Reem Bassiouney
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748623730
- eISBN:
- 9780748671373
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748623730.001.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
The first introduction to the field of Arabic sociolinguistics, this book discusses major trends in research on diglossia, code-switching, gendered discourse, language variation and change, and ...
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The first introduction to the field of Arabic sociolinguistics, this book discusses major trends in research on diglossia, code-switching, gendered discourse, language variation and change, and language policies in relation to Arabic. In doing so, it introduces and evaluates the various theoretical approaches, and illustrates the usefulness and the limitations of these approaches with empirical data. The book shows how sociolinguistic theories can be applied to Arabic and, conversely, what the study of Arabic can contribute to our understanding of the function of language in society.Less
The first introduction to the field of Arabic sociolinguistics, this book discusses major trends in research on diglossia, code-switching, gendered discourse, language variation and change, and language policies in relation to Arabic. In doing so, it introduces and evaluates the various theoretical approaches, and illustrates the usefulness and the limitations of these approaches with empirical data. The book shows how sociolinguistic theories can be applied to Arabic and, conversely, what the study of Arabic can contribute to our understanding of the function of language in society.
Reem Bassiouney
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748623730
- eISBN:
- 9780748671373
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748623730.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
This chapter presents a bird's-eye view of the linguistic status quo of the Arab world. The first part deals with issues relating to the vertical (diglossia) and the second deals with issues related ...
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This chapter presents a bird's-eye view of the linguistic status quo of the Arab world. The first part deals with issues relating to the vertical (diglossia) and the second deals with issues related to the horizontal (national varieties/groups of dialects). The chapter is organized as follows. Section 1.1 discusses the concept of diglossia as analysed by Charles Ferguson and others, and the developments that have occurred in the evolution of this concept until the present day. It also differentiates between Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic. Section 1.2 discusses the growing realisation by a number of linguists that the ‘standard’ variety is not necessarily the same as the ‘prestige’ variety in Arab speech communities. Finally, the chapter presents concrete examples of different dialects in the Arab world and compares and contrasts them in real contexts.Less
This chapter presents a bird's-eye view of the linguistic status quo of the Arab world. The first part deals with issues relating to the vertical (diglossia) and the second deals with issues related to the horizontal (national varieties/groups of dialects). The chapter is organized as follows. Section 1.1 discusses the concept of diglossia as analysed by Charles Ferguson and others, and the developments that have occurred in the evolution of this concept until the present day. It also differentiates between Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic. Section 1.2 discusses the growing realisation by a number of linguists that the ‘standard’ variety is not necessarily the same as the ‘prestige’ variety in Arab speech communities. Finally, the chapter presents concrete examples of different dialects in the Arab world and compares and contrasts them in real contexts.
Clive Holes
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- October 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198701378
- eISBN:
- 9780191770647
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198701378.003.0005
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
The vocabulary of the modern Gulf Arabic dialects contains many items of ancient Mesopotamian origin; there is also evidence of early south Arabian influences. Historically, three dialect types ...
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The vocabulary of the modern Gulf Arabic dialects contains many items of ancient Mesopotamian origin; there is also evidence of early south Arabian influences. Historically, three dialect types existed in the region: Najdi, coastal (these two are ‘A dialects’), and Baḥārna (‘B’ dialects). There must long have been contact between these three, but the main interface was between the Najdi and the coastal type. The (Shīˁī) Baḥārna lived in separate settlements, pursued livelihoods specific to them, and did not marry with the other two groups. All of this preserved their dialect. This sociolinguistic division was most evident in the state of Bahrain. In recent decades, changes in employment and increased urbanization have brought about increased interdialectal contact, resulting in the loss of B dialect features and a homogenization of the A dialects to the point that one can now speak of the emergence of a Gulf koine.Less
The vocabulary of the modern Gulf Arabic dialects contains many items of ancient Mesopotamian origin; there is also evidence of early south Arabian influences. Historically, three dialect types existed in the region: Najdi, coastal (these two are ‘A dialects’), and Baḥārna (‘B’ dialects). There must long have been contact between these three, but the main interface was between the Najdi and the coastal type. The (Shīˁī) Baḥārna lived in separate settlements, pursued livelihoods specific to them, and did not marry with the other two groups. All of this preserved their dialect. This sociolinguistic division was most evident in the state of Bahrain. In recent decades, changes in employment and increased urbanization have brought about increased interdialectal contact, resulting in the loss of B dialect features and a homogenization of the A dialects to the point that one can now speak of the emergence of a Gulf koine.
