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Geminate representation in Arabic

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Arabic dialects are characterized by the occurrence of geminate consonants in word-medial and word-final position. This article relates the patterning of Arabic geminates to the on-going controversy in phonological theory concerning the representation of geminate consonants. Two views are contrasted: the prosodic length analysis of geminates whereby a geminate is underlyingly a single consonant phoneme linked to two C-slots, and the moraic weight representation where a geminate is underlyingly a single consonant linked to a mora. We specifically argue that the patterning of geminate consonants in Arabic dialects largely supports the moraic weight representation. Evidence comes from phenomena such as the patterning of word-final geminates, the behavior of geminates with respect to stress, geminates in loanwords, and geminates in first language acquisition. We show that each of these phenomena supports the moraic weight representation of geminates.

  • Affiliations: 1: Indiana University

References

  1. Abu Salim, I.
    (1980) Epenthesis & geminate consonants in Palestinian Arabic. Studies in the Linguistic Sciences , 10, 1–11.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Al-Tamimi, F. , Abu-Abbas, K. H. , & Tarawnah, R.
    (2010) Jordanian Arabic final geminates: An experimental clinical phonetic study. Poznan Studies in Contemporary Linguistics , 42, 111–125.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Bamakhramah, M.
    (2009)  Syllable structure in Arabic varieties with a focus on superheavy syllables . Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Blanc, H.
    (1964)  Communal dialects in Baghdad . Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Clements, G. N. & Keyser, S. J.
    (1983)  CV phonology . Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Curtis, E.
    (2003)  Geminate weight: Case studies and formal models . Ph.D. dissertation, University of Washington.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Davis, S.
    (2011) Geminates. In M. van Oostendorp , C. Ewen , E. Hume ; & K. Rice (Eds.), The Blackwell companion to phonology Vol. 2 (pp. 873–897). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Farwaneh, S.
    (2009) Towards a typology of Arabic dialects: The role of final consonantality. Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies , 9, 82–109.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Hayes, B.
    (1989) Compensatory lengthening in moraic phonology. Linguistic Inquiry , 20, 253–306.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. (1995)  Metrical Stress Theory . Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Hume, E. , Muller J. , & van Engelenhoven, A.
    (1997) Non-moraic geminates in Let Phonology , 14, 371–402. doi: 10.1017/S0952675798003467
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952675798003467 [Google Scholar]
  12. Kiparsky, P.
    (2003) Syllables and moras in Arabic. In C. Féry & R. van de Vijver (Eds.), The Syllable in Optimality Theory (pp. 147–182). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511497926.007
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511497926.007 [Google Scholar]
  13. Leben, W.
    (1980) “A metrical analysis of length.” Linguistic Inquiry , 11, 497–509.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Levin, J.
    (1985)  A metrical theory of syllabicity . Ph.D. dissertation, MIT.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. McLeod, S. , van Doorn, J. , & Reed, V. A.
    (2002) Typological description of the normal acquisition of consonant clusters. In Windsor, F. , Kelly, L. , & Hewlett, N. (Eds.), Themes in Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics (pp. 185–200). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Muller, J.
    (2001)  The phonology and phonetics of word-initial geminates . Ph.D. dissertation, The Ohio State University.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Nour, A. G. M.
    (2011) Gemination in English loanwords in Jordanian Arabic. Paper presented at theInternational Conference on Phonetics and Phonology 2011, Kyoto, Japan, December 2011.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Ragheb, M.
    (2010) The phonological acquisition of word-final consonant clusters in Cairene Arabic. Ms., Indiana University.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Ragheb, M. & Davis, S.
    (2010) “The acquisition of word-final clusters in Cairene Arabic: An OT analysis”. Paper presented at theArabic Linguistics Symposium, Austin, Texas, April 2010.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Reynolds, E.
    (2011) Multiple scansion of Egyptian Arabic monosyllabic loanwords: Coda gemination in underweight syllables. Ms., Indiana University.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Ringen, C. & Vago, R.
    (2011) Geminates: heavy or long?. In C. Cairns & E. Raimy (Eds.), Handbook of the Syllable (pp. 155–169). Leiden: Brill.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Rose, S.
    (2000) Rethinking geminates, long-distance geminates, and the OCP. Linguistic Inquiry , 31, 85–122. doi: 10.1162/002438900554307
     https://doi.org/10.1162/002438900554307 [Google Scholar]
  23. Selkirk, E.
    (1991) The two root node theory of geminates. University of Massachusetts Occasional Papers , 14, 123–171.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Topbas, S. & Kopkalli-Yavuz, H.
    (2008) Reviewing sonority for word-final sonorant+obstruent consonant cluster development in Turkish. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics , 22, 871–880. doi: 10.1080/02699200802175867
     https://doi.org/10.1080/02699200802175867 [Google Scholar]
  25. Topintzi, N.
    (2008) On the existence of moraic onsets. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory , 26, 147–184. doi: 10.1007/s11049‑008‑9034‑4
     https://doi.org/10.1007/s11049-008-9034-4 [Google Scholar]
  26. Tranel, B.
    (1991) CVC light syllables, geminates, and moraic theory. Phonology , 8, 291–302. doi: 10.1017/S095267570000141X
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S095267570000141X [Google Scholar]
  27. Watson, J.
    (2002)  The phonology and morphology of Arabic . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Wellens, I.
    (2005)  The Nubi language of Uganda: An Arabic creole in Africa . Leiden: Brill.
     [Google Scholar]

