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Arabic Sociolinguistics and Word Meaning
Edited by : Abdeslam Jamai
2013 / Issue 31

Abdeslam Jamai
Introduction

HASSAN ABDEL-JAWAD & ADEL ABU RADWAN  
Sociolinguistic Variation in Arabic: A New Theoretical Approach

ABDESLAM JAMAI
The Omnipresence of Arabic in the Diglossic Debate

MAHMOUD EL SALMAN & EID AL HAISONI
Arabic Dialects used in the North West of Saudi Arabia:Shamari Arabic (Hail)

HASEEB SHEHADEH 
Arabic Loanwords in Hebrew

MOHAMED ALAOUI
The Flexibility of Arabic Word Structure : Evidence from Qur’an Readings (in Arabic)

 
 
Sociolinguistic Variation in Arabic: A New Theoretical Approach

HASSAN ABDEL-JAWAD & ADEL ABU RADWAN

Abstract

    Hassan Abdel-Jawad and Adel Abu-Radwan present what they view as a new theoretical approach on sociolinguistic variation in Arabic. They explain in their contribution that Arabic linguistics goes against any preconceived “demarcation and dichotomization”. As such they suggest an alternative approach to the analysis of the Arabic linguistic situation –the Variation Approach. The recommended approach assumes that the probabilistic use of linguistic items correlates with an index of stylistic, economic, and socio-political variables of any Arab speech community, and in dealing with variation in Arabic. it is important to study each linguistic variable and its role as a unit within the same linguistic level. In addition to determining the relationship between variables across linguistic levels, the article looks at some of the most common variation patterns which may exist in any given Arab speech community. Finally, it surveys the major factors that may influence and shape the dominant patterns of variation in the Arab world.
 
 
The Omnipresence of Arabic in the Diglossic Debate 
ABDESLAM JAMAI

Abstract

    Abdeslam Jamai suggests that Arabic use is very important in the understanding of the mechanisms that govern the linguistic mentality of the Arabic speech community with respect to the omnipresence of Arabic in the diglossic debate.To help determine the use of Arabic diglossia in different situations is important as the roles are quite strictly divided between Arabic languages and Arabic dialects. Formal dealings are the reserve of the H variety, while informal day-to-day mode of communication is limited to the L variety which is popularly taken as a dialect. Although the roles between H and L varieties are separated, it remains a fact that one has to switch between varieties and moods of thinking to fulfil these two different functions. The article presents two prevailing views: Ferguson’s diglossia and Fishman’s diglossia and bilingualism. While the two versions of diglossia have lots of merit, the article concludes that Fishman’s diglossia is not as well developed as one would expect. Fishman’s diglossia of Guarani and Spanish does not allow for the neutrality of the H variety – a prerequisite, in the author’s view, for diglossia. The test of neutrality makes diglossia stand or fall as Arabic presents the acid test for diglossia which prompted the adoption of Ferguson’s model. 

 
 

Arabic Dialects used in the North West of Saudi Arabia:Shamari Arabic (Hail)
MAHMOUD EL SALMAN & EID AL HAISONI

Abstract

     Mahmoud El Salman and Eid Al Haisoni discuss the dialect of Hail which, as far as we know, has not been studied in depth. This dialect is also very significant as it contains many lexical items from classical Arabic. It was interesting to find some words used by members of this tribe that were part of classical poetry. Moreover, there is a generational difference as much of the speech of the informants classified as being in the youth or middle-aged groups was understood and comprehended, while that of those classified as elderly was not to a very large extent. This could be considered an area trapped in the past in that old linguistic forms are still preserved. The surprise is that the vernacular of many informants explicates that the pure Shamari dialect still dominates their speech. The difficulty of understanding those informants, especially the elderly, manifested itself through phonology, vocabulary, and even grammar. Lexical items, including some words that are not familiar in other native dialect, were used and considered part of the Shamari informants' repertoire. 

 
 
Arabic Loanwords in Hebrew
HASEEB SHEHADEH

Abstract

    Haseeb Shehadeh’s article on Arabic loanwords in Hebrew is interesting as it shows the influence of Arabic on both spoken and written Hebrew, which took place in the medieval and modern periods of Hebrew, and whose vocabulary forms more than half of the Hebrew lexicon according to the renowned dictionary of Abraham Even Shoshan. Arabic influence was present on Jewish culture both deep and comprehensive during two main historical periods— the Middle Ages in Andalucia for eight centuries and the modern era in Palestine, where the contacts between Jews and Arabs never stopped. For more than 1,700 years Hebrew was a written language that was hardly spoken at all. The eight centuries of Arab rule in Andalucia left a deep linguistic impact on Hebrew in general and on its translations in particular. Arabic was the lingua franca and the language of science and culture. Even the great scholar Maimonides (d. 1204) could not avoid the vernacular, Judaeo-Arabic, impinging on his written Arabic, the language of sciences and culture, when he wrote his only book in Hebrew, Mishne Torah5.

 
 
The Flexibility of Arabic Word Structure : Evidence from Qur’an Readings (in Arabic)  
MOHAMED ALAOUI 

Abstract

    Mohamed Alaoui discusses word construction flexibility in Arabic: Quranic readings as examples. Construction flexibility manifests itself in the fact that the same meaning has different words to express it. Thus, Arabic can express the same meaning in different words, as well as one word of different constructions for the same meaning. All this is in order to make speech richer. When meanings differ, they are not considered part of flexibility, even if the meanings are close and part of the same semantic field. Grammarians consider different expressions of the same meaning, a result of different Arabic dialects and their overlapping. Each tribe, given the opportunity of choice and change, prefers the use of constructions they feel at ease with, based on pronunciation. The samples of word construction flexibility in Arabic are based on Quranic readings as the Quranic text is linguistically fully documented knowing that the differences between the Quranic readings are linguistically driven. All these readings are confirmed by the prophet Mohammed when he said “The Qur'an was sent down in seven dialects. So recite what seems easy therefrom6.” meaning in different ways and languages.