Alenazy, M. & Saidat, A. (2015) The implications of Animal Metaphors for Syntactic Agreement in Arabic. Acta Linguistica 9 (1): 98-110.
- Research Summary
Animal metaphor as a mapping process between two domains is closely connected to the conceptual system. Syntactic agreement is also associated with the conceptual system as it is triggered by certain features with values that are determined within the conceptual system. This paper investigates the interaction between animal metaphors and agreement in Arabic. The metaphorical reading of an animal name is manifested at the level of syntax. Taking this into consideration, the paper argues that an animal metaphor is a hybrid lexical item which is composed of a lexical core represented by the animal name and a bundle of features consistent with a human name.
- Research link
- key words
Agreement, Metaphor, Arabic
Saidat, A. & Alenazy, M. (2015) Thematic Roles in Somali: A Principle and Parameters Approach. Advances in Language and Literary Studies 6:104-110.
- Research Summary
This study describes the thematic roles of Somali; a language that manifests unorthodox grammatical structures due to the use of the focus particle. A mapping of some language features related to the semantic-syntactic interface is carried out. The effect of the meaning of the lexical items is tested to whether it affects the syntactic structures of the sentences. It was found that the word order of Somali is determined by pragmatic and sociolinguistics factors. The focus particle of Somali plays a key-role in the Surface structure of the sentences. However; the thematic roles of the language appear not to be influenced by the grammatical manifestation of the language at the surface structure. Rather, they are determined at the deep structure level. Somali, being a pro-drop language, shows that predicates require obligatory external arguments while internal arguments are determined by the verb class and kind. Some structures show that certain verbs require PPs as obligatory arguments.
- Research link
- key words
Somali, Theta Theory, Thematic Roles
- (2007). Object Shift in Modem Standard Arabic. Kashmir Journal of Language Research 10: 85-103.
Alenazy, M. (2009) Case, agreement and movement in Arabic: aminimalist approach. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Verlag Publishing Company.
- Research Summary
This study explores a number of interrelated issues that contribute to the word order variation in two varieties of Arabic: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Jordanian Arabic (JA). The study adopts recent minimalist assumptions proposed by Chomsky (1998, 2001, and 2005) in order to provide answers for the basic questions surrounding case assignment, subject positions and the agreement patterns shown by the verb in both MSA and JA, in addition to object positions and object movement in MSA.
- Research link
- key words
Arabic, Minimalism, Syntax, Case
Alenazy, M. & Saidat, A. (2015) Verbal Agreement in Arabic: A Phase-based Approach. To appear in SKASE Journal of Theoretical Linguistics.
- Research Summary
This paper addresses the issue of agreement in Modern Standard Arabic by adopting the most recent version of Chomsky's Minimalist Program. Under Chomsky's assumptions, phase heads carry Agree-features and when these features, which are responsible for the derivational processes, are valued and deleted, the derivation ceases. Agreement alternation in different word orders is not expected if verbal Agreement is determined by the Agree-features on the phase head. Thus, the paper argues against the view that SVO word order is an alternative to VSO. Rather, it claims that the subject in SVO is a topic which undergoes movement from a postverbal position to the specifier of TP to satisfy an Edge Feature on T. The moved subject leaves a pronounceable pronominal copy in its original position; this pronominal element does not exist in VSO because the subject does not undergo any type of movement.
- Research link
- key words
Arabic, Feature Inheritance, Goal, Phase, Probe.
- (2008). A Phase-based Analysis of Arabic Structural Case. Kashmir Journal of Language Research 11: 64-107.
Saidat, A. & Alenazy, M. (2015) Participant Reference in Qur'anic Arabic, Dialogues of Moses: A Corpus Based Study. Argumentum 11: 155-165.
- Research Summary
Participant reference in Arabic, a language with a sophisticated pronominal system, is dependent on several factors. Most of the previous research considered rule-based analyses of text and ignored other important factors such as pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and native speaker’s nonlinguistic knowledge. In this study of Qur’anic Arabic, two theoretical frameworks were taken into account: primarily Givόn’s measurements of topic continuity and, secondarily, Binding Theory. The study shows that the language is accessible for native speakers of Arabic. However, if translated into another language, the alternations of the use of full noun phrases (NP) and pronouns and dropped pronouns (pro) seem necessary. A more comprehensive text analysis approach might be called for, so that no prejudice judgments about any language are made.
- Research link
- key words
Participant Reference, topic continuity, Arabic
- أبو دنة، فوزي و العنـزي، ممدوح (2012) نافذة على الأمس: رسائل وصور من الأردن للرحالة الإنجليزية جيرترود بيل. وزارة الثقافة، عمان الأردن. (جمع وترجمة لعدد من رسائل الرحالة جيرترود بيل خلال الفترة الواقعة من 1900 ولغاية 1914).
