Hassaniya ( ; also known as Hassaniyya, Klem El Bithan, Hasanya, Hassani, Hassaniya) is the variety of Arabic originally spoken by the Beni Hassan Bedouin tribes, who extended their authority over most of Mauritania and the Western Sahara between the 15th and 17th centuries. It has almost completely replaced the Berber languages spoken in this region. Although clearly a western dialect, Hassaniya is relatively distant from other North African variants of Arabic. Its geographical location exposed it to influence from Zenaga and Wolof. There are several dialects of Hassaniya which differ primarily phonetically. Today, Hassaniya is spoken in Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Senegal and the Western Sahara.