scholarly journals Agreement in Modern Standard Arabic constructions with cardinal numerals over ten

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-88
Author(s):  
Marcin Michalski
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clause ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Classical Arabic ◽  
Number Case ◽  
Modern Standard

Abstract In Modern Standard Arabic constructions with cardinal numerals over ten in which the noun denoting the counted object follows the numeral, e.g. al-ḫamsūna ǧundiyyan ‘the fifty soldiers’ (as opposed to al-ǧunūdu l-ḫamsūna ‘idem’), the noun is indefinite singular. When a property of the object counted is to be expressed by means of an attribute: an adjective, participle, or a relative clause, it agrees with the noun in gender, but agreement in the three remaining categories, i.e. number, case and definiteness, may be distributed between the noun and the numeral. The present study analyzes examples of such constructions found in contemporary journalistic texts. Four agreement configurations are distinguished, out of which three were described by Classical Arabic grammarians, while one is non-classical. In some instances, due to the syncretism of declension forms, agreement in case is indeterminate. The analysis of the examples shows that apart from variation in agreement that can be observed with some types of the qualifier, the choice of a particular agreement configuration depends on phraseology and/or the lexico-syntactic properties of the qualifier: whether it is a proper adjective, a nisba adjective, a participle, or a relative clause.

scholarly journals Non-restrictive relative clauses in Arabic

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman A Alqurashi
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clause ◽  
Preliminary Analysis ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Restrictive Relative Clauses ◽  
Restrictive Relatives ◽  
Modern Standard ◽  
Minimalist Syntax

This paper discusses the syntax of non-restrictive relative clauses in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). It provides a thorough description of their structures and attempts to offer a preliminary analysis within the transformation framework: Minimalist syntax. Two relativization strategies are available for Arabic non-restrictive relative clauses. The first strategy is similar to that of definite restrictive relatives in which the relative clause is initiated by ʔallaðiwhich is a relative complementizer, whereas the second strategy is a unique one in which the relative clause is initiated by the special particle wa, appears to be a specifying coordinator, along with the complementizer ʔallaði. The paper also argues that De-Vries’s (2006) coordinate approach to appositive relatives can provide a straightforward account for some the facts of non-restrictive relative clauses in Arabic.

scholarly journals Patterns and Functions of Total Reduplication in Classical Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic:

2019 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-99
Author(s):  
Mohammed Modhaffer ◽  
Sivaramakrishna Challavenkata
Keyword(s):  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Sql Database ◽  
The Status ◽  
Interesting Variation ◽  
Reliable Quantification ◽  
The One ◽  
Classical Arabic ◽  
Modern Standard

In this paper, we investigate the form, salient patterns and core functions of word-level total reduplication in Classical Arabic (CA) and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Using a multi-genre corpus of 469 million words, we extract total reduplication (TR) candidates into an SQL database, manually filter them, and perform concordance search to identify the patterns and functions. Data analysis reveals nine patterns and eleven functions of TR and compares their relative frequency in each variety. The functions of TR are mapped into two broad categories: morphological and semantic/pragmatic. Results show an interesting variation in terms of top functions being favored by the two varieties. While TR is favored by CA to express serial ordering, MSA is noticed to favor it to express intensification. The empirical findings of this study provide a reliable quantification of the status of TR in CA and MSA which is rather difficult to obtain by theoretical means: on the one hand, TR in Arabic is not as productive as in other languages such as Indonesian. On the other hand, it is more common in CA than in MSA because the latter usually resorts to using loose phrases to express the same concepts expressed by TR in CA.

scholarly journals Arabic relativization patterns: A unified HPSG analysis

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Hahn
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Adjectival Modification ◽  
Uniform Manner ◽  
Classical Arabic ◽  
Modern Standard

Classical Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic have several relativization patterns, including relative clauses with and without relativizers and adjectival modification patterns. Previous generative work has targeted several phenomena, but there is no analysis which covers all relativization patterns in any generative framework. We present an HPSG analysis that covers these phenomena in a uniform manner. Based on Doron and Reintges (2005), we show that the crosslinguistically unusual syntax of adjectival modifiers is a language-internally expected variant of participial modifiers as found in English. We also present the first HPSG analysis of Arabic broad subjects and argue that they are selected as specifiers, accounting for the similarities between broad subjects and ordinary subjects.

scholarly journals An HPSG approach to free relatives in Arabic

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman Alqurashi
Keyword(s):  
Relative Clause ◽  
The Other ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Free Relatives ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Branching Structures ◽  
Free Relative ◽  
Modern Standard

This paper describes free relative constructions in Modern Standard Arabic (henceforth, MSA) and aims to provide an HPSG analysis for them. MSA has two types of free relative constructions. One, which is introduced by the complementizer ʔallaði, looks just like a relative clause. The other, which is introduced by the elements man and maa, which also appear to be complementizers, does not look like a relative clause. Both types can be analysed in term of unary-branching structures (as NPs consisting just of a CP). In ʔallaði free relatives, the NP and the value of SLASH can be coindexed via the value of MOD on the CP. In man and maa free relatives, the NP and the value of SLASH must be coindexed directly.

