Optimality and correspondence theories in phonological shifts: a case study on Arabic guttural consonants in English loanwords

The standardization of loanwords presents challenges for borrowers due to phonological adaptations, particularly with guttural speech sounds. This case study examined native English speakers' articulation of Arabic loanwords containing guttural consonants, applying optimality theory and correspondence theory to investigate phonetic and phonological constraints. The analysis revealed that participants experienced difficulty adhering to constraints in their articulation, resulting in the omission, repair, or replacement of guttural phones in Arabic loanwords. Contrary to initial assumptions, the study found that deletion and replacement mechanisms were not exclusively position-dependent but rather determined by specific guttural sounds. For example, replacement occurred with sounds such as /χ/, /q/, and /g'/, while deletion was applied to sounds like /ʕ/, /ʔ/, and /ħ/. The repair strategy, however, was observed to be position-dependent, occurring only with words containing a medial guttural. These findings contribute to the understanding of phonological adaptations in loanwords and the interrelationships among significant linguistic groups, highlighting the complex nature of guttural consonant articulation in cross-linguistic contexts

The syntax of the particle qad in standard Arabic and Asiri Arabic

Purpose – This article studies the particle qad in standard Arabic (SA) and Asiri Arabic (AA). In SA, qad is pronounced as [qæd], whereas in AA it is pronounced as [q?d] and written as qid. Qad in SA is different from qid in AA regarding its functional use and syntactic distribution. Accordingly, the study discusses the semantics and selection properties of qad/qid. Design/methodology/approach – Contrasting analyses are presented to verify which syntactic analysis better suits extended projection principle (EPP) extension, and tree structures are provided to elucidate ongoing problematic configurations and to provide solutions. Findings – The SA particle qad has three functions: (1) a probability modal, as in may or might; (2) a perfective auxiliary, as in have, has and had; and (3) indicating emphatic purpose, as in do, does and did. Contrariwise, qid in AA has two meanings: (1) have, has and had (perfective auxiliary); and (2) the past tense of the English copula was/became (a linking verb). Given this background, there has been a debate in the syntax literature about whether qid/qad is an adverb. The current article provides evidence indicating that qid and qad are not adverbs. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to the analysis of qid in Asiri dialect. Further research needs to be done on the different branches of the Asiri dialects according to the tribe. Sometimes, tribes have different sound for some words. There is not any literature review found on the Asiri dialects in the designated area of study; the particle qid. Practical implications – The study can be counted towards the Asiri linguistic heritage in documenting the syntactic and semantic properties of qid particle. The study contributes to the linguistic field of the Arabic language and its varieties. Social implications – The study offers a general review of the linguistic background of Asir region. The study introduces the reader to qad particle in SA and holds a comparison between the two researched versions of qad in SA and qid in AA. Originality/value – The paradoxical analysis between qad and qid on all levels is presented (semantics, functional use, selection properties and level of configuration (EPP)). Also, it introduces the particle qid in AA as it was never investigated before

Linguistic Landscape of Arabs in New York City: Application of a Geosemiotics Analysis

The investigation of linguistic landscapes (LL) among the Arab community in downtown Brooklyn, New York City, is an underserved public space in the literature. This research focused on social and commercial or ‘bottom-up signs’ in LL to understand their purpose, origin and target audience. Drawing upon discourse analysis, the study was conceptualized according to the principles of border theory and geosemiotics. The latter was used to analyze the data, which consisted of random photographs of shopfronts in Brooklyn taken with a digital camera during the summer of 2016. The three semiotic aggregates used for analysis consisted of interaction order, visual and place semiotics. The data analysis showed the multi-layered nature of LL in this urban community and the subjectiveness of spatial borders through a combination of text and symbolic imagery. The paper highlights the importance of commercial signs in the LL among ethnic minority communities

