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'Chaoui' is the Chaoui language, Berber language of the Chaoui people of eastern Algeria, around Batna, Khenchela, Setif, Constantine, Oum el-Bouaghi, Souk Ahras, Tebessa and the north party of Biskra. It has over two million speakers. Known alternative spellings are "Shawia", "Shawiya", "Tachawit", "Thachawith", "Tachaouith", and "Th'Chèwith", but in the Chaouia language, the leading TH sound is often reduced to an H, thus the name is pronounced "H'chawit".
As some parts of North Africa were only recently arabized, some chaoui from the urban centers got partially arabized in the 19th and 20th centuries.