Suffix Diversity and Arabic Language Phonological Typology
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Abstract
The complexities of Arabic phonology have been documented in detail in particular in the dialectological and theoretical phonological traditions. In this paper we argue for the incorporation of a third perspective into Arabic linguistics, an Arabic-internal typological perspective. Eleven geographically representative dialects are compared along a common parameter, the structure of simple CaCaC nouns and verbs, followed by the addition of first one, then two suffixes. The suffixes are either identical across the noun/verb categories or are closely parallel. These basic structures are treated descriptively, and in addition two quantified indices, a paradigm diversity index and a consistency index are developed to facilitate a comparative overview. The phonological parameters are fundamental to Arabic: the treatment of short stressed/unstressed vowels in open syllables, constraints on CCC sequences or trisyllabic syncope for instance. What emerges is a cline of increasing phonological complexity as one, then two suffixes are added. Most striking, however, is the role played by morphophonology in informing the ever increasing degree of variation among the eleven dialects. Arabic syllabic phonology and morphophonology emerges as paradoxically at one and the same time, parsimonious and complex. A very few phonological rules produce a very high degree of contrastive forms among the eleven dialects.
Résumé
La complexité de la phonologie arabe a été très bien documentée, en particulier dans deux traditions, i.e. la dialectologie et la théorie phonologique. Dans cet article, nous plaidons pour l’intégration d’une troisième perspective dans la linguistique arabe, une perspective typologique propre à l’arabe. Onze dialectes géographiquement représentatifs sont comparés à travers un paramètre commun, d’abord la structure des noms et verbes simples de forme CaCaC, ensuite la même structure augmentée d’un premier suffixe, et enfin de deux suffixes. Les suffixes sont soit identiques dans toutes les catégories de noms/verbes, soit très proches. Ces structures de base sont traitées de manière descriptive. Aussi, deux indices de quantification sont introduits pour faciliter une vue d’ensemble comparative, un indice de diversité de paradigme et un indice de cohérence. Les paramètres phonologiques sont fondamentaux en arabe, par exemple le comportement des voyelles brèves accentuées/non accentuées en syllabe ouverte, les contraintes sur les séquences triconsonantiques CCC ou la syncope trisyllabique. À mesure qu’un, puis deux suffixes sont ajoutés, un spectre de complexité phonologique croissante devient saillant.
Cependant, le plus frappant est le rôle joué par la morphophonologie en indiquant le degré toujours croissant de variation parmi les onze dialectes. La phonologie et la morphophonologie syllabiques arabes apparaissent paradoxalement à la fois parcimonieuses et complexes. Un très petit nombre de règles phonologiques produit un degré très élevé de formes contrastives parmi les onze dialectes.
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Suffix Diversity and Arabic Language Phonological Typology
In: ArabicaSearch for other papers by Jonathan Owens in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Mohamed Embarki in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
The complexities of Arabic phonology have been documented in detail in particular in the dialectological and theoretical phonological traditions. In this paper we argue for the incorporation of a third perspective into Arabic linguistics, an Arabic-internal typological perspective. Eleven geographically representative dialects are compared along a common parameter, the structure of simple CaCaC nouns and verbs, followed by the addition of first one, then two suffixes. The suffixes are either identical across the noun/verb categories or are closely parallel. These basic structures are treated descriptively, and in addition two quantified indices, a paradigm diversity index and a consistency index are developed to facilitate a comparative overview. The phonological parameters are fundamental to Arabic: the treatment of short stressed/unstressed vowels in open syllables, constraints on CCC sequences or trisyllabic syncope for instance. What emerges is a cline of increasing phonological complexity as one, then two suffixes are added. Most striking, however, is the role played by morphophonology in informing the ever increasing degree of variation among the eleven dialects. Arabic syllabic phonology and morphophonology emerges as paradoxically at one and the same time, parsimonious and complex. A very few phonological rules produce a very high degree of contrastive forms among the eleven dialects.
Résumé
La complexité de la phonologie arabe a été très bien documentée, en particulier dans deux traditions, i.e. la dialectologie et la théorie phonologique. Dans cet article, nous plaidons pour l’intégration d’une troisième perspective dans la linguistique arabe, une perspective typologique propre à l’arabe. Onze dialectes géographiquement représentatifs sont comparés à travers un paramètre commun, d’abord la structure des noms et verbes simples de forme CaCaC, ensuite la même structure augmentée d’un premier suffixe, et enfin de deux suffixes. Les suffixes sont soit identiques dans toutes les catégories de noms/verbes, soit très proches. Ces structures de base sont traitées de manière descriptive. Aussi, deux indices de quantification sont introduits pour faciliter une vue d’ensemble comparative, un indice de diversité de paradigme et un indice de cohérence. Les paramètres phonologiques sont fondamentaux en arabe, par exemple le comportement des voyelles brèves accentuées/non accentuées en syllabe ouverte, les contraintes sur les séquences triconsonantiques CCC ou la syncope trisyllabique. À mesure qu’un, puis deux suffixes sont ajoutés, un spectre de complexité phonologique croissante devient saillant.
Cependant, le plus frappant est le rôle joué par la morphophonologie en indiquant le degré toujours croissant de variation parmi les onze dialectes. La phonologie et la morphophonologie syllabiques arabes apparaissent paradoxalement à la fois parcimonieuses et complexes. Un très petit nombre de règles phonologiques produit un degré très élevé de formes contrastives parmi les onze dialectes.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 292 | 237 | 38 |
| Full Text Views | 23 | 16 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 73 | 48 | 1 |