A CRITICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SPOKEN DIALECT OF THE NARB TRIBE IN SAUDI ARABIA A thesis presented to the University of Leeds Department of Semitic Studies by ALAYAN. MOHAMMED IL-HAZMY for The Degree of-Doctor of Philosophy April YFr fi xt ?031 This dissertation has never been submitted to this or any other University. PREFACE The aim of this thesis is to describe and study analytically the dialect of the Harb tribe, and to determine its position among the neighbouring tribes. Harb is a very large tribe occupying an extensive area of Saudi Arabia, and it was impracticable for one individual to survey every settlement. This would have occupied a lengthy period, and would best be done by a team of investigators, rather than an individual. Thus we have limited our investigation to-two"-selected'regions, which we believe to be representative, the first ranging from north-east Rabigh up to al-Madina (representing the speech of the Harb in the Hijaz), and the second ranging from al-Madina to al-Fawwara in al-Qasirn district (representing the speech of the Harb in Central Arabia). We have thus left out of consideration an area extending fromCOsfän to Räbigh, where some-. members-of the Harb, partic- ularly those of the Muabbad, Bishr and Zubaid clan live. We have been unable in the northern central region, to go as far as al-Quwära and Dukhnah. However, some Harbis from the unsurveyed area were met with in our regions, and samples of their speech were obtained and included. Within these limitations, however the datä'collected are substantial and it is hoped comprehensive enough to give a clear picture of the main features of the Harb dialect. Since this study has been based upon practical fieldwork I am greatly indebted to very many people who stages generously helped 'ine-' during 'they" various of my'- investigation. "'' ` `" In particular Iam, grateful to all my informants, and wish to acknowledge'-their assistance and'help. I am particularly indebted' to my-brothertAli''M. -A1=Häzmy. Among people in England, I should like first to J. express my gratitude Eo Dr. B. S. "'Isserlii, "Head of the Department of Semitic Studies, ' Univers'ity'-6f Leeds, who supervised this study with stimulating advice-and constant encouragement. I am also grateful to Dr. M. J. L. Young of the Department of Semitic Studies, who has read most of the manuscript and made many valuable suggestions. My sincere thanks also go to Professor T. M. Johnstone, of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, who kindly extended his advice to me-before I commenced my investigation. I should also like to thank Mr. J. L. Woodhead of the Phonetics' Department, University of Leeds, who arranged for me'to attend a course on Phonetics, and very kindly'checked with me'some of the terminology used in the chapter on`Phonölogy. Among people in Saudi Arabia I have to thank his Royal Highness Prince `Abdul`aziz, Abdulmuhsin Ibn Governor of al-Madina, and his Deputy, His Excellency Saad an-Nasir as-Sidairi, for providing me with a recomendation for the local authorities to help me in the prosecution of my research. My thanks are also due to the Ministry of Petrolum and Mineral Resources, who arranged for me to have the use of a. jeep during my fieldwork. I am also grateful, to'the Saudi. Arabian Cultural `Abdul`aziz Attache, Mr. at-Turki, and to the Saudi Arabian Cultural Office in London., I am'also grateful to the following Shaiks of the Harb and other administrative officials: Muhammad bin Hsain amir Badr, shaikhBakhit bin Näsir al-Binayyän, shaikh MrayyiC bin Hsain al-Ibaidi, Ibrahim al-Qadi al-Juhani, shaikh Muhammad bin Marzuq as-Sihaimi, Muhammad bin Häidi, shaikh Ä1i Muhammad bin dhi'är bin Su1tän, al-Jal'üd and Shaikh Muhammad bin Nihit. I should like to thank Fahad bin Nusair al-Binayyän, and Braik bin Mabrük as-Subhi. It remains for me to express my deepest thanks to the Government of Saudi Arabia and the University of King Abdulaziz, for granting me a scholarship to carry out this work. Finally I should like to record my thanks to the staff'of the Brotherton Library of the University of Leeds, the Staff of the Library of the School of Oriental and African Studies, in the University of London, and to the staff of the Department of Semitic Studies, in the University of Leeds. CONTENTS Preface I Transcription x Abbreviations xi INTRODUCTION 1 Informants and the technique 1 Abstract and the arrangement of the material 2 Previous dialect studies 5 The present study -Plan and methods 11 The area - Geographical position 12 The Banu Harb tribe -Their origin and history 16 The Harb tribe at the present day 19 Political position 22 Trading and market places 25 The ancient dialect of the Harb tribe 26 General VIEW 26 The main characteristic features of the dialect of the Harb 26 Other