A Descriptive Study of Noun Phrases in Modern Standard Arabic and Najdi Arabic a Thesis Submitted In
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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Noun Phrases in Arabic: a Descriptive Study of Noun Phrases in Modern Standard Arabic and Najdi Arabic A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Linguistics By Lujain Alkhazy May 2016 The thesis of Lujain Alkhazy is approved: _________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Joseph Galasso Date _________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Sharon Klein Date _________________________________________ ______________ Dr. Shadi Ganjavi, Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii Acknowledgement First and foremost, I praise God for granting me the blessings of learning and knowledge. I hold this work as a testimony that proves that success is never an individual effort. Has it not been for the amazing people around me, I would not been able to write this thesis. I would like to thank my family at the Linguistics/TESL Department at California State University, Northridge for offering me this wonderful learning experience. My deepest gratitude to the wonderful chair Dr. McClave and the entire kindhearted professors in the department, I thank you all for your constant support and encouragement. I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to the best committee members a graduate student could ever dream of having. Dr. Sharon Klein and Dr. Joseph Galasso, thank you for your time, for your instructive comments and remarks. My knowledge in linguistics has extended immensely thanks to you. Last but never the least I am forever grateful and it is my heartfelt pleasure to extend my appreciation and my deepest gratitude to my dear advisor Dr. Shadi Ganjavi. Words fail me in trying to thank you for your help and guidance throughout this journey. You were and will always be more than a professor and advisor. You have been a mother and a friend guiding and supporting me through this. Thank you! It would not been possible to be where I am today without the endless love and support I have had and felt from my family. To my dear parents, I am forever in indebted for your help throughout my life. To my first and best friend, my dear brother Fares, thank you for all your help during the past year, moving in with me and my daughters and being the best brother and uncle! To my husband and number one supporter, thank you for encouraging me and constantly repeating “a successful mother makes a successful family.” To the joys of my life and my source of strength, my beautiful daughters iii Aljoharah and Nora, I hope this work inspires you to pursue your dreams and reach your goals. iv Table of Contents Signature Page ………………………………………………………………………… ii Acknowledgement ………………………………………………………………….... iii List of abbreviations ……………………………………………..………………… iv Abstract …..………………………………………………………………………... vii Chapter One: Introduction ……………………………………………………....… 1 1.1 Literature ……………………………………………………………..…... 3 1.2 Najdi and Qassimi Arabic …………………………………………..…..... 5 1.3 Thesis outline …………………………………………………………….. 7 Chapter Two: Noun Phrases in Arabic 2.1 Definiteness …………………..………………………………..………..…. 9 2.2 Case Marking ..………………………………………………….……….. 12 2.3 Vocative Particle ……………………………………………….…………. 14 2.4. Chapter Summary ……………………………………………………… 16 Chapter Three: The Nominal Sentence 3.1 The initial NP, almubtda ..…………………………………………….…. 19 3.2 The nominal report, alxabar …………………...……………………….… 22 3.2.1 Simple Report …………….………………….………………..... 23 3.2.2 Complex Report ...………………………………..………….…. 24 3.3 Chapter Summary …………………………………………………….…... 28 Chapter Four: Initial NPs in VSO order: subjects or topics? 4.1 Noun Phrases in SV and VS word order ………………………………….. 30 4.2 Agreement Asymmetries in Arabic ………………………………………. 36 4.3 Verbless Sentences as Small Clause ……………………………………… 42 4.3 Chapter Summary ……………………………………………………….... 46 Chapter Five: Modifiers 5.1 Adjectival Modifiers ………………………………….…………………... 48 5.2 The Construct State …………………………………..…………………. 54 5.3 The Analytic Genitive …………………………………………………….. 59 5.4 Chapter Summary …………………………………………………….…... 62 Chapter Six: Conclusion ..……………………………………………………………. 