The Philological Approach to Arabic Grammar

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lutz Edzard
Keyword(s):  
Arabic Text ◽  
Writing System ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Classical Arabic ◽  
Modern Standard ◽  
Cultural Embeddedness

This article is devoted to the philological analysis of selected features of Classical Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic as well as selected features of Middle Arabic. The sections on the writing system and phonology as well as morphology are held rather brief, as the aspect of “cultural embeddedness” seems to be less relevant in these realms of grammar. First and foremost, it reflects a nonexhaustive overview of some cases or even causes célèbres in Arabic syntax and semantics. The article concludes with a short philological analysis of a Middle Arabic (here: Judeo-Arabic) text.

scholarly journals Parallelisms in Arabic

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 68-87
Author(s):  
Hisham Monassar
Keyword(s):  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Classical Arabic ◽  
Modern Standard ◽  
Opinion Writing

Parallelism in Arabic is investigated through data from three Arabic varieties: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), Classical Arabic (CA), and (Yemeni) Adeni Arabic (AA). Parallelism in Arabic is examined at different linguistic levels: morphological and lexical, syntactic, and textual. Parallelism seems to be inherent and is more likely in writings that aim to convince or restate theses and topics. However, the occurrence of parallelisms is genre-specific, purpose-oriented, and situation/context-dependent. It is predictable in sermons, public speeches/addresses, and opinion writing. Apparently, parallelism, particularly beyond reduplication and lexical level, triggers resonance in the mind of the listener/reader, retaining the respective information in short term memory and thus marking it for emphasis.

Medial deictic demonstratives in Arabic

Pragmatics ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir Omar Jarbou
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Classical Arabic ◽  
Modern Standard

This paper investigates two different views concerning the number of deictic degrees of demonstratives in Classical Arabic (CA) and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). The first view claims that CA has a medial category of demonstratives in addition to proximals and distals; the second view postulates that there are only proximals and distals in CA. The study examines the dialectal origin of singular and dual CA demonstratives based on writings of ancient grammarians in addition to investigating the Semitic origin of these demonstratives. It is argued that the demonstrative system in CA is the result of a combination of two dialectal demonstrative systems: one of these had been used in Old ?ijaazi, while the other had been used in Old Tamiimi Arabic. Each of these dialects had only proximals and distals but no medials. Demonstratives in these dialects had dissimilar forms for distals. ?ijaazi distals had two suffixes attached to the proximal base, while Tamiimi ones had one suffix only. The presence of these different forms led grammarians representing the first view to the fallacy that demonstratives with one suffix are medials, while those with two suffixes are distals. However, the supposed medials are in fact the distals that were used in Old Tamiimi; their distance value is the same as that of Old Hijaazi distals.

The effects of motivation on processing instruction in the acquisition of Modern Standard Arabic gender agreement

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-82
Author(s):  
Ayah Farhat ◽  
Alessandro Benati
Keyword(s):  
Academic Motivation ◽  
Processing Instruction ◽  
Gender Agreement ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Sentence Level ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Modern Standard

The present study investigates the effects of motivation and processing instruction on the acquisition of Modern Standard Arabic gender agreement. The role of individual differences (e.g. age, gender, aptitude, language background and working memory) on the positive effects generated by processing instruction has been investigated in the last few years. However, no previous research has been conducted to measure the possible effects of motivation on L2 learners exposed to processing instruction. In addition, a reasonable question to be addressed within the processing instruction research framework is whether its positive effects can be generalised to the acquisition of Modern Standard Arabic. The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) and the Attitude Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) motivation questionnaires were used to capture different variables that influence motivation in order to create the two different groups (high and low motivated). In this experimental study, forty-one native English school-age learners (aged 8–11) were assigned to two groups: ‘the high motivated group’ (n = 29): and the ‘low motivated group’ (n = 12). Both groups received processing instruction, which lasted for three hours. Sentence-level interpretation and production tasks were used in a pre-test and post-test design to measure instructional effects. The learners were required to fill in gaps in both written and spoken mode for the activities. The study also included a delayed post-test administered to the two groups four weeks later. The results indicated that both groups improved equally from pre-test to post-test in all assessment measures and they both retained the positive effects of the training in the delayed posttests. Processing instruction was proved to be the main factor for the improvement in performance regardless of the learner’s level of motivation.

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