features and general observations 32 Non-local speech 34 The Influence of the Koine language 36 Part I The phonology 39 The Consonants 41 Glottal stop 41 The bilabial Consonantsb, p 45 Äbdulaziz, Abdulmuhsin Ibn Governor of al-Madina, and his Deputy, His Excellency Saad an-Nasir as-Sidairi, for providing me with a recomendation for the local authorities to help me in the prosecution of my research. My thanks are also due to the Ministry of Petrolum and Mineral Resources, who arranged for me to have the use of a-jeep during my fieldwork. I am also grateful to the Saudi Arabian Cultural `Abdul`aziz Attache, Mr. at-Turki, and to the Saudi Arabian Cultural Office in London. I am also grateful to the following Shaiks of the Harb and other administrative officials: Muhammad bin Hsain amir Badr, shaikhBakhit bin Näsir al-Binayyän, shaikh Mrayyic bin Hsain al-Ibaidi, Ibrahim al-Qadi al-Juhani, shaikh Muhammad bin Marzuq as-Sihaimi, Muhammad bin Häidi, shaikh Muhammad bin dhi'är bin Sultan, Ali al-Jal'üd and Shaikh Muhammad bin Nihit. I should like to thank Fahad bin Nusair al-Binayyän, and Braik bin Mabrük as-Subhi. It remains for me to express my deepest thanks to the Government of Saudi Arabia and the University of King Abdulaziz, for granting me a scholarship to carry out this work. Finally I should like to record my thanksýto the staff of the Brotherton Library of the University of Leeds, the Staff of the Library of the School of Oriental and African Studies, in the University of London, and to the staff of the Department of Semitic Studies, in the University of Leeds. A. M. IL. Häzmy. CONTENTS Preface, i Transcription x Abbreviations , xi INTRODUCTION 1 Informants and the technique 1 Abstract and the arrangement of the material 2 Previous dialect studies 5 The present study -Plan and methods 11 The area - Geographical position 12 The Banu Harb tribe -Their origin and history 16 The Harb tribe at the present day 19 Political position 22 Trading and market places 25 The ancient dialect of the Harb tribe 26 General VIEW 26 The main characteristic fe atures of the dialect of the Harb 26 Other features and general observations 32 Non-local speech 34 The Influence of the Koine language 36 Part I The phonology 39 The Consonants 41 Glottal stop 41 The bilabial Consonant5b, p 45 Liquid Consonants 47 The rolled consonant r 48 The consonantS q,, o, c 49 The consonant s 50 4 The emphatic consonant d, 51 Palatalization 52 The consonantSk, g 56 The consonant g 58 The affrication of k, g 60 Assimilation 63 Dissimilation 65 Vowel system 66 Short vowels 66, Long vowels 67 Diphthongs 69 Consonant Clusters 75 Gemination 76 Prosthetic vowels 77 Stress 77 Part II The morphology 79 The strong verb 81 The simple verb 81 (a) Perfect tense 81 (b) Imperfect tense 84 The weak verb 87- Hamzated verbs 87 (i) Initial Hamza 87 -/A (ii) Medial Hamza 88 (iii) Final Hamza 90 Verbs with initial w 91 Verbs with initial y 92 Hollow verbs 93 Defective verbs 95 Doubly weak verbs 97 Geminate verbs 98 The imperative 99 Passive voice 102 Derived forms 104 The nominal patterns 107 Noun 108 Biconsonantal nouns with pronominal suffixes 113 The pattern fiel, fucl, facl, fatal + pronominal 114 suffixes Verbal nouns and participles 118 The gender of nouns 120 Adjective 120 Dual 121 Diminutive 122 Collective nouns 123 The Plural 123 Broken Plural 124 Tanwin 132 The construct state 134 Comparison of adjective 135 The numerals 136 Cardinal numbers from one to ten 136 The numerals from 3 to 9 137 Ordinal numerals 140 Personal pronouns 141 Demonstrative pronouns 143 Relative pronouns 148 Particles 148 Prepositions 148 Adverbs 152 Conjunctions 152 Interjunctions,. 153 Interrogative particles 153 Part III Lexical features 155 Regional differences 158 Foreign words 160 Part IV Syntax 163 The verb 165 perfect 165 Imperfect verb 166 Way of indicating the future 167 Imperfect + auxiliary verbs 168 Subjunctive and jussive moods 169 The active and passive participles 171 Concord - verbs 172 Negation of the verb 172 The noun 173 Indefinite noun 173 Noun and qualifying adjective 176 Negation of the noun 177 Vocative 178 Sentence structure 179 Nominal sentence 179 Verbal sentence 180 Zarfiyya sentence 180 Conditional clauses 181 . Temporal clauses 185 Relative clauses 187 Interrogative 189 Conjunction 189 PART V Comparison 190 Phonology 190(a) Consonants 190(a) Assimilation 201 Dipht3pngs, aw, ay 202 Conclusion 205 Morphology 206 (i) The absence of the trisyllabic forms 207 (ii) The influence of the guttural sounds on syllabic structure 207 (iii) The pattern of the perfect of verbs 208 (iv) The pattern of the imperfect 209 (v) Verb with initial w 211 (vi) The fusion of the verbs final (u) with the verbs final (1) 211 (vii) The imperfect preformative 212 (viii) The imperative 214 The nominal pattern 216 Tanwin 219 Some other features which.