- (2007). Object Shift in Modem Standard Arabic. Kashmir Journal of Language Research 10: 85-103.
Alenazy, M. & Saidat, A. (2015) The implications of Animal Metaphors for Syntactic Agreement in Arabic. Acta Linguistica 9 (1): 98-110.
- Research Summary
Animal metaphor as a mapping process between two domains is closely connected to the conceptual system. Syntactic agreement is also associated with the conceptual system as it is triggered by certain features with values that are determined within the conceptual system. This paper investigates the interaction between animal metaphors and agreement in Arabic. The metaphorical reading of an animal name is manifested at the level of syntax. Taking this into consideration, the paper argues that an animal metaphor is a hybrid lexical item which is composed of a lexical core represented by the animal name and a bundle of features consistent with a human name.
- Research link
- key words
Agreement, Metaphor, Arabic
Saidat, A. & Alenazy, M. (2015) Thematic Roles in Somali: A Principle and Parameters Approach. Advances in Language and Literary Studies 6:104-110.
- Research Summary
This study describes the thematic roles of Somali; a language that manifests unorthodox grammatical structures due to the use of the focus particle. A mapping of some language features related to the semantic-syntactic interface is carried out. The effect of the meaning of the lexical items is tested to whether it affects the syntactic structures of the sentences. It was found that the word order of Somali is determined by pragmatic and sociolinguistics factors. The focus particle of Somali plays a key-role in the Surface structure of the sentences. However; the thematic roles of the language appear not to be influenced by the grammatical manifestation of the language at the surface structure. Rather, they are determined at the deep structure level. Somali, being a pro-drop language, shows that predicates require obligatory external arguments while internal arguments are determined by the verb class and kind. Some structures show that certain verbs require PPs as obligatory arguments.
- Research link
- key words
Somali, Theta Theory, Thematic Roles
- (2008). A Phase-based Analysis of Arabic Structural Case. Kashmir Journal of Language Research 11: 64-107.
Alenazy, M. (2009) Case, agreement and movement in Arabic: aminimalist approach. Saarbrücken, Germany: VDM Verlag Publishing Company.
- Research Summary
This study explores a number of interrelated issues that contribute to the word order variation in two varieties of Arabic: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Jordanian Arabic (JA). The study adopts recent minimalist assumptions proposed by Chomsky (1998, 2001, and 2005) in order to provide answers for the basic questions surrounding case assignment, subject positions and the agreement patterns shown by the verb in both MSA and JA, in addition to object positions and object movement in MSA.
- Research link
- key words
Arabic, Minimalism, Syntax, Case
Alenazy, M. & Saidat, A. (2015) Verbal Agreement in Arabic: A Phase-based Approach. To appear in SKASE Journal of Theoretical Linguistics.
- Research Summary
This paper addresses the issue of agreement in Modern Standard Arabic by adopting the most recent version of Chomsky's Minimalist Program. Under Chomsky's assumptions, phase heads carry Agree-features and when these features, which are responsible for the derivational processes, are valued and deleted, the derivation ceases. Agreement alternation in different word orders is not expected if verbal Agreement is determined by the Agree-features on the phase head. Thus, the paper argues against the view that SVO word order is an alternative to VSO. Rather, it claims that the subject in SVO is a topic which undergoes movement from a postverbal position to the specifier of TP to satisfy an Edge Feature on T. The moved subject leaves a pronounceable pronominal copy in its original position; this pronominal element does not exist in VSO because the subject does not undergo any type of movement.
- Research link
- key words
Arabic, Feature Inheritance, Goal, Phase, Probe.
Saidat, A. & Alenazy, M. (2015) Participant Reference in Qur'anic Arabic, Dialogues of Moses: A Corpus Based Study. Argumentum 11: 155-165.
- Research Summary
Participant reference in Arabic, a language with a sophisticated pronominal system, is dependent on several factors. Most of the previous research considered rule-based analyses of text and ignored other important factors such as pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and native speaker’s nonlinguistic knowledge. In this study of Qur’anic Arabic, two theoretical frameworks were taken into account: primarily Givόn’s measurements of topic continuity and, secondarily, Binding Theory. The study shows that the language is accessible for native speakers of Arabic. However, if translated into another language, the alternations of the use of full noun phrases (NP) and pronouns and dropped pronouns (pro) seem necessary. A more comprehensive text analysis approach might be called for, so that no prejudice judgments about any language are made.
- Research link
- key words
Participant Reference, topic continuity, Arabic
- أبو دنة، فوزي و العنـزي، ممدوح (2012) نافذة على الأمس: رسائل وصور من الأردن للرحالة الإنجليزية جيرترود بيل. وزارة الثقافة، عمان الأردن. (جمع وترجمة لعدد من رسائل الرحالة جيرترود بيل خلال الفترة الواقعة من 1900 ولغاية 1914).