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Diglossia in Arabica Comparative Study of the Modern Volume 12 Issue 8 Version 1.0 May 2012 Type: Double Blind Peer Reviewed International Research Journal Publisher: Global Journals Inc. (USA) Online ISSN: & Print ISSN: Abstract - Diglossia is a language situation in which there are two distinct varieties of a language used side by side. One variety, referred to as the High variety (H), is used only on formal and public occasions, while the other one, referred to as the Low variety (L), is used under normal, everyday circumstances. The distance between the H and L are sometimes to the extent that the two varieties are mutually unintelligible. One good example is the diglossic situation held between the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and the Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (EA). This article aims to compare the two varieties, at different linguistic levels, to illustrate how these differences have made the two verities mutually unintelligible. Keywords : Diglossia, Standard Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, High Variety, Low Variety etc. GJHSS-F Classification : FOR Code: 160603 Diglossia in Arabic A Comparative Study of the Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of: © 2012. Mohammad Jafar Jabbari. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Diglossia in Arabic A Comparative Study of the Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Mohammad Jafar Jabbari Abstract - Diglossia is a language situation in which there are language (which may include a standard or regional two distinct varieties of a language used side by side. One standards), there is a very divergent, highly coded (often variety, referred to as the High variety (H), is used only on grammatically more complex) superposed variety, the 2012 formal and public occasions, while the other one, referred to y vehicle of a large and respected body of written a as the Low variety (L), is used under normal, everyday M literature, either of an earlier period or in another speech circumstances. The distance between the H and L are sometimes to the extent that the two varieties are mutually community, which is learned largely by formal education 23 unintelligible. One good example is the diglossic situation held and is used for most written and formal spoken between the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and the Egyptian purposes but is not used by any sector of the Colloquial Arabic (EA). This article aims to compare the two community for ordinary conversation (p.336). varieties, at different linguistic levels, to illustrate how these Diglossia for Trudgill (2009), "is a particular kind differences have made the two verities mutually unintelligible. of language standardization where two distinct varieties Keywords : Diglossia, Standard Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, of a language exist side by side throughout the speech High Variety, Low Variety etc. community (not just in the case of a particular group of I. Introduction speakers, such as Scots or Blacks) and where each of the two varieties is assigned a definite social ome languages have two totally distinct varieties function"(p.113). used through a speech community, each of which It is noticeable that Ferguson's definition of with a different range of social functions. Whereas S 'diglossia' is quite specific in that the two varieties should one variety, referred to as High (H), is used only on belong to the same language. Some other scholars, Volume XII Issue VIII Version I formal and public events, the other one, referred to as however, have extended the term to cover situations Low (L), is used under normal daily-life circumstances. which do not count as diglossic according to Ferguson's ce This situation, referred to as "diglossia", is very common n definition. For Meyerhoff (2006:103) diglossia is a e especially in Arabic-speaking communities. Varieties of ci situation in which "One language may be used for some Arabic form a roughly continuous spectrum of variation, social functions or in a specific social context, while al S with the dialects spoken in the eastern and western ci another language is served for other". Fishman o extremes of the Arab-speaking world being mutually S (1971:75) refers to Paraguay as an example of a unintelligible. The best example of this mutual an diglossic community, in which the two varieties do not unintelligibility is the diglossic situation, held between m belong to one language, but are Spanish and Guarani. u the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and the Egyptian According to Warduaugh (2005:89), "the f H colloquial Arabic (EA). This article aims at illustrating the phenomenon of diglossia is not ephemeral in nature: in differences between the two varieties at different al o fact, the opposite is true: it appears to be a persistent n linguistics levels, which have resulted in this mutual r social and linguistic phenomenon." In a diglossic u unintelligibility. o situation, the two varieties have co-existed for a long al J II. Background period, sometimes, as in Arabic-speaking communities, b for many centuries. lo Diglossia is a situation in which two distinct G varieties of a language are used. One variety is used A key point in diglossia is that the two varieties only on formal and public occasions, while the other are kept apart functionally. One variety, referred to as variety is used under normal, everyday circumstances. Low (L), is used at home or in other informal situations, The term diglossia was introduced into the literature by however, if someone needs to give a lecture at a Charles Ferguson (1959): university or in any formal circumstance, (s)he is Diglossia is a relatively stable language expected to use the other variety, referred to as High situation in which, in addition to the dialects of the (H). For Wardhaugh, the two varieties cannot be interchangeably used. He asserts: "You do not use an H Author : Faculty of Literature & Humanities, Yasouj University, Yasouj, variety in circumstances calling for an L variety, e.g. for Iran. E-mail : mjjabbari@mail.yu.ac.ir , mjjabbari@yahoo.com addressing a servant; nor does one use an L variety © 2012 Global Journals Inc. (US) Diglossia in Arabic A Comparative Study of the Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic when an H variety is called for, e.g., for writing a serious the need for such Arabic programs to help learners work of literature"(2005 P: 90). communicate successfully, argues that ”If the goal of an In a diglossic society, all children acquire the L Arabic-as-a-foreign language program is to prepare variety. Some may concurrently learn the H variety, but students to function successfully in Arabic, then they many do not learn it at all. Therefore, the two varieties should be introduced to both a Spoken Arabic dialect are not regarded as having the same degree of prestige. and [formal Arabic] from the beginning of an Arabic For example, this "diglossic situation may also be found course.” in Egypt, where both classical Arabic and colloquial There have also been views against teaching Arabic is used"(Finch, 2005:214). Spoken Arabic which focuses on the impossibility of Ferguson identifies four situations which show dealing with the full range of Arabic dialects and the the major characteristics of this diglossic phenomenon: difficulty of choosing one dialect to teach, however, Arabic, Swiss German, Haitian (French and Creole), and some surveys are indicative of the fact that “86% of Greek. In each situation, there is a 'high variety' (H) of students who expressed interest in learning Spoken language and a 'low' variety (L). Arabic prefer either Levantine1 or Egyptian Arabic” (Al- 2012 y a In an Arabic-speaking diglossic community, the Batal & Belnap, 2006, p.396, cited in Palmer, 2007, p. M two varieties are standard Arabic (H) and the various 115). These two are not the most commonly spoken and regional colloquial Arabic (L). understood varieties of Spoken Arabic, yet “ there are 242 There has been this view that the spoken abundant materials available in each that would make it varieties of Arabic are corruptions of MSA (Modern relatively painless for even a native Moroccan or Iraqi Standard Arabic) or CA (Classical Arabic) as found in speaker to teach a class in Levantine or Egyptian; the Quran and are, therefore, less prestigious varities of though the reverse is not viable” (Palmer, 2007:115). Arabic. According to Wardhaugh (2005): To shed light on the diglossic nature of Arabic "The H variety is the prestige variety; the L and to sport his argumentation in favor of incorporating variety lacks prestige. In fact, there can be so little Spoken Arabic in program curricula. Palmer (2007:115) prestige attached to the L variety that people may even cites the following sentences: deny that they know it although they may be observed to "On the political level, a rather spectacular case use it far more frequently than the H variety]……[This of this manipulation of linguistic variation is to be found feeling about the superiority of the H variety is reinforced in the political speeches of the late President Nasser. He by the fact that a body of literature exists in that variety used to begin his speeches at an elevated level, spoken and almost none in the L variety. That literature may slowly and rhythmically, because of the formality of the Volume XII Issue VIII Version I reflect essential values about the culture. Speakers of situation. But then his sentences would become Arabic in particular gain prestige from being able to gradually more and more colloquial, spoken in a faster allude to classical sources.
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