Papers by Janet C E Watson
x ^E ft 1. Wright mentions that some Arabs, especially of the Tayyi? tribe, use dhu as the relati... more x ^E ft 1. Wright mentions that some Arabs, especially of the Tayyi? tribe, use dhu as the relative pronoun (Wright 1971:272). 'on you f.s.' 'your f.s. house' b. ? a n t i s i r [t i] 'you f.s. went' ?anti katab [ti] 'you f.s. wrote' And for the language of al-Gades, Goitein notes that: 0 .2 .1.2. In tra -v a rie ty variation: Variation is intrinsic, it exists, not only between neatly bounded circumscribed linguistic and geographical areas, but also across and w ithin idiolects. Labov goes some way towards removing false faith in the consistency of 'idiolect* as a system w ith his early work in Martha's Vineyard and New York in the sixties: 'It is generally considered that the most consistent and coherent system is that of an idiolect .... (however) most idiolects do not form a simple, coherent system; on the contrary, they are studded w ith oscillations and contradictions.' (Labov 1966:6-7) And so, if we are to discuss linguistic varieties i t must be accepted that, in addition to inter-variety variance, a great deal of linguistic difference w ill manifest its e lf w ithin the varieties. In a passage cited by Bailey, we read how intra-variety variation was already obvious to Schuchardt in 1685: 'the old and the new appear distributed w ithin a dialect, however, not only according to age, but also according to sex, education, temper ... in short, in most diverse ways.' (Schuchardt (M-15), cited in Bailey 1973:15) Any linguistic variety comprises a set of chosen varieties. Some consider that a dialect comprises a set of idiolects; thus Bloch states: 'A class of idiolects w ith the same phonological system is a dialect' (Bloch 1948:8).'• 1. Note that Bloch does admit that speakers of a single dialect may d iffer in terms of 'vocabulary and grammar' w hile speakers of a different dialects may agree in a ll respects 'but for some small detail of pronunciation* (Bloch 1948:8), r 1. However, refer to his maps on 'k -d ia le c t', 'the definite a rtic le y q a f where the maps depict a defined fade-out area of feature. If an area in which a dialect feature fades out is not described as *isogloss' , how should it be interpreted? * .w a.] * .n i i l <p * .w a. s b u.r i i, * *w a. s b u r. * .q u 1. s b u r. * .b i n t , f u 1 a a n * .s b u r d. d a.q i i.q a 'and they m. killed' 'you m.pl. killed a g irl' 'travel m.s.! go!' 'he said' 'girV 'be quiet f.s.!' 'pour m.s.l' 'w ait a minute m.!' From 1.1.2.1. and 1.1.2.2. above, it is observed that: i. CCV sequences are restricted to utterance-initial position. ii. CVCC and CVVC are restricted to utterance-final position. iii. CV(V) may not surface to the immediate le ft of a utterance-boundary. 1. This process, which I analyse as an instance of 'parasitic' harmony, is dealt with end formalised in chapter eight (cf. 8.3.5.1.1.). 1. And after laryngeal disassociation, cf. 3.1.2.3.1.
Phonation and glottal states in Modern South Arabian and San'ani Arabic
Studies in Arabic Linguistics, 2016
This chapter examines phonation categories and glottal states in the Modern South Arabian languag... more This chapter examines phonation categories and glottal states in the Modern South Arabian language, Mehri, as spoken in southern Oman and eastern Yemen with reference also to its sister language, Śḥerɛt, and in San’ani Arabic from an Emergent Features perspective (Mielke 2008). Within the paper, we consider the extent to which these language varieties may inform research on the phonological categories of the early Arabic grammarians. The innovation in this paper lies in addressing the relationship between phonological patterning, phonetics, and distinctive features. We present data to show that voiced and emphatic phonemes pattern together in these varieties in opposition to voiceless phonemes, leading us to postulate a phonological account in terms of two ‘emergent’ laryngeal features [open] and [closed], that draws on Moren’s Parallel Structures model (2003). Key concepts are phonation, glottal state, hams ‘whisper’ and jahr ‘clear speech’.
