A Sociolinguistic Investigation of Two Hōrāni Features in Sūf, Jordan Areej Mohammad Al-Hawamdeh A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Language and Linguistics University of Essex January 2016 Page | i Table of Content Table of Content ............................................................................................................................................. i Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Acknowledgment .......................................................................................................................................... 2 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................. 5 List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................... 7 List of Maps .................................................................................................................................................. 8 List of charts .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Guide to Phonetic and Transcription System .............................................................................................. 10 Chapter 1 ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 14 1.1 Jordan: a historical background ......................................................................................................... 15 Ancient History ........................................................................................................................................... 15 Middle Ages ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Modern history ............................................................................................................................................ 18 1.2 Topography and dialect geography .................................................................................................... 20 1.3 Approaches to the study of variation in Jordanian Arabic ................................................................. 26 1.4 Conceptual underpinning of the current study ................................................................................... 28 1.5 Significance of the study .................................................................................................................... 30 1.6 Research Questions ............................................................................................................................ 30 1.7 Outline of thesis chapters ................................................................................................................... 31 Chapter 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Dialect Description ..................................................................................................................... 33 Sūf dialect .................................................................................................................................................... 34 Linguistic Description ................................................................................................................................. 35 2.1 Phonology .......................................................................................................................................... 35 2.1.1 Consonant ......................................................................................................................... 35 2.1.2 Vowels .............................................................................................................................. 38 2.1.3 Pausal forms ..................................................................................................................... 40 2.1.4 Syllable structure .............................................................................................................. 42 2.2 Morphology ........................................................................................................................................ 43 2.2.1 Pronouns ........................................................................................................................... 43 2.2.1.1 Maintenance of gender distinction in the 2nd & 3rd person plural forms ....................... 43 2.2.1.2 Possessive/object suffixes pronouns .............................................................................. 44 Page | ii 2.2.1.3 Indirect object suffixes .................................................................................................. 45 2.2.1.4 Demonstratives .............................................................................................................. 45 2.2.1.5 Presentatives .................................................................................................................. 46 2.2.1.6 Interrogatives ................................................................................................................. 46 2.2.2 Adverbs ............................................................................................................................. 46 2.2.3 Particles ............................................................................................................................ 47 2.2.3.1 Definite article ............................................................................................................... 47 2.2.3.2 The genitive marker ....................................................................................................... 47 2.2.3.3 Negation particle ............................................................................................................ 47 2.2.4 Nominal Morphology ....................................................................................................... 47 2.2.4.1 Gender ........................................................................................................................... 47 2.2.4.2 Productive patterns ........................................................................................................ 47 2.2.4.3 Numerals ........................................................................................................................ 48 2.2.4.4 Strong verbs ................................................................................................................... 48 2.2.4.4.1 Forms .......................................................................................................................... 48 Verb form I: ................................................................................................................................................. 48 Verb form II ................................................................................................................................................ 48 Verb form III ............................................................................................................................................... 49 Forms VII (the n- prefix) ............................................................................................................................. 49 Forms VIII ................................................................................................................................................... 49 The verb forms IX ....................................................................................................................................... 49 2.2.4.4.2 Inflections ................................................................................................................... 49 Perfect .......................................................................................................................................................... 49 2.2.4.4.3 The maintenance of /a/ in the imperfective jiCCaCiC ................................................ 50 2.2.4.5 Weak verbs .................................................................................................................... 51 Verb II gem. ................................................................................................................................................ 51 Verbs I ʔ ...................................................................................................................................................... 51 Verbs I w ..................................................................................................................................................... 51 2.3 Syntax ................................................................................................................................................ 52 2.3.1 Noun phrase ...................................................................................................................... 52 Page | iii 2.3.2 Verb phrase ......................................................................................................................