scholarly journals Prepositions in MSA and English

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saad Nasser Aldwayan
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Cognition ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cultural Cognition ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
World Languages ◽  
The World ◽  
Spatial Configurations ◽  
Modern Standard

Spatial scenes are identical in the world languages. However, cultures may diverge in profiling spatial scenes (Levinson 2003). This paper selects for study the prepositions in and on in English and their Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) counterparts fi and 3ala, arguing that MSA and English seem to diverge in the spatial configurations and meanings of these prepositions. The sub-schemas of CONTAINMENT (in-ness) in MSA are found to partially overlap with those of English, with the other sub-schemas being taken care of by SUPPORT (on-ness) and PUNCTUALITY (point-ness). Such differences classify MSA more as a CONTAINMENT-based language than English, which seems to prefer SUPPORT and PUNCTUALITY. However, English and MSA seem to converge in their metaphoric conceptualizations of states owing to conceptual embodiment (Lakoff 1987). The article discusses the implications of such findings for spatial cognition and cultural cognition and EFL/ESL writing and translating.

scholarly journals A Systemic Functional Analysis of Theme in Modern Standard Arabic Texts

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Tareq Alfraidi
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Functional Linguistics ◽  
The Other ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Written Discourse ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Logical Frameworks ◽  
New Information ◽  
The One ◽  
The Empirical Analysis ◽  
Modern Standard

The concept of Theme is regarded as a functional linguistic element that exists in many languages. The main aim of this study is to explore the functions of Theme in Arabic, applying the Systemic Functional Linguistics framework adopted by Downing (1991). Methodologically, several related real examples have been selected from the written discourse of Modern Standard Arabic and then analyzed contextually. The empirical analysis has revealed that (i) Theme can provide different functions, such as Individual, Circumstantial and Subjective and Logical Frameworks for the interpretation of the Rheme, and (ii) Theme can interact dynamically with different grammatical functions (e.g. Subject, Object, etc.) and have different pragmatic functions (e.g. Topic, Given and New information). Therefore, the view that makes a necessary link between Theme on the one hand and Noun Phrase, Topic or Given information on the other hand is proven incorrect and empirically invalid. Similar results have been obtained in the context of English (Downing 1991) but not yet for Arabic? This strengthens not only the universality of the concept of Theme but also its functions.

scholarly journals The comparative correlative construction in Modern Standard Arabic

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman A. Alqurashi ◽  
Robert D. Borsley
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Linguistic Variation ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Modern Standard

Much discussion of the comparative correlative construction exemplified by The more I read, the more I understand has been concerned with how much cross–linguistic variation there is in this area. Culicover and Jackendoff (1999) suggest that there is considerable variation, but Den Dikken (2005) suggests with data from a variety of languages that the variation is quite limited. Modern Standard Arabic has a comparative correlative construction which is quite different from Engish and the other languages that Den Dikken considers, suggesting that there is more variation in this domain than he assumes. However, it is not difficult to provide an analysis of the construction and other related constructions within the HPSG framework.

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.

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.

Language Practice and Language Description among Arabic Grammarians from Sībawayhi to al-Šidyāq: the Case of Agreement

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 47-66
Author(s):  
Luca D’Anna
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Language Usage ◽  
Modern Standard Arabic ◽  
Language Practice ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Standard Arabic ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Modern Standard ◽  
Language Description

Abstract Agreement in Arabic has received, in the last few decades, considerable interest, resulting in a satisfactory illustration of the system obtaining in pre-Classical varieties of the language, Classical / Modern Standard Arabic and the spoken dialects. On the other hand, the descriptions of agreement in traditional Arabic grammars have not yet been the object of detailed analysis. The present paper represents a first step in that direction, analyzing agreement in two grammarians situated at the chronological extremes of traditional Arabic grammar, i.e. Sībawayhi (d. 180/796) and al-Šidyāq (1805-1887). The approach adopted in this paper is twofold. The grammatical treatises in which the descriptions of agreement are provided, in fact, are considered as both a source of metalinguistic reflection and as a written text from which samples of agreement are collected, in order to gauge the consistency between language description and language usage at the dawn and sunset of traditional Arabic grammar.

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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