The syntax of the particle <i>qad</i> in standard Arabic and Asiri Arabic

PurposeThis article studies the particle qad in standard Arabic (SA) and Asiri Arabic (AA). In SA, qad is pronounced as [qæd], whereas in AA it is pronounced as [q?d] and written as qid. Qad in SA is different from qid in AA regarding its functional use and syntactic distribution. Accordingly, the study discusses the semantics and selection properties of qad/qid.Design/methodology/approachContrasting analyses are presented to verify which syntactic analysis better suits extended projection principle (EPP) extension, and tree structures are provided to elucidate ongoing problematic configurations and to provide solutions.FindingsThe SA particle qad has three functions: (1) a probability modal, as in may or might; (2) a perfective auxiliary, as in have, has and had; and (3) indicating emphatic purpose, as in do, does and did. Contrariwise, qid in AA has two meanings: (1) have, has and had (perfective auxiliary); and (2) the past tense of the English copula was/became (a linking verb). Given this background, there has been a debate in the syntax literature about whether qid/qad is an adverb. The current article provides evidence indicating that qid and qad are not adverbs.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to the analysis of qid in Asiri dialect. Further research needs to be done on the different branches of the Asiri dialects according to the tribe. Sometimes, tribes have different sound for some words. There is not any literature review found on the Asiri dialects in the designated area of study; the particle qid.Practical implicationsThe study can be counted towards the Asiri linguistic heritage in documenting the syntactic and semantic properties of qid particle. The study contributes to the linguistic field of the Arabic language and its varieties.Social implicationsThe study offers a general review of the linguistic background of Asir region. The study introduces the reader to qad particle in SA and holds a comparison between the two researched versions of qad in SA and qid in AA.Originality/valueThe paradoxical analysis between qad and qid on all levels is presented (semantics, functional use, selection properties and level of configuration (EPP)). Also, it introduces the particle qid in AA as it was never investigated before.</jats:sec

Social Distancing During the Pandemic: A Semiotic Approach to Organizational Response through Commercial Branding

Social distancing is one of the most practical and most widely emphasized non-pharmaceutical interventions recommended globally in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though its efficacy remains debatable, social distancing continues to be advocated as a strategy to “flatten the curve” by reducing individual infections. This study aims to decode the semiotics of COVID-19 pandemic from one side and to show how commercial branding transformations took place from another. Global organizations have aligned themselves with social distancing precautions by adapting their commercial branding for visual messaging. This study takes a semiotic approach to the commercial branding of companies that could transform their branding during the pandemic and those that did. The two questions addressed by the study are: (1) How did commercial branding transform during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) what semiotic codes are evident in these transformations? The findings show that organizational branding was separated or reworded or took a two-pronged approach (combining rewording and transformed images).</jats:p

Errors in Writing Among Female Students at the Tertiary Level in Saudi Arabia

Writing is regarded as the most challenging skill to acquire when learning a foreign language. Extensive research into students' writing abilities is one method for understanding the challenges they face when writing. This study aims to investigate the most frequent English writing errors made by Saudi female university students at the tertiary level. The study's population comprised forty female college students. They had 45 minutes to write paragraphs on a variety of subjects. The participants in this study were selected at random and asked to compose an essay on any of the topics provided so that errors could be identified; the results were then analyzed and explained. Based on the findings, we can conclude that all 40 paragraphs of the essays written by Saudi female university students at the tertiary level contained 192 misspellings. There were 41 plural form errors, 58 comma punctuation errors, and 52 full stop punctuation errors. There were 119 instances of incorrect grammar, syntax, or word choice. The data analysis concludes that female students make numerous punctuation, syntactic, grammatical, and lexical errors, with most errors occurring in spelling and syntax. The results of this study are significant because the identified errors will have pedagogical implications when teaching writing skills to college-level English language students. This result sheds light on the areas that should be emphasized when teaching writing skills to EFL students in Saudi Arabia

Errors in Writing Among Female Students at the Tertiary Level in Saudi Arabia

Writing is regarded as the most challenging skill to acquire when learning a foreign language. Extensive research into students' writing abilities is one method for understanding the challenges they face when writing. This study aims to investigate the most frequent English writing errors made by Saudi female university students at the tertiary level. The study's population comprised forty female college students. They had 45 minutes to write paragraphs on a variety of subjects. The participants in this study were selected at random and asked to compose an essay on any of the topics provided so that errors could be identified; the results were then analyzed and explained. Based on the findings, we can conclude that all 40 paragraphs of the essays written by Saudi female university students at the tertiary level contained 192 misspellings. There were 41 plural form errors, 58 comma punctuation errors, and 52 full stop punctuation errors. There were 119 instances of incorrect grammar, syntax, or word choice. The data analysis concludes that female students make numerous punctuation, syntactic, grammatical, and lexical errors, with most errors occurring in spelling and syntax. The results of this study are significant because the identified errors will have pedagogical implications when teaching writing skills to college-level English language students. This result sheds light on the areas that should be emphasized when teaching writing skills to EFL students in Saudi Arabia.</jats:p