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A Grammar of Darfur Arabic A grammar of Darfur Arabic Published by LOT phone: +31 30 253 6111 Trans 10 3512 JK Utrecht e-mail: [email protected] The Netherlands http://www.lotschool.nl Cover illustration: Zeen street, Khartoum (photograph by Caroline Roset) ISBN 978-94-6093-286-1 NUR 616 Copyright © 2018 by Caroline Roset. All rights reserved. A grammar of Darfur Arabic ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam op gezag van de Rector Magnificus prof. dr. ir. K.I.J. Maex ten overstaan van een door het College voor Promoties ingestelde commissie, in het openbaar te verdedigen in de Aula der Universiteit op vrijdag 18 mei 2018, te 13:00 uur door Caroline Jeanne Roset geboren te ’s-Gravenhage Promotiecommissie: Promotor: prof. dr. P.C. Hengeveld Universiteit van Amsterdam Copromotor: prof. dr. M.A. Woidich Universiteit van Amsterdam Overige leden: prof. dr. C.H.M. Versteegh Radboud Universiteit prof. dr. J. Owens Universität Bayreuth prof. dr. A.P. Versloot Universiteit van Amsterdam dr. E.W.A. Zack Universiteit van Amsterdam dr. S.J. Andringa Universiteit van Amsterdam Faculteit der Geesteswetenschappen Dit proefschrift is mede gefinancierd door de middelen Duurzame Geesteswetenschappen 2011-2016 van de Universiteit van Amsterdam. إىل انس دارفور To the people of Darfur i Table of contents Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. xi 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Darfur general ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Darfurians .................................................................................................................. 2 1.2.1 Numbers and lifestyle ..................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 ‘Ethnic’ groups ................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Languages of Darfur and terminology .................................................................. 4 1.3.1 Sociolinguistics ................................................................................................ 4 1.3.2 Non-Arabic languages .................................................................................... 5 1.3.3 Old Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic and the Arabic dialects ................. 5 1.3.4 Sudanic and Sudanese Arabic ........................................................................ 6 1.3.5 Darfur Arabic .................................................................................................... 6 1.4 State of the art and main publications ................................................................. 7 1.5 Aims and organization of this study ..................................................................... 8 1.5.1 Aims ................................................................................................................... 8 1.5.2 Organization ..................................................................................................... 8 1.5.3 Basic assumptions of this study .................................................................... 9 1.5.3.1 Variability and grammatical rules of Darfur Arabic .............................. 9 1.5.3.2 Target variety of Arabic by Darfurians .................................................... 9 1.5.3.3 Representability......................................................................................... 10 1.5.3.4 Comparison with other languages and language varieties ................ 10 1.5.3.5 Qualitative grammar and semantics ...................................................... 10 1.6 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 11 1.6.1 Informants ...................................................................................................... 12 1.6.2 Key informants .............................................................................................. 14 ii 1.7 Transcription, spelling and glosses ..................................................................... 15 1.8 Abbreviations and symbols ................................................................................... 16 2 Phonology .......................................................................................................................... 17 2.1 Phonology general.................................................................................................. 17 2.2 Phonemes ................................................................................................................. 17 2.2.1 Consonants ..................................................................................................... 17 2.2.1.1 Allophonic realizations of consonants................................................... 18 2.2.1.1.1 Phoneme ʤ ......................................................................................... 19 2.2.1.1.2 Phonemes f and b ............................................................................... 19 2.2.1.1.3 Phoneme ʃ ............................................................................................ 19 2.2.2 Vowels ................................................................................................................... 20 2.2.2.1 Allophonic realizations of vowels ........................................................... 20 2.2.2.1.1 Phoneme i [i] [ɪ] .................................................................................. 20 2.2.2.1.2 Phoneme a [ɑ] [a] [ɛ] [ɪ] ..................................................................... 20 2.2.2.1.3 Phoneme e ........................................................................................... 22 2.2.2.1.4 Phoneme o [o] [ɔ]................................................................................ 22 2.2.2.1.5 Diphthongization ............................................................................... 23 2.2.3 Lengthening vowels and consonants ......................................................... 23 2.3 Phonological rules .................................................................................................. 25 2.3.1 Assimilation .................................................................................................... 25 2.3.1.1 Assimilation with al= ................................................................................. 25 2.3.1.2 Assimilation of n- preceding -g or -k ...................................................... 25 2.3.1.3 Assimilation of n- before -b ...................................................................... 26 2.3.1.4 Other cases of assimilation ...................................................................... 26 2.3.2 Voicing and devoicing .................................................................................. 27 2.3.3 Deletion or syncope ...................................................................................... 28 2.3.4 Vowel harmony ............................................................................................. 28 iii 2.3.5 Epenthesis....................................................................................................... 28 2.3.6 Metathesis ...................................................................................................... 30 2.4 Syllable structure ................................................................................................... 30 2.5 Word stress .............................................................................................................. 31 2.6 Historical considerations ...................................................................................... 33 2.6.1 Old Arabic phoneme ʤ ................................................................................. 33 2.6.2 Old Arabic phoneme q .................................................................................. 34 2.6.3 Old Arabic phoneme x .................................................................................. 35 2.6.4 Old Arabic phoneme ɣ .................................................................................. 36 2.6.5 Old Arabic phoneme ħ .................................................................................. 37 2.6.6 Old Arabic phoneme ʕ ................................................................................... 38 2.6.7 Old Arabic phoneme h .................................................................................. 40 2.6.8 Velarized consonants ................................................................................... 41 2.7 Homonyms ............................................................................................................... 42 3 Morphology: pronouns and particles ............................................................................ 43 3.1 Pronouns and particles general ........................................................................... 43 3.2 Pronouns .................................................................................................................. 43 3.2.1 Independent personal pronouns ................................................................ 43 3.2.2 Pronominal suffixes or bound pronouns .................................................. 46 3.2.3 Indirect object suffixes ................................................................................
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