Sibawayh the Phonologist
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SIBAWAYH THE PHONOLOGIST A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE PHONETIC AND PHONOLOGICAL THEORY OF SIBAWAYH AS PRESENTED IN HIS TREATISE ALKT7; A'-B Abdulmuntim Abdulamlir al Nassir M. A. A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the in language. requirement for the degree of D. Phil. University of York Language Department 1985 4imi L 's ' a- 9, J6 .4& 'd-J, .4ý, AJ ==mi, 4ij so *L jo Ilk 0, L , --i, LL 0 A 17 Cot a p to ____ 1: 4 A verse of the Qur'ýn written in c. 10th century A. D. This sample of Arabic orthography follows al-Du'al7i's method of writing the short vowels of Arabic. British Library, Or. ms. 1397 f. 15 b. DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the memory of Sibawayh) whose contribution to Arabic linguistics has never been equalled. I CONTENTS Acknowledgement ix Abstract x Key to symbols used in transliteration & transcription xi Introduction xiii CHAPTER ONE: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.2 EARLY MODERN ARABIC 1 1.3 THE BEGINNING OF ARABIC GRAMMAR 4 1.4 SIBAWAYH 6 1.4.1 The Man 6 1.4.2 The Scholar 8 1.5 THE BOOK 10 1.5.1 History 10 1.5.2 Scope and Aim 11 1.5.3 Style and Method 14 1.5.4 Prestige and Influence 16 CHAPTER TWO: THE LETTERS OF ARABIC I NUMBER, PLACES OF ARTICULATION AND STATUS 2.1 INTRODUCTION 19 2.2 CONCEPT OF THE 'VARF' 19 2.3 THE VARF AS SPEECH SOUND 21 2.3.1 The Number of Letters 21 2.3.2 Names of the Letters 21 2.3.3 The Order of the Letters 25 2.3.4 Places of Articulation 28 2.3.5 Derived Letters 37 2.3.5.1 The 'Light Nýn' 37 2.3.5.2 The Hamzah Bayna Bayn 37 37 2.3.5.3 -The Alifs of Im3lah and of Tafkhim 2.3.5.4 The Shin Similar to the Jim 38 2.3.5.5 The ýad Similar to the Zay 38 2.3.6 Unfavoured Derived Letters 38 2.3.6.1 The K3f Between Jim and K3f 39 2.3.6.2 The Jim Similar to Shin 39 ii 2.3.6.3 The Weak ? ad 39 2.3.6.4 The Ta' Similar to Tal 40 2.3.6.5 The Dha' Similar to Th3l 40 2.3.6.6 The Bal Similar to Fa' 40 2.4 THE HARF AS SYLLABLE 40 2.4.1 Early Analysis of Syllabic Structure 40 2.4.2 Constraints on Syllabic Structure 42 44 2.4.3 ýSibawayh's Analysis of the Syllable 2.4.4 Structural Forms 46 2.4.4.1 Monoliteral Forms 46 2.4.4.2 Biliteral Forms 47 2.4.4.3 Triliteral Forms 47 2.4.4.4 Quadriliteral Forms 48 2.4.4.5 Quintiliteral Forms 48 2.5 LINGUISTIC UNITS HIERARCHY 49 2.5.1 Root Forms of Arabic 49 2.5.2 Strength of Forms 51 CHAPTER THREE: THE LETTERS OF ARABIC Il PHONETIC FEATURES 3.1 INTRODUCTION 54 3.2 CONSONANT VERSUS VOWEL 54 3.2.1 Phonetic Properties of Vowels 56 56 3.2.1.1 - Jahr Ctn 3.2.1.2 -, 1 57 3.2.1.3 Madd 58 3.2.1.4 Short Vowels in Pause 61 62 3.2.1.5 Places of Articulation of Vowels 3.2.2 Phonological Function of Vowels 63 3.3 MAH]4U`SVERSUS MAJH-U-R 66 3.3.1 Definition of Majhu-r and Mahmus 67 3.3.2 Classification of Segments into Majhýr and Mahm;s 69 3.3.2.1 The Q: f 69 3.3.2.2 The Ta' 71 3.3.2.3 The Hamzah 71 3.4 SHAb-1D VERSUS RIKHW 72 3.4.1 The Q: f 74 3.4.1.1 The Early Q; f /G/ 74 iii 3.4.1.2 q 74 3.4.1.3 9 75 3.4.1.4 i 75 3.4.1.5 k 75 3.4.1.6 a 76 3.4.1.7 7 76 3.4.1.8 15 76 3.4.2 The K3f /k/ 77 3.4.3 The Jim /j/ 78 3.4.3.1 i 79 80 3.4.3.2 9 3.4.3.3 i 80 81 3.4.3.4 y 3.4.3.5 dy 81 82 3.4.3.6 gy 3.4.4 The D3d 82 3.4.4.1 85 3.4.4.2 d 85 3.4.4.3 The 'Weak' Dýd of Sibawayh 85 3.4.4.4 Explanation 