The predicate restriction in Najdi Arabic existential sentences: an empirical perspective
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Bader Alharbi
und
Mohammad Aljutaily
Abstract
The predicate restriction (PR) indicates that only stage-level predicates (SLP) are permitted in the coda position of existential sentence (ES), whereas individual-level predicates (ILP) are barred. This restriction has theoretically shown to be available in the structure of the ES of Najdi Arabic (NA). This study aimed to empirically examine whether the facts reported in the theoretical literature about the effect of the PR in NA ES were reflected in the actual use of NA ES. A grammaticality judgement task in the form of a questionnaire was presented to 85 NA native speakers. The participants were asked to rate the grammaticality of the NA ESs given in the questionnaire according to their intuition. The questionnaire comprised three conditions based on the predicate type: adjectival SLP, adjectival ILP, and nominal predicates. It was expected that NA ES with adjectival SLP would yield the best ratings of the three conditions, followed by ES with adjectival ILP and ES with nominal predicates. As expected, the findings showed that the NA ES with adjectival SLP obtained the higher ratings, whereas those with adjectival ILP and nominal predicates obtained the very lowest ratings. These findings revealed that adjectival SLPs are more acceptable in the coda position of NA ES, whereas adjectival ILPs and nominal predicates are unacceptable in this position. This empirical study established a connection between the conclusions confirmed in the theoretical literature and the actual manifestations of the PR in the structure of ES.
Acknowledgments
We would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to all the participants for their active participation and cooperation in collecting the data for this study.
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Research ethics: We abide the moral principles that guide us to conduct and report research without deception or intention to harm the participants of the study or members of the society as a whole, whether knowingly or unknowingly.
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Informed consent: Not applicable. Since we got the verbal agreement with the participants for participating in this study.
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Author contributions: The authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
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Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
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Research funding: None declared.
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Data availability: The raw data can be obtained on request from the corresponding author.
Item sentences.
| fiih | tˤaalib | tˤiwiil | mariiðˤ |
| there | student.Sg.Masc | tall | sick |
| ‘There is a tall student sick.’ | |||
| fiih | baab | xaʃabi | maftuuħ |
| there | door.Sg.Masc | wooden | open |
| ‘There is a wooden door open.’ | |||
| *fiih | tˤaalib | mariiðˤ | tˤiwiil |
| there | student.Sg.Masc | sick | tall |
| ‘*There is a sick student tall.’ | |||
| *fiih | baab | maftuuħ | xaʃabi |
| there | door.Sg.Masc | open | wooden |
| ‘*There is an open door wooden.’ | |||
| fiih | tˤaalib | tˤiwiil | mariiðˤ | b-l-fasˤal |
| there | student.Sg.Masc | tall | sick | in-the-classroom |
| ‘There is a tall student sick in the classroom.’ | ||||
| *fiih | tˤaalib | mariiðˤ | tˤiwiil | b-l-fasˤal |
| there | student.Sg.Masc | sick | tall | in-the-classroom |
| ‘*There is a sick student tall in the classroom.’ | ||||
| fiih | baab | xaʃabi | maftuuħ | b-l-bait |
| there | door.Sg.Masc | wooden | open | in-the-house |
| ‘There is a wooden door open in the house.’ | ||||
| *fiih | baab | maftuuħ | xaʃabi | b-l-bait |
| there | door.Sg.Masc | open | wooden | in-the-house |
| ‘*There is an open door wooden in the house.’ | ||||
| *fiih | ridʒdʒaal | l-kabtan |
| there | man | the-captain |
| ‘*There is a man the captain.’ | ||
| ??fiih | ridʒdʒaal | ħakam |
| there | man | referee |
| ‘*There is a man a referee.’ | ||
| ??kaan | fiih | ðˤiyuuf | tˤillaab |
| be.PST.3.Sg.Masc | there | guests.Pl.Masc | students.Pl.Masc |
| ‘*There were guests students.’ | |||
| fiih | tˤaalib | mariiðˤ |
| there | student.Sg.Masc | sick |
| ‘There is a sick student.’ | ||
| fiih | tˤaalib | tˤiwiil |
| there | student.Sg.Masc | tall |
| ‘There is a tall student.’ | ||
| fiih | baab | maftuuħ |
| there | door.Sg.Masc | open |
| ‘There is an open door.’ | ||
| fiih | baab | xaʃabi |
| there | door.Sg.Masc | wooden |
| ‘There is a wooden door.’ | ||
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