Compensatory lengthening
-
Eman Abdoh
Abstract
This paper examines compensatory lengthening (henceforth CL) in child Hijazi Arabic within the framework of prosodic theory and moraic theory to see if children acquiring Arabic use CL in case of coda/vowel deletion. On the basis of cross-sectional and semi-longitudinal data collected from 20 children aged from 1;3 to 2;0, the study describes and analyzes two CL types, V-lengthening and C-lengthening, providing a mora-based analysis and examining adjacency and directionality factors. The study provides cross-linguistic evidence for the existence of CL in child Arabic. The subjects use CL early (1;3) and arguably follow a universal path in this respect. Their productions display moraic conservation, sensitivity to bimoraicity and word minimality. They also show a preference for left-to-right directionality in CL.
Abstract
This paper examines compensatory lengthening (henceforth CL) in child Hijazi Arabic within the framework of prosodic theory and moraic theory to see if children acquiring Arabic use CL in case of coda/vowel deletion. On the basis of cross-sectional and semi-longitudinal data collected from 20 children aged from 1;3 to 2;0, the study describes and analyzes two CL types, V-lengthening and C-lengthening, providing a mora-based analysis and examining adjacency and directionality factors. The study provides cross-linguistic evidence for the existence of CL in child Arabic. The subjects use CL early (1;3) and arguably follow a universal path in this respect. Their productions display moraic conservation, sensitivity to bimoraicity and word minimality. They also show a preference for left-to-right directionality in CL.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Introduction xi
-
Part I: Syntax and its interfaces
- Locative prepositional phrases and inalienable PLACE in Lebanese Arabic* 3
- On the syntax of exceptive constructions in Egyptian Arabic* 35
- Verbal and nominal plurals and the syntaxmorphology interface 59
- Exploring the syntax-phonology interface in Arabic 75
- A salience-based analysis of the Tunisian Arabic demonstrative hāk as used in oral narratives* 99
-
Part II: Arabic Linguistic Variation
- Moroccan artists ‘blacklisted’ 123
- Lateral fricative ḍād in Tihāmat Qaḥtān 151
- Arabic ȷ̌ and the class of Sun Letters 171
- Quantifying lexical and pronunciation variation between three Arabic varieties* 187
-
Part III: First Language Acquisition
- Compensatory lengthening 215
- Index 237
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Acknowledgements ix
- Introduction xi
-
Part I: Syntax and its interfaces
- Locative prepositional phrases and inalienable PLACE in Lebanese Arabic* 3
- On the syntax of exceptive constructions in Egyptian Arabic* 35
- Verbal and nominal plurals and the syntaxmorphology interface 59
- Exploring the syntax-phonology interface in Arabic 75
- A salience-based analysis of the Tunisian Arabic demonstrative hāk as used in oral narratives* 99
-
Part II: Arabic Linguistic Variation
- Moroccan artists ‘blacklisted’ 123
- Lateral fricative ḍād in Tihāmat Qaḥtān 151
- Arabic ȷ̌ and the class of Sun Letters 171
- Quantifying lexical and pronunciation variation between three Arabic varieties* 187
-
Part III: First Language Acquisition
- Compensatory lengthening 215
- Index 237