85 3.4.5 The T3' 86 3.4.6 The 'Ayn /q/ 89 3.4.7 The Lam /l/ 90 3.4.8 The R: 1 /r/ 92 3.4.9 The Nasals Nun /n/ and Mim /m/ 93 3.5 -, MUTBAQ VERSUS MUNFATIH 94 3.5.1 Definition and Description 94 96 3.5.2 -Velarized or Pharyngealized 96 3.5.3 -Mustacliyah 3.6 MUSHRABAH and QALQALAH 97 97 3.6.1 Description of Qalqalah I 3.6.2 Plain Mushrabah 99 3.6.3 Pausing on Voiceless Consonants 100 3.7 TAFASIffiýj 101 3.8 SUMMARY 102 iv CHAPTER FOUR: THE CONSONANTS IN CONTEXT 4.1 INTRODUCTION 104 4.2 *ASSIMILATORY PROCESSES 104 4.2.1 Idgham 104 4.2.2 Ibdýl 106 4.2.3 Ikhfý' 107 4.3 IDGICXK IN IDENTICAL SEGMENTS 107 4.3.1 CjVCj 108 4.3.2 CjV# C1 109 4.3.3 --u: w-&y- 4.3.4 TheýHamzah 4.4 IDGIfK-K IN SEGMENTS OF ADJACENT OUTLETS 112 4.4.1 The Hamzah 112 V+C 112 . 4.4.2 4.4.3 The Semi-Vowels 112 4.4.4 The Four Consonants Mlm, Fal, Ra' and Shin 113 4.4.4.1 /b/ & /m/ 113 4.4.4.2 /f/ & /b/ 114 4.4.4.3 /r/ +A, n 114 4.4.4.4 /i/ + /j/ 115 4.4.5 Back Consonants 116 4.4.5.1 /h/ + /11/ 116 4.4.5.2 /h/ + 116 4.4.5.3 /q/ + 118 4.4.5.4 /x/ + /S/ 118 4.4.5.5 /G/ + /k/ 119 4.4.6 The Nýn /n/- 119 4.4.6.1 /n/ +/?, h, 'h, ci 119 4.4.6.2 /n/ +/X, 16/ 120 4.4.6.3 /n/ +/l, r, w, y / 120 4.4.6.4 /n/ + /m/ 121 4.4.6.5 /n/ + /b/ 122 4.4.6.6 /n/ + Medial Consonants 122 4.4.6.7 Phonetic Values of the Assimilative Nýn 123 4.4.7 The Lým /l/ 124 4.4.7.1 The Definitive 1.3m 124 4.4.7.2 The non-Definitive L.;m 125 4.4.7.3 The Radical L: m 126 V 4.5 IDGIGM IN APICAL CONSONANTS 126 4.5.1 The Alveolar Plosives 127 4.5.1.1 141 + d, t/ 127 4.5.1.2 / d, t+ 141 129 4.5.1.3 /d/ + /t/ 129 4.5.2 The Alveolar Sibilants s, z 130 4.5.3 The Dental Fricatives e 131 4.5.4 Combinations of Dissimilar Apical Consonants 131 4.5.4.1 Alveolar Plosive + Sibilant 131 4.5.4.2 Dental Fricative + Sibilant 134 4.5.4.3 Dental Fricative + Alveolar Plosive 135 4.5.5 The D3d 135 4.5.5.1 + d, d, t 135 4.5.5.2 + Sibilant 136 4.5.5.3 - 6d ld 137 4.5.6 The Shin 137 4.5.6.1 /i/ + d, t 137 4.5.6.2 id 138 4.5.7 The Jim /j/ 138 4.6 REMOTE PARTIAL ASSIMILATION 139 4.6.1 /s/ + IGI 139- 4.6.2 /s/ +/X, 15 / 140 4.6.3 /s/ + Muýbaq Consonant 140 4.6.4 Isl -4 /t/ in the Form / sids 140 4.7 SUMMARY 141 CHAPTER FIVE: THE HAMZAH IN CONTEXT 5.1 INTRODUCTION 144 5.2 THE INTERVOCALIC HAMZAH 146 5.2.1 A Hamzah Between Two Short Vowels 146 5.2.1.1 a?V - 146 5.2.1.2 u? V - 148 5.2.1.3 i7v - 148 5.2.1.4 Sibawayh's Account 148 5.2.2 A Hamzah Preceded by a Long Vowel 149 5.2.2.1 - a: ?V- 149 5.2.2.2 - u: 7V-&7V- 150 5.2.2.3 Explanations 150 152 5.2.2.4 -V7V- i 5.3 A HAMZAH CONTIGUOUS WITH A CONSONANT 152 5.3.1 Preconsonantal Hamzah 152 5.3.2 Postconsonantal Hamzah 153 5.3.3 Special Cases 154 5.4 TWO NEIGHBOURING HAMZAHS 155 5.4.1 Two Hamzahs Across Word Boundaries 155 5.4.1.1 - ?v# ?- 155 5.4.1.2 The Interrogative Hamzah 156 5.4.1.3 - ?#? - 157 5.4.2 Two Hamzahs Within the Word 158 5.5 SUMMARY 158 CHAPTER SIX: THE VOWELS IN CONTEXT 6.1 INTRODUCTION 160 6.2 IMXLAH, 160 6.2.1 In The Neighbourhood of Y: ' and Kasrah 163 6.2.1.1 In The Neighbourhood of Kasrah 163 6.2.1.2 In The Neighbourhood of the Ya' 165 6.2.1.3 In The Neighbourhood of the Semi-Vowel Yal 166 6.2.1.4 Separated by CVC 167 6.2.2 Influence of Underlying'Structure 167 6.2.2.1 Underlying Y31 168 6.2.2.2' Underlying Waw 168 6.2.2.3 Underlying Medial Y31 or W3w in Verb Forms 168 6.2.3 -Im3lah in the neighbourhood of Musta'liyah 169 6.2.3.1 -Ca:.