Weaver explaining carpet patterns, Tizi Ouzou (2020)
Note: Some interpret the opposite
Contemporary Readings
How modern artists, communities, and movements reinterpret today
Core unit of Amazigh geometric language, foundation for complex patterns
By:Cynthia Becker (ethnographer)
Context:Analysis of Amazigh weaving grammar
Language Connections
Usage Notes
Ritual Use
Featured prominently in bridal carpets and wedding textiles
Historical Context
Attested since:ancient
One of the oldest and most fundamental Amazigh geometric units, found in prehistoric rock art
Sources
- Becker 2006
- Camps 1980
- Ramirez & Rolot 1995
Last updated: 2024-06-01