Waṣf Ṣanʿā : texts in Ṣanʿānī Arabic
Weitere Lokaladverbien
Wortatlas der arabischen Dialekte, 2021
Mehri and Shehret, two languages in the endangered Modern South Arabian group spoken in the south... more Mehri and Shehret, two languages in the endangered Modern South Arabian group spoken in the south of the Arabian Peninsula, exhibit the heretofore crosslinguistically unreported feature of silently articulated sonorant consonants in the codas of utterance-final syllables. While these utterance-final sonorants are all pre-glottalised in Mehri, Shehret contrasts pre-glottalised and pre-aspirated sonorants, all of which become silently articulated utterance-finally. Our study presents and discusses video and electropalatographic evidence for their silent articulation and electrolaryngographic evidence for glottal constriction in vowel offsets before pre-glottalised sonorants, and glottal relaxation before pre-aspirated sonorants as forms of laryngeal feature-strengthening responsible for rendering the articulation of final sonorants silent. Rather than a "voiceless-voiced" analysis, our results support a "breathed-unbreathed" analysis of Mehri and Shehret laryngeal phonology. We conclude that in order to adequately fit these silently articulated sonorants into a typology of lenition, the concept of lenition may have to be extended to include the loosening, or weakening, of coordinative relations between the phonatory and articulatory components of speech production.
De Gruyter eBooks, Dec 21, 2011
Karin C. Ryding, Georgetown (USA) 50. Arabic Dialects (general article) 1. Introduction 2. Geogra... more Karin C. Ryding, Georgetown (USA) 50. Arabic Dialects (general article) 1. Introduction 2. Geographical areas 3. Documentation of Arabic dialects 4. Comparative studies of linguistic issues 5. Introductions to modern Arabic dialects 6. Arabic before the spread of Islam 7. The relationship between ancient Arabic and modern Arabic dialects 8. Features of modern Arabic dialects as universal tendencies 9. Features of modern Arabic dialects as grammaticalisation 10. Evidence for a polygenetic explanation 11. The classification of Arabic dialects 12 The linguistic typology of Arabic dialects 13. Conclusion 14. References
Arabic in the City
Introduction 1. Arabic Urban Vernaculars: Development and Changes Catherine Miller Part 1: Migrat... more Introduction 1. Arabic Urban Vernaculars: Development and Changes Catherine Miller Part 1: Migration, Urbanization and Language Change 2. The (r)urbanisation of Mauritania: Historical Context and Contemporary Developments Catherine Taine Cheikh 3. The Formation of the Dialect of Amman: from Chaos to Order Enam Al-Wer 4. Urbanization and Dialect Change: the Arabic Dialect of Tripoli (Libya) Christophe Pereira 5. Becoming Casablancan: Fessis in Casablanca as a Case Study Atiqa Hachimi 6. Two Cases of Moroccan Arabic in the Diaspora Angeles Vicente Part 2: Urban Vernaculars: Convergence and Divergence 7. Greetings in Beirut : Social Distribution and Attitudes towards Different Formulae Marie Aymee Germanos 8. Linguistic Levelling in Sanf ani Arabic as Reflected in a Popular Radio Serial Janet Watson 9. The Urban and Suburban Modes: Patterns of Linguistic Variation and Change in Damascus Hanadi Ismail 10. Segmental and Prosodic Aspects of Ksar el Kebir's Neo-Urban Variety Mohamed Embarki 11. The Use of Kashkasha/kaskasa and Alternative Means among Educated Urban Saudi Speakers MuniraAl-Azraki Part 3: Multilibualism, Codeswitching and New Urban Cultures 12. Close Encounters of a Different Kind: Two Types of Insertion in Nigerian Arabic Codeswitching Jonathan Owens 13. Development and Linguistic Change in Moroccan Arabic-French Codeswitching Karima Ziamari 14. The Language of Cairo's Young University Students Sherin Rizk 15. Rap and Rappers in Nouakchott. (Mauritania) Aline Tauzin 16. Uses and Attitudes towards Hassaniyya Language among Nouakchott's Negro-Mauritanian Population Alassane Dia
Language, Gesture and Ecology in Modern South Arabian Languages
Bloomsbury Academic eBooks, 2022
A. Reviews: general
British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, 1992
AN EARLY ISLAMIC FAMILY FROM OMAN: AL‐&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;am... more AN EARLY ISLAMIC FAMILY FROM OMAN: AL‐&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;AWTABI&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;S ACCOUNT OF THE MUHALLABIDS. By MARTIN HINDS. (Journal of Semitic Studies Monographs, 17.) Manchester, University of Manchester, 1991. vi, 97pp. £25.00.THE ORIGINS OF WESTERN ECONOMIC DOMINANCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST: MERCANTILISM AND THE ISLAMIC ECONOMY IN ALEPPO, 1600–1750. By BRUCE MASTERS. (New York University Studies in Near Eastern Civilisation, 12.) New York and
Syllable Structure And Syllabification
