Arabic phonetics in the beginning of the third millenium

This paper investigates the contribution of early Arab scholars in general phonetics and phonology and its impact on modern phonetics. It is important to note that phonetics and phonology were not independent disciplines. Rather, they were part of other disciplines. Therefore, in terms of early Arab contribution to phonetics and phonology, their scholarship can be derived from three major areas: (i) Arabic linguistics whose pioneers are Alkhalīl Al-Farāhīdi through his book Al'ain, Sibawayh through his book Al-Kitāb, and Ibn Jinni through his book Sir S̥ ina'at Ali'rāb. (ii) medicine, philosophy and music whose most prominent figures are Al-Kindi through his book Istikhrāj Al-mu'mma, Al-Farābi through his book Al-Musīqā Al-Kabīr,andIbn Sīna through his book Asbāb Huddῡth Al-Harf. (iii) the modes of reading and the art of reciting the Qur'an (Tajwīd) whose most important contributors are Abu Amr Al-Dāni in his book Al-Tahdeed fi Al-Itqān wal-Tajwīd, Makki bin Abi Taleb Al-Qaisi in his book Al-Ri'āyah litajwīd Al-Qirā'ah wa tahqīq Al-Tilāwah, and Ibn Al-Jazari in his books Al-Tamhīd fi 'ilm Al-Tajwīd and Al-Mukaddimah Al-Juzariyyah. It can be argued that Al-Farāhīdi and Sibawayh are the architects who lay the foundation of Arabic phonetics and phonology. In spite of the lack of equipment and modern tools, both have included in their linguistic works detailed phonetic and phonological treatises on classical Arabic that defined the parameters of these two sub-disciplines for subsequent centuries. This paper highlights the creativity of these early phoneticians in initiating the technical terminology and the analytical tools for the study of Arabic phonetics that are unique to this tradition. However, the paper also points out the areas in which the phonetic analysis of early Arab phoneticians is inadequate, the discrepancies in their discussion, and the areas of agreement with modern discoveries in the field of phonetics and phonology.

The Routledge Handbook of Arabic Linguistics, 2018

In this chapter, a general description and discussion of the phonology of Arabic is presented. First, the sound system of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is briefly discussed and compared to the sound system of Classical Arabic (CA) as described by Classical Arabic grammarians. Differences, or possible differences, between the two are highlighted. The phonemic inventory of MSA is then compared to those of the other Arabic spoken varieties, conventionally classified into six main dialect groups from East to West: Gulf Arabic (GA), Iraqi Arabic (IA), Levantine Arabic (LA), Yemeni Arabic (YA), Egyptian Arabic (EA), and Maghrebi Arabic (MA). Comparisons among these varieties are drawn in terms of sound system, syllable structure, and stress patterns. Some sound alternations in different dialects are analyzed within an OCP driven framework. Additionally, processes such as assimilation, affrication, lenition, and pharyngealization are discussed. Occasionally, reference is made to specific dialects within the six major groups, and new data are presented from less studied dialects.

1996

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Cambridge Semitic Languages and Cultures, 2021

Using principles similar to the early Syriac and Hebrew descriptions of vowel phonology, the first Arabic linguists also applied a relative system to identify the vowels of their recitation tradition. Like seventh- and eighth-century Jews and Christians, Qurʾānic readers first identified some of their vowels using terms derived from connections of backness with height. The earliest Arabic diacritic dots provide evidence for this relative phonology, as they were placed using the same ‘high’ and ‘low’ phonetic associations as seen in the Syriac dot systems, albeit for consonants rather than vowels. The concept also carried into the invention of the Arabic red-dot vocalisation system, which took shape around the end of the seventh century. Early Arabic grammatical sources, specifically Kitāb Sībawayh and Kitāb al-ʿAyn, also preserve two-way contrastive phonetic terminology that, like in Syriac and Hebrew, linked the back of the mouth to phonetic ‘height’. This early tradition used naṣb ‘standing upright’ and imāla ‘bending down, inclining’ to describe the various allophones of alif in Qurʾānic Arabic, according to their relative points of articulation. Also like Syriac and Hebrew, this two-way comparison of vowels contributed to an absolute naming system during the eighth century. This is Chapter 3, §2 of "Points of Contact: The Shared Intellectual History of Vocalisation in Syriac, Arabic, and Hebrew" freely available here: https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0271

2012

This is a descriptive study of the phonology and morphology of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) spoken in Cairo, Egypt. The study, conducted within the framework of the Lexical Phonology (LP) theory, aims at examining and describing in detail the nature of the relationship between the phonology and morphology of the MSA lexicon with a view to determine what role morphological and phonological rules play in the word formation processes and organization of the MSA lexicon. In view of the arguments presented by proponents of the LP theory with re pect to the supposedly universal phonological and morphological principles of languag , this study sets out to investigate and determine, the extent to which the e uni ersal principles are applicable in MSA. The study is guided by our research problem, which is to investigate the nature of the relationship between phonology and morphology in the organization of the MSA lexicon. It seeks to achieve se eral objecti es· key among them being to conduc...

2017

Antwerp papers in linguistics., 2002

International Journal of Education and Practice, 2014

Phonology is a wide area of study in any language specially English &Arabic Language, it needs books to cover every single part of these languages. This review paper aims at providing Arab learners and English learners with stem footnotes of these two languages in area of phonology, to ease their learning of English and Arabic languages as foreign or second language, this review paper provide learners with the main differences and rules of English and Arabic languages alphabets that the researcher gathered during her teaching of English language to Arab speakers.

Indri Nur Ramadhani, 2022

Arabic Literature faculty of cultural sciences, University of North Sumatra provides formal language learning to produce students who like to speak Arabic and can speak Arabic correctly, so that they can graduate with mumtaz predicate and can practice the knowledge gained while studying in Arabic literature. The most important thing in learning Arabic is in learning listening skills where students listen to the teacher in explaining a title using Arabic sounds, and students will present the title that has been explained in front of their friends using good and correct Arabic sounds. So the purpose of this study is: to find out about the causal factors of Arabic phonology problems and the solution of the problems contained in Arabic phonology problems. This research uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive type of research. Data collection techniques in this study with observation and literature. Data Analysis Techniques This research is carried out using qualitative analysis techniques deductively, meaning from general things or theories to draw specific conclusions. And in an inductive way it relates to specific and concrete facts and then draws conclusions from the particular to the general.