Yod-dropping in b-imperfect verb forms in Amman
-
Enam Al-Wer
Abstract
This article presents analysis of data from the emerging dialect of Amman within the framework of ‘dialect contact’ and ‘new dialect formation’ (Trudgill, 1986, 2004). In particular, it focuses on the conjugation of 3rd person singular and plural verb forms with or without /j/. The dialect of Amman can be described as the output of contact between speakers of two major dialect groups: Jordanian and Palestinian. In both groups of dialects, the imperfective takes the form b + Imperfect form, but whereas in Jordanian dialects Yod is dropped from the stem in the b-imperfect form in all environments, in Palestinian dialects it is dropped in open syllables only. The analysis reveals two important innovative patterns of conjugation: (i) Yod is dropped everywhere except where it carries ‘person’ information, and (ii) in hamza-initial verbs (‘glottal-initial verbs’ such as /ʔakal/ ‘to eat’) speakers with Jordanian heritage introduce a new form for 1st person singular and reallocate an existing form to the 3rd person singular masculine.
Abstract
This article presents analysis of data from the emerging dialect of Amman within the framework of ‘dialect contact’ and ‘new dialect formation’ (Trudgill, 1986, 2004). In particular, it focuses on the conjugation of 3rd person singular and plural verb forms with or without /j/. The dialect of Amman can be described as the output of contact between speakers of two major dialect groups: Jordanian and Palestinian. In both groups of dialects, the imperfective takes the form b + Imperfect form, but whereas in Jordanian dialects Yod is dropped from the stem in the b-imperfect form in all environments, in Palestinian dialects it is dropped in open syllables only. The analysis reveals two important innovative patterns of conjugation: (i) Yod is dropped everywhere except where it carries ‘person’ information, and (ii) in hamza-initial verbs (‘glottal-initial verbs’ such as /ʔakal/ ‘to eat’) speakers with Jordanian heritage introduce a new form for 1st person singular and reallocate an existing form to the 3rd person singular masculine.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- The development of future participles and future tense markers from motion predicates 9
- Yod-dropping in b-imperfect verb forms in Amman 29
-
Syntax
- Prosodic constituency and locality in Levantine Arabic 47
- Negation and the subject position in San’ani Arabic 75
- Splitting Neg: 91
- Multiple agreement in Arabic 121
- Cyclic AGREE derives restrictions on cliticization in classical Arabic 135
-
Phonology
- Secondary stress exist in Cairene Arabic? 163
- Paradoxical paradigms! Evidence from Lebanese Arabic phonology 185
-
Sociolinguistics
- The Arabic of Bukhara 213
-
Semantic/Pragmatics
- Terms of endearment and anger in Levantine Arabic 243
-
Language acquisition
- On the L1 development of final consonant clusters in Cairene Arabic 263
-
Neurolinguistics
- Neurocognitive modeling of the two language varieties in Arabic Diglossia 285
- Index 303
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- The development of future participles and future tense markers from motion predicates 9
- Yod-dropping in b-imperfect verb forms in Amman 29
-
Syntax
- Prosodic constituency and locality in Levantine Arabic 47
- Negation and the subject position in San’ani Arabic 75
- Splitting Neg: 91
- Multiple agreement in Arabic 121
- Cyclic AGREE derives restrictions on cliticization in classical Arabic 135
-
Phonology
- Secondary stress exist in Cairene Arabic? 163
- Paradoxical paradigms! Evidence from Lebanese Arabic phonology 185
-
Sociolinguistics
- The Arabic of Bukhara 213
-
Semantic/Pragmatics
- Terms of endearment and anger in Levantine Arabic 243
-
Language acquisition
- On the L1 development of final consonant clusters in Cairene Arabic 263
-
Neurolinguistics
- Neurocognitive modeling of the two language varieties in Arabic Diglossia 285
- Index 303