Oxford University Press eBooks, Apr 10, 2002
The Phoneme System Of Arabic
Oxford University Press eBooks, Apr 10, 2002
Carlos Landberg Annual lecture
Abdullah al-Mahri and Saeed al-Qumairi to attend Documentary Linguistics course in Berlin
Fall School on Documentary Linguistics in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) Endanger... more Fall School on Documentary Linguistics in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) Endangered Languages Documentation Programme, SOAS University of London & Leibniz-Zentrum fuer Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft, Berlin Berlin, October 10-17, 2018
Jemenitisches Worterbuch: Arabisch-Deutsch-Englisch by Jeffrey Deboo
Bulletin - British Society for Middle Eastern Studies. British Society for Middle Eastern Studies
Camel Culture and Camel Terminology Among the Omani Bedouin
Journal of Semitic Studies, 2013
Two texts from jabal razih, North-west Yemen
Current issues in the …, 2006
... Two Texts from Jabal Razih, North-west Yemen 49 Ahmad calling Salih&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;a... more ... Two Texts from Jabal Razih, North-west Yemen 49 Ahmad calling Salih&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;, or in a noun phrase followed (less commonly preceded) by a definite noun, as in ... in Sabaic, including sa/si&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;to, until&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;which may precede either a noun or a verb, bu&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;in&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;, atar&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;after&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;, ger&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;other than&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;and cale&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;on&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;(cf. ...
Podcasting
Communicating Linguistics
T.M. Johnstone’s Modern South Arabian recordings: British Library blog and podcast
The Arabic definite article
Arabic and Semitic Linguistics Contextualized, 2015
South Arabian and Arabic dialects
Oxford Scholarship Online, 2018
This chapter examines phonological, morphological, lexical, and syntactic data from a number of c... more This chapter examines phonological, morphological, lexical, and syntactic data from a number of contemporary Arabic varieties spoken within historical Yemen—i.e. within the borders of current Yemen and up into southern ˁAsīr in Saudi Arabia—with (a) data from the Ancient South Arabian language, Sabaic; (b) what has been called ‘Ḥimyaritic’, as spoken during the early centuries of Islam; and (c) the Modern South Arabian languages, Mehri and Śḥerɛ̄t. These comparisons show a significant number of shared features. The density of shared features and the nature of sharing exhibited lead to the tentative suggestion that some of these varieties may be continuations of South Arabian with an Arabic overlay rather than Arabic with a South Arabian substratum.
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Papers by Janet C E Watson
The historical contexts for our collection are the 1962 Yemeni Revolution, with Liebhaber and Atiq’s chapter on al-Zubayri, the Arab Spring of 2011 and its aftermath, when Yemen collapsed into civil war, stoked by external forces, and traditional and contemporary local conflicts involving Ibb and Hadramawt.
This book emerges from the project Yemen in Conflict: Popular culture as the expression and resolution of conflict, funded by the British Academy and led by Professor Deryn Rees-Jones. Our partners for the project were the University of Liverpool, the University of Leeds, the Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF), Yemeni communities in the UK, Fatima Alzawiya, Amina Atiq, Sam Liebhaber, Catherine Miller and Mohammed Shormani. The principle aim of the project was to collect and examine Yemeni poetry from different times and spaces around the notion of conflict and conflict resolution. The notion of love emerged from the poets themselves and their poetry, from the realisation that much of the poetry we include was produced in a spirit of love. Poetry addressing conflict in Yemen was collected online and in the diaspora. Many of these poems have been made available by Roberta Morano on SoundCloud in the original Arabic with English translations, descriptions and metadata. A significant part of the project involved in-person poetry workshops with members of the Yemeni community in Liverpool, Cardiff, Birmingham and Sheffield, and, during the Covid-19 period, online poetry events with participants from the UK and Yemen. The workshops are described in more detail by Taher Qassim in chapter five.