The Dissertation Committee for Mona Abdullah AlShihry certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Durative Aspect Markers in Modern Arabic Dialects: Cross- dialectal Functions and Historical Development Committee: ___________________________________ Kristen Brustad, Supervisor ___________________________________ John Huehnergard ___________________________________ Mahmoud Al-Batal ___________________________________ Barbara Bullock Durative Aspect Markers in Modern Arabic Dialects: Cross- dialectal Functions and Historical Development by Mona Abdullah AlShihry, B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University Of Texas at Austin May 2017 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I came to this department loaded with misconceptions about my own language, believing that I speak a form of distorted language that was damaged by the subsequent weakening of the "mother language". For my entire life, this belief was a reason for me to be ashamed of my own tongue and claim whenever possible that I actually speak Standard Arabic. At the same time, and like everyone else in my society, I would make fun of anyone who preferred to stick to Standard Arabic. This contradictory reality is the reality of many Arabic speakers and I never thought I would come across a convincing explanation for this contradiction. My advisor, Kristen Brustad guided and supported me in my search for answers to all of the questions that I have always had about my language and inspired me to always question "common facts" when they do not make sense to me. Now, I feel confident to explain to my fellow Arabs the views that I adhere to about how our language developed, how our language is not distorted and is not in danger. So thank you, doktoorah Kristen! I would also like to express my very great appreciation to the other members of my dissertation committee: John Huehnergard, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Barbara Bullock for providing me with suggestions on how I could improve my dissertation and for the stimulating discussions in the different courses that I took with them in the last four years. It was truly an honor to have them in my dissertation committee. A very special gratitude goes out to all my friends in the department and in the Center for Arabic Dialect Research (CADR) for their support and help in many different ways. The unconditional love and support of my family is the cornerstone for my success st throughout the pursuit of my education since 1 grade. My father's persistent interest in my progress and my mother's prayers inspired me to push myself beyond my limits. My siblings' limitless and unwavering support enabled me to make it through the long days and nights of studying. My fiancé and my sister-in-law: thank you for everything. Allah iii la y7rimny minkom jamee3an. iv Durative Aspect Markers in Modern Arabic Dialects: Cross- dialectal Functions and Historical Development by Mona Abdullah AlShihry, PhD The University of Texas at Austin, 2017 SUPERVISOR: Kristen Brustad This study explores the durative aspectual forms in modern spoken Arabic dialects. It analyzes and compares the synchronic functions and proposes possible paths of diachronic development for the majority of attested durative forms. For the synchronic analysis, the study promotes the role of context in understanding the functions of aspectual forms. It is only through context that we can interpret meanings that forms alone do not express. Observing this principle, the study examines the use of durative markers in a database that is composed of various contextualized texts. Diachronically, the study proposes a refinement of the theory of the locative source for the grammaticalization of durative marking that has become standard cross-linguistically. The approach presented here corresponds semantically with the functions expressed by the durative markers and allows for multiple membership of source lexemes. The major sources that are proposed are stative-continuous, temporal prepositions and emphatic forms. Then, an outline of diachronic development is synthesized from the findings of the synchronic analysis and historical reports of constant population contact to speculate on the possible paths of development for each durative marker from the proposed sources. These paths are considered according to the principles of functional grammar development; i.e., grammaticalization, borrowing and contact-induced grammaticalization. The study examines these different proposals and provides justifications for supporting the most likely cases of development while ruling out the v less possible paths. This study concludes with a summary of the most probable paths of development for durative markers in modern spoken Arabic. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract..............................................................................................................................v List of Tables.....................................................................................................................xi List of Figures..................................................................................................................xii List of Maps....................................................................................................................xiii Introduction........................................................................................................................1 0.1 Aim and methodology of the present study...........................................................3 0.2 Linguistic diversity in the Arab world...................................................................6 0.3 Outline and organization .......................................................................................7 0.4 Data sources ..........................................................................................................8 0.5 Conventions...........................................................................................................8 1 Chapter One: Theoretical framework...............................................................................10 1.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................10 1.2 Basic terminology.................................................................................................11 1.2.1 Aspect.......................................................................................................11 1.2.2 Imperfective.............................................................................................13 1.2.3 Progressive...............................................................................................13 1.2.4 Habitual....................................................................................................14 1.3 Models of the development of durative markers in Arabic: Sources of development ..............................................................................................................16 1.3.1 Locative sources.......................................................................................16 1.3.1.1 Locative source reconsidered ......................................................18 1.3.1.2 Arabic durative markers from temporal locative sources............21 1.3.1.2.1 Preposition bi-..................................................................21 1.3.2 Stative-continuous sources ......................................................................25 1.3.2.1 Stative-continuous verbs as lexical sources of progressive marking in Arabic ........................................................................................29 1.3.2.1.1 gʻd, jls, nwm, qwm...........................................................29 1.3.2.1.2 kwn....................................................................................30 vii 1.3.3 Emphatic sources......................................................................................31 1.3.3.1 Emphatic sources in Arabic..........................................................33 1.3.3.1.1 Emphatic b-......................................................................33 1.3.3.1.2 Emphatic ʻml....................................................................36 1.3.3.1.2.1 The circularity of ʻammāl ....................................37 1.4 Theories of structural change...............................................................................40 1.4.1 Language internal changes: Theories of grammaticalization of aspectual markers.................................................................................................................40 1.4.1.1 Critical views of grammaticalization...........................................43 1.4.1.2 Motivations for grammaticlaization.............................................46 1.4.2 Language external changes: Theories of the diffusion of aspectual markers as an effect of contact (borrowing).............................................47 1.4.2.1 Borrowability of aspect markers..................................................49 1.4.3 Contact-induced grammaticalization........................................................53 1.5 Research methodology: analyzing synchronic aspect markers and identifying the type of diachronic change .........................................................................................57 1.5.1 The synchronic analysis...........................................................................61