63 References Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C v ABBREVIATIONS 1 First Person 2 Second Person 3 Third Person ACC Accusative DEM Diminutive EA Egyptian Arabic F Feminine GEN Genitive IMP Imperfective IMPR Imperative IND Indicative mood KA Kuwaiti Arabic M Masculine MSA Modern Standard Arabic MA Moroccan Arabic NA Najdi Arabic NOM Nominative PERF Perfective P Plural PRN Pronoun Q Quantifier QA Qassimi Arabic RESMP Resumptive S Singular vi Abstract Noun Phrases in Arabic: a Descriptive Study of Noun Phrases in MSA and Najdi Arabic By Lujain Alkhazy Masters of Arts in Linguistics The following work provides a general overview of noun phrases in Arabic. A descriptive study that seeks to lay out the varying range of noun phrases in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and compare them to those found in spoken dialects of Arabic, specifically Najdi Arabic (NA) and Qassimi Arabic (QA). Secondly, it grounds the description and comparison in a generative framework that provides a platform for further understanding. Another objective of this study is to provide an account on a specific syntactic structure with special reference to a Saudi dialect, in efforts to promote the importance of dialectal studies as an appropriate mean to better understand the standard and formal form of a language. vii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The following work is a descriptive study that aims to lay out and present the range of Noun Phrases in Arabic, generally in Modern Standard Arabic (Henceforth MSA), and compare them to those found in Najdi Arabic (NA) and Qassimi Arabic (QA). This work grounds its description and comparison in a generative framework that provides a further platform for questions and further understanding. I present the main constituents of a nominal sentence in Arabic, and look into the agreement system in such constructions. In addition, presenting the different roles initial NPs take according to the word order, and highlighting major analyses and descriptions from both classical grammars and modern linguistic theories. Conducting this research I have come across and read a great number of linguistic studies on different varieties of Arabic; works that explored phonological features of a dialect and other works that studied the syntactic structure of another dialect. However, when it comes to studies on Saudi Arabic the number of works and research in any linguistic field is comparatively low. In terms of the two dialects cited in this work, Najdi Arabic is considered to be a more studied variety than Qasimi Arabic. Studies and works that discuss NA include Abboud’s works (1964 and 1979) one of which is his Ph.D. dissertation, on the syntax of NA. Alsweel’s (1987) is another work that looks at the morphology and phonology of Najdi Arabic. Moreover, a seminal work that I have used in this study is Ingham’s (1994) Najdi Arabic: Central Arabian, which presents a detailed 1 description of the Najdi Arabic’s phonology, syntax, morphology and other linguistic features. In addition, Prochaza’s (1988) work on Saudi Arabian dialects, which covers dialects of Riyadh, Qassim, Sudair, Najran, and Bisha. Other works related to QA is Sowayan’s (1982) study of the phonology of Unaizah, one of Alqassim cities. I understand that the vast majority of Saudi linguists might be quit reluctant to conduct research on a colloquial dialect, since spoken dialects are considered less prestigious and an informal form of the standard high variety of the language. Palmer (2007) in his essay on promoting the importance of teaching dialects and nonstandard varieties of Arabic, quotes Versteegh, a linguist and an Arabist who points out that “it remains difficult in the Arab world to arouse interest in the dialects as a serious object of study. Many speakers of Arabic still feel that the dialect is a variety of language without a grammar and even in the universities there is a certain reluctance to accept dialect studies as a dissertation subject” (2004:132). Yet, in my own experience studying and researching a specific dialect, has helped me better understand the rules of the standard form of the language. More importantly I came to realize the amount of linguistic sophistication and complexity of different dialects. Due to the number of spoken dialects of Arabic, an objective of this to draw major distinctions between those varieties and the formal standard form of Arabic. In addition, to look at classical descriptions of Arabic grammars and providing an analysis and description that is analogous to modern linguistic theories. Nonetheless, my aim to document a spoken dialect of Arabic is to provide a platform for future linguistic studies by looking at possible alternations and differences that may occur in the dialects. 2 1.1 LITERATURE The literature is rich with works and studies on standard languages. In this work I have initiated my investigation by first looking at traditional grammars, that is descriptions of Arabic grammar as set by the classical grammarian Sibawayh. I have used descriptive resources of his followers, for instance Abdullatif et. al., (1997), Alrajihi (2001), and Abo Almkarm (2007). One of the references is ʔlnɛħɔ ʔlʔəsasi by Abdullatif et. al., (1997), which covers the basics of Arabic grammar. A key chapter used here is the first chapter where he explains the characteristics of the Arabic noun. A second work I have used is ʔljumla ʔlismya by Abo Almkarm (2007). In his book Abo Almkarm