Assimilation in Classical Arabic A phonological study By Abdulrahman Ibrahim Alfozan A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Glasgow in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 1989 Assimilation in Classical Arabic A phonological study By Abdulrahman Ibrahim Affozan A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts of the University of Glasgow in- f ulf ilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 1989 Z kw Ic10 T4ý I ARABIC, SOUNDS 1. CONSONANTS Arabic Translite- Phonetic Phonetic symbol ration Transcription Values voiceless glottal stop .A h h voiceless glottal fricative fricative C 4 voiceless pharyngeal f- C voiced pharyngeal fricative kh X voiceless uvular fricative gh V voiced uvular fricative 43 q q voiced uvular stop J, k k voiceless velar stop i i voiced palatal stop y Y voiced alveo-palatal semi-vowel sh S voiceless alveo-palatal fricative d d voiced alveolar stop t t voiceless alveolar stop voiced emphatic alveolar stop I voiced alveolar lateral r r voiced alveolar trill voiced emphatic alveolar fricative n n voiced alveolar nasal voiceless emphatic alveolar fricative z z voiced alveolar fricative s S voiceless alveolar fricative z voiced emphatic interdental fricative S th voiced interdental fricative th e voiceless interdental fricative fricative I.j f f voiceless labiodental b b voiced bilabial stop m M voiced bilabial nasal w W voiced bilabial semi- vowel .S ý approximated to z 2. Vowels a Short vowels 1 - U I ý-Ol a Long L; o,Li vowels 1 U a Over-length vowels I i U S . Alif at-imdlah al-khafifah E 01 zuec ziup Alif al-imdlah ath-thaqllah 6 01 ZLIL4AZ3U9ý Z>.: i Fatýat al-im; Rlah al-khafifah E 01 ZLZ.i ZJL4 Z>ai Fatýat al-imdlah ath-thaqllah e Alif at- tafkhIm 5 ýZX: i Fatýat at- tafkhlm D Kasrah approx. to jammah 4. Pammah approx. to kasrah -+-+ III Acknowledgement My gratitute is due totally to my Lord for the successful completion of this work. I wish to express my sincere thanks to my supervisor professor John, N., Mattock, the head of the department of Arabic and Islamic Studies in the University of Glasgow, for his interest, -assistance supervision, and encouragement in this work. I would like to thank the staff of the Glasgow University Library for providing me with sources through inter-library loan and other services. I wish also to express my thanks to the Arabic Institution at King SulcUd Un iversity in Riyadh, Saud. i Arabia, for giving me this Opportunity to further my education. IV Contents Introduction I .................................................................................................... 1. Arabic Sounds: 3 ................................................................................. 1.1. Consonants: 4 .............................................................................. I. I. I. Place 4 of articulation .................................................... 1.1.2. Manner 6 of articulation ............................................. 1.2. Non-cardinal 11 sounds: ............................................................ 1.2.1. Accepted 13 sounds: .......................................................... 1.2.1.1., Consonants 13 .......................................................... 1.2.1.2. Vowels 18 .................................................................... 1.2.2. Rejected 19 sounds . ........................................................... 1.3. Vowels 26 ......................................................................................... 1.4. Semi-vowels 37 .............................................................................. 1.5. Distinctive features 38 ................................................................ 2. Types Assimilation: 48 of ............................................................... 2.1. Introduction 48 ............................................................................ 2.2. Direction 72 of assimilation: ................................................... 2.2.1. Progressive: 73 ................................................................... 2.2.1.1. Iftacala forms: 74 ................................................ 2.2.1.1.1. t t 75 --> ................................................ 2.2.1.1.2. t d 78 ---> ............................................... 2.2.2. Regressive 80 : .................................................................... 2.2.2.1. The definite / 83 article al -/ ....................... 2.2.2.2. Iftacala forms: (w, t 91 Y) --ý ........................ 2.2.2.3. Nasal 94 assimilation ........................................... 2.2-3. Coalescent 108 ..................................................................... 2.3. Complete 110 vs. partial assimilations: ........................... 2.4. Distant 113 assimilation ............................................................ 2.5. Historical 123 assimilation ....................................................... 3. Sounds in Combination: 130 ........................................................... 3.1. Consonants: 133 ............................................................................. 3.1.1. TOM P 133 al- urfIf .......................................................... 3.1.2. Idghim 154 al-purflf ....................................................... V 31-. 2.1. ýfafql sounds ...................................................155 3-1.2.2. Aqpj . al-fam sounds ....................................160 3.1.2.3. Wast al-fam sounds .....................................162 3.1.2.4. Shafawl sounds .... '-----*-**, *... *- 181 3.1.2.5. General Remarks ... ...............................182 3.2. Vowels: ...................................................................................- 195 3.2.1. Introduction 195 , .................................................................. 3.2-2. Imilah ...............*********'**"*****"*******'*****************'****"*"', 213 3.2.3. Vowel harmony ..........................................................236 Lengthening & '3.2.4. shortening ......................................248 3.2-5. Alif at-fafkhfm /5/............................................ 259 Conclusion: ................................................................................................263 Bibliography ..........................................I.................................................... 268 vi Abstract This thesis deals with the 'phenomenon of assimilation, a natural phonological process, in classical Arabic, It consists of three chapters: The first chapter of the thesis deals with the Arabic sounds in isolation: their points of articulation and manners of articulation with reference to the views of both Arab linguists and scholars of Tajwld' Secondary sounds, both accepted I and rejected, are mentioned too. A brief' discussion is devoted to the distinctive features, with particular reference to those that seem to have been described inaccurately by some early or modern linguists. The second chapter deals with the definition and'different types of assimilation. The term idghim, which has been rendered as "assimilation" is, in fact, narrower in application than the English term; other topics and sub-topics in Arabic grammar that subsume aspects of assimilation are also discussed. The direction of assimilation, whether the influence comes regressively or progressively or in both directions is dealt with, with detailed examples, mostly from the Qur-lin. A brief discussion of both complete and partial assimilation is given followed by a discussion of distant assimilation, with particular attention being given to the so called "al-Idghim al-Kabir". The last sub-chapter here deals with the history of sound changes in Arabic. The third chapter is the main part of the thesis. It deals with Arabic sounds in combination. Consonants are discussed first, vii from two points of view: the occurrence or non-occurrence of certain consonants with each other within the same roots, and the influence of certain sounds upon others when these occur adjacently. Vowels are then discussed in detail, particularly with respect to the best-known phenomena associated with them: imilah, vowel harmony, lengthening and shortening, and tafkh1m. Under imilah, we consider whether the alif al- im4lah is an independent phoneme, a dialectal variant, or an allophone of. the actual / fL /. When this alif is likely to occur and when it is likely to be inhibited is also seen. In the section on vowel harmony the question as to whether there is systematic harmony is confronted. In the section on lengthening and shortening, the. circumstances in. which these two phenomena occur are discussed, with particular attention to the over- lengthened vowels. Finally, alif at-tafkhIm is investigated, to see whether this vowel /5/ is an independent phoneme, a dialectal variant, or an allophone of the actual /d Introduction Arabic phonetics and phonology have been studied extensively by both early and modern linguists. The phenomenon of "assimilation" is included in their general work; however, deeper study of this phenomenon is needed. In this work, we attempt to fill this gap to some extent; however, a comprehensive further investigation is still needed, especially where the behavior of certain sounds is not satisfactorily explained. Largely because of the very great number of contradictory examples reported. The study of phonetics among the Arabs dates back, together with their other linguistic studies, such as grammar, lexicography, and rhetoric, to the first century of