This article makes the claim that the difference between typologically Bedouin and urban dialects of Arabic in gender representation in the plural, is a function of the urbanization process the urban dialects of Arabi...This article makes the claim that the difference between typologically Bedouin and urban dialects of Arabic in gender representation in the plural, is a function of the urbanization process the urban dialects of Arabic went through in the seventh century in the conquered territories. Contact induced linguistic processes of koineization and structural simplification in the newly established urban centers in the Middle East and North Africa immediately after the Arab conquests helped enhance the gender development that was already in effect before the Arab conquests. By comparing Bedouin and urban dialects to Classical Arabic, the article establishes that the three varieties were in a process of development in gender. Classical Arabic stopped at a particular stage, and Bedouin and urban dialects continued. Comparing Central Asian dialects to urban dialects of Egypt, they can see that at least to the eighth century, gender was a common feature of peninsular dialects. The article concludes by stating that the urban dialects developed further to lose all gender distinction in the plural because of the leveling and borrowing processes of the koineization in the urban centers in their formative period.展开更多
文摘This article makes the claim that the difference between typologically Bedouin and urban dialects of Arabic in gender representation in the plural, is a function of the urbanization process the urban dialects of Arabic went through in the seventh century in the conquered territories. Contact induced linguistic processes of koineization and structural simplification in the newly established urban centers in the Middle East and North Africa immediately after the Arab conquests helped enhance the gender development that was already in effect before the Arab conquests. By comparing Bedouin and urban dialects to Classical Arabic, the article establishes that the three varieties were in a process of development in gender. Classical Arabic stopped at a particular stage, and Bedouin and urban dialects continued. Comparing Central Asian dialects to urban dialects of Egypt, they can see that at least to the eighth century, gender was a common feature of peninsular dialects. The article concludes by stating that the urban dialects developed further to lose all gender distinction in the plural because of the leveling and borrowing processes of the koineization in the urban centers in their formative period.