References

  1. Abu Salim, I.
    (1980) Epenthesis & geminate consonants in Palestinian Arabic. Studies in the Linguistic Sciences , 10, 1–11.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Al-Tamimi, F. , Abu-Abbas, K. H. , & Tarawnah, R.
    (2010) Jordanian Arabic final geminates: An experimental clinical phonetic study. Poznan Studies in Contemporary Linguistics , 42, 111–125.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Bamakhramah, M.
    (2009)  Syllable structure in Arabic varieties with a focus on superheavy syllables . Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Blanc, H.
    (1964)  Communal dialects in Baghdad . Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Clements, G. N. & Keyser, S. J.
    (1983)  CV phonology . Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Curtis, E.
    (2003)  Geminate weight: Case studies and formal models . Ph.D. dissertation, University of Washington.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Davis, S.
    (2011) Geminates. In M. van Oostendorp , C. Ewen , E. Hume ; & K. Rice (Eds.), The Blackwell companion to phonology Vol. 2 (pp. 873–897). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Farwaneh, S.
    (2009) Towards a typology of Arabic dialects: The role of final consonantality. Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies , 9, 82–109.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Hayes, B.
    (1989) Compensatory lengthening in moraic phonology. Linguistic Inquiry , 20, 253–306.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. (1995)  Metrical Stress Theory . Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Hume, E. , Muller J. , & van Engelenhoven, A.
    (1997) Non-moraic geminates in Let Phonology , 14, 371–402. doi: 10.1017/S0952675798003467
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952675798003467 [Google Scholar]
  12. Kiparsky, P.
    (2003) Syllables and moras in Arabic. In C. Féry & R. van de Vijver (Eds.), The Syllable in Optimality Theory (pp. 147–182). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511497926.007
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511497926.007 [Google Scholar]
  13. Leben, W.
    (1980) “A metrical analysis of length.” Linguistic Inquiry , 11, 497–509.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Levin, J.
    (1985)  A metrical theory of syllabicity . Ph.D. dissertation, MIT.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. McLeod, S. , van Doorn, J. , & Reed, V. A.
    (2002) Typological description of the normal acquisition of consonant clusters. In Windsor, F. , Kelly, L. , & Hewlett, N. (Eds.), Themes in Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics (pp. 185–200). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Muller, J.
    (2001)  The phonology and phonetics of word-initial geminates . Ph.D. dissertation, The Ohio State University.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Nour, A. G. M.
    (2011) Gemination in English loanwords in Jordanian Arabic. Paper presented at theInternational Conference on Phonetics and Phonology 2011, Kyoto, Japan, December 2011.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Ragheb, M.
    (2010) The phonological acquisition of word-final consonant clusters in Cairene Arabic. Ms., Indiana University.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Ragheb, M. & Davis, S.
    (2010) “The acquisition of word-final clusters in Cairene Arabic: An OT analysis”. Paper presented at theArabic Linguistics Symposium, Austin, Texas, April 2010.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Reynolds, E.
    (2011) Multiple scansion of Egyptian Arabic monosyllabic loanwords: Coda gemination in underweight syllables. Ms., Indiana University.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Ringen, C. & Vago, R.
    (2011) Geminates: heavy or long?. In C. Cairns & E. Raimy (Eds.), Handbook of the Syllable (pp. 155–169). Leiden: Brill.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Rose, S.
    (2000) Rethinking geminates, long-distance geminates, and the OCP. Linguistic Inquiry , 31, 85–122. doi: 10.1162/002438900554307
     https://doi.org/10.1162/002438900554307 [Google Scholar]
  23. Selkirk, E.
    (1991) The two root node theory of geminates. University of Massachusetts Occasional Papers , 14, 123–171.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Topbas, S. & Kopkalli-Yavuz, H.
    (2008) Reviewing sonority for word-final sonorant+obstruent consonant cluster development in Turkish. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics , 22, 871–880. doi: 10.1080/02699200802175867
     https://doi.org/10.1080/02699200802175867 [Google Scholar]
  25. Topintzi, N.
    (2008) On the existence of moraic onsets. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory , 26, 147–184. doi: 10.1007/s11049‑008‑9034‑4
     https://doi.org/10.1007/s11049-008-9034-4 [Google Scholar]
  26. Tranel, B.
    (1991) CVC light syllables, geminates, and moraic theory. Phonology , 8, 291–302. doi: 10.1017/S095267570000141X
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S095267570000141X [Google Scholar]
  27. Watson, J.
    (2002)  The phonology and morphology of Arabic . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Wellens, I.
    (2005)  The Nubi language of Uganda: An Arabic creole in Africa . Leiden: Brill.
     [Google Scholar]

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