Ancient Competencies

ZENAGUI Abdelaziz

Man of Letters, Poet, Teacher, Interpreter Areas of Expertise: Arabic Literature, Hawzi Poetry, Dialectology, Ethnography, Translation, Pedagogy

Origins & Education

Abdelaziz Zenagui was born in 1877 in Tlemcen, that jewel of western Algeria, a millennial city steeped in history and Andalusian culture. Coming from a modest family - his father worked as a cobbler - he grew up in an environment where ancestral traditions harmoniously blended with the intellectual openness characteristic of this cosmopolitan city.

From an early age, Abdelaziz displayed an insatiable thirst for knowledge and remarkable aptitude for studies. He began his education at the prestigious madrasa of Tlemcen, a centuries-old institution that had trained numerous generations of Maghrebian scholars. This initial training provided him with solid foundations in traditional Islamic culture, classical Arabic language, and religious sciences.

Driven by intellectual ambition that transcended the borders of his hometown, young Zenagui continued his studies at the madrasa of Algiers, then considered one of the most renowned teaching centers in the Maghreb. At the end of the 19th century, he obtained the higher diploma there, recognition of his academic excellence and perfect mastery of the disciplines taught.

But Abdelaziz Zenagui did not stop there. Understanding the crucial importance of mastering European languages and knowledge in the colonial context of the time, he crossed the Mediterranean to reach Paris. He enrolled at the prestigious École des Langues Orientales, future INALCO (Langues O), where he obtained a diploma in Arabic. This dual training, combining Eastern tradition with Western modernity, made him an exceptional intellectual, capable of navigating with ease between two cultural worlds.

Scientific Career

Abdelaziz Zenagui's career opened exceptionally at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1902, on the recommendation of Octave Houdas - eminent ethnographer, translator and French professor specialized in literary Arabic - he became the first Algerian Arabic tutor at the École des Langues Orientales in Paris. This appointment was of considerable historical importance: Zenagui succeeded several Egyptian tutors and thus became the first Algerian to hold this prestigious position in the Parisian institution.

In this pioneering role, Zenagui maintained sustained and enriching relationships with members of the French intelligentsia of the time. He mingled with leading intellectuals, many of whom spoke Arabic fluently, allowing him to converse equally in French or Arabic. These intercultural exchanges nourished his reflection and enabled him to make perceptive observations on the state of advancement of sciences and the evolution of French society.

His competence and academic seriousness earned him good ratings from his hierarchical superiors. He collaborated closely with Maurice Gaudefroy-Demombynes, eminent French Arabist and specialist in Islam and the history of religions. For the latter, Zenagui composed a remarkable "Tale in Tlemcen dialect" which the former director of Tlemcen's madrasa edited and translated in 1904. This work made Zenagui one of the pioneers in the literary use of spoken Arabic, thus opening new perspectives in the study and valorization of Maghrebian dialects.

In 1904, his reputation as an Arabist and talented interpreter earned him recruitment for the expedition led by René de Segonzac in southern Morocco. This geographical and ethnographic exploration mission testified to the confidence placed in his linguistic and cultural skills. During this period of absence (1904-1905), he was substituted in his Parisian teaching.

In 1906, his compatriot El Koubi succeeded him as tutor at the École des Langues Orientales. Zenagui then returned to Algeria where he would have been appointed qadi (Islamic judge), a function that testified to his recognition as a religious scholar and jurist. He then became a professor at Tlemcen's madrasa, thus completing the circle of his initial training by transmitting knowledge to new generations of students.

Parallel to his academic and pedagogical activities, Zenagui distinguished himself through his collaboration with René Basset in the monumental collection work for the series "A Thousand and One Tales, stories and Arabic legends. Wonderful tales. Pleasant tales". This participation in preserving Maghrebian oral heritage illustrates his commitment to safeguarding popular traditions.

Distinctions & Recognition

Recognition of Abdelaziz Zenagui is expressed through several dimensions of his intellectual work and patriotic engagement. On the academic level, he distinguished himself as a pioneer in the literary use of dialectal Arabic, notably through his famous "Tale in Tlemcen dialect" published in the prestigious Journal Asiatique in 1904. This publication marked a turning point in the scientific approach to Maghrebian dialects and paved the way for new research in dialectology.

His appointment as the first Algerian tutor at the École des Langues Orientales in Paris constituted exceptional recognition of his linguistic and pedagogical skills. This distinction testified to the confidence accorded by the French institution to an Algerian intellectual, a remarkable fact in the colonial context of the time.

During World War I, Zenagui demonstrated exemplary patriotism by enlisting in French ranks against Germany. He survived the conflict unharmed, testifying to his courage and loyalty to France, the country that had offered him opportunities for training and career.

However, the post-war period revealed a more complex facet of his personality. With other companions, Zenagui sought to evolve the status of Algerians, building on promises made before conscription. This legitimate claim was unfortunately perceived by French authorities as dangerous nationalism. His patriotic poems, imbued with love for his native land and aspirations for greater social justice, earned him suspicion and eventually exile to Paris.

This forced exile, far from destroying his creativity, paradoxically stimulated his poetic production. Nostalgia, homesickness, and felt injustice nourished a poetic work of particular intensity, unfortunately remained largely unpublished.

Impact & Influence

Abdelaziz Zenagui's impact on Algerian and Maghrebian culture is articulated around several major axes that testify to the richness and complexity of his intellectual personality.

As a poet and musician, Zenagui occupies a particular place in the history of Andalusian music in Tlemcen. He ranks among the last great creators to have enriched the Hawzi genre repertoire, this poetic-musical form emblematic of Andalusian-Maghrebian art. Appreciated by the masters of Andalusian music in his hometown, he composed several poems that harmoniously integrated into this centuries-old tradition, thus contributing to perpetuating and renewing an artistic heritage of invaluable worth.

On the linguistic and literary level, Zenagui plays a fundamental pioneering role. His pioneering use of dialectal Arabic in written literature opens new methodological and aesthetic perspectives. At a time when classical Arabic exclusively dominated learned literary production, he dared to take the step of giving letters of nobility to the Tlemcen dialect. This innovative approach inspires future generations of Maghrebian writers and linguists in their approach to popular languages.

In the field of teaching and knowledge transmission, his exemplary journey as the first Algerian tutor at the École des Langues Orientales in Paris establishes an important historical precedent. He demonstrates that Maghrebian intellectuals can compete with their European counterparts in mastering and teaching their own linguistic and cultural heritage. This academic success paves the way for other Algerian intellectuals and contributes to valorizing indigenous skills.