ARBC0225A/LNGT0225A: Arabic Linguistics/Spring 2012
Assignment #2: Due on Monday March 19th , either in class, or by e-mail no later than 5pm. Delay
policy applies.
Instructions: Please read thoroughly and carefully!
- Important Note regarding Assignment #2: Since this homework contains phonetic symbols and
diacritics, you will need to use the .pdf file for printing purposes. You cannot use the .doc file to print out
the assignment, since most of these phonetic symbols and diacritics are likely to appear as distorted
characters on your computer (unless you have the Doulos SIL font installed; see below). You may
handwrite your transcriptions if you want. However, if you want to type the transcriptions, you can do
one of two things:
(a) Either go to this website (http://weston.ruter.net/projects/ipa-chart/view/keyboard/) and type your
phonetic transcriptions by clicking on the relevant symbols and diacritics, then copy and paste the
transcriptions into your .doc file; or, alternatively,
(b) Download and install the Doulos SIL font on your computer from this website:
http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&id=DoulosSIL_download
Once installed, you can then insert IPA symbols and diacritics within the text of your Microsoft Word
document, by going to the INSERT menu, clicking SYMBOL, then finding the Doulos SIL font from the
pulldown menu, and choosing the symbol or diacritic you want. Click OK, and the symbol or diacritic
will be inserted in the document. Should you face problems using either method, feel free to contact me.
- This homework assignment consists of EIGHT exercises, THREE of which you have already been
assigned at the end of the last three classes. Read each exercise carefully and make sure you answer all
the questions.
- The assignment is worth 50 points (and 5% of your overall grade in this course, so please turn in
“neat” work). The number of points each question is worth is given next to the question.
- You may either type your answers in the assignment’s .doc file, and then send it to me by e-mail, or you
can turn in a hard copy of your answers. However, if you decide to turn in a hard copy, please make
sure you submit legible handwritten answers, use a pen (not a pencil), and leave wide margins for me
to write comments in.
-
If
you
plan
to
e-mail
me
the
homework,
please
make
sure
to
name
the
file
‘assignment2_your_last_name’.
- Finally, please make sure you write and sign (either by hand or electronically) the Honor Code Pledge
on the homework here before turning it in.
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Exercise 1: Epenthesis
(10 points)
A. In our class discussion, we talked about the difference between Egyptian and Iraqi Arabic
speakers when it comes to epenthesis. Based on that discussion, predict what the form of the
words in Column A will be in each dialect, and write it in phonetic transcription Column B:
Column A
Column B
Egyptian: [katabt + l + u] (I wrote + to + him)

Iraqi: [kitabt + l + a] (I wrote + to + him)

Egyptian: [katabt + dars] (I wrote + a lesson)

Iraqi: [kitabt + maktu:b] (I wrote + a lesson)

Now, it turns out that Egyptians and Iraqis epenthesize in the same way in the following example:
Egyptian: katabt + l + ha: (I wrote + to + her)
 katabtilha:
Iraqi: kitabt + l + ha: (I wrote + to + her)
 kitabtilha:
B. Why do you think epenthesis is done in the same way in both dialects in that case?
C. Arabs speaking English: How do you think Arabs would pronounce the following English
words? Multiple pronunciations are possible. Write the phonetic transcriptions in the column
on the right.
street
plastic
Exercise 2: A question on the pronunciation of some question words
(5 points)
These are some expressions used in questions that you should have seen in your Arabic language
textbook Al-Kitaab:
َ )about who(َ‫عَمَن‬
 ‫ عنَمَن‬.2
َ )about what(َ‫عَ ّما‬
َ
‫ عَنَما‬.1
َ )from who(َ‫مَمَن‬
 َ‫ منَمن‬.4
َ )from what(َ‫مَ ّما‬

‫ مَنَما‬.3
2
Given what we discussed in this class so far, explain what happens in these forms. Provide
phonetic transcriptions for every expression in your answer.
Exercise 3: Jordanian!
(5 points)
Consider the examples in (a-l) from some Jordanian Arabic dialect, then answer the questions.
A. First, state the name of the process responsible for giving us the pronunciations on the right
from the broad transcriptions given on the left. Write a general rule describing the
phonological change happening in these examples.
a. ‫فات دكانه‬
/fa:t dukka:neh/

[fa:d dukka:neh]
‘he entered a store’
b. ‫بريد تاريخي‬
/bari:d ta:ri:xi:/

[bari:t ta:ri:xi:]
‘historical mail’
c. ‫مثلث ذهبي‬
/muθallaθ ðahabi:/ 
[muθallað ðahabi:] ‘a golden triangle’
d. ‫فوالذَثمين‬
/fu:la:ð θami:n/

[fu:la:θ θami:n]
‘expensive steel’
e. ‫كيسَزتون‬
/ki:s zatu:n/

[ki:z zatu:n]
‘a sack of olives’
f. ‫موزَسوري‬
/mu:z su:ri:/

[mu:s su:ri:]
‘Syrian bananas’
g. ‫صراخ غامر‬
/sˁura:x ɣa:mir/

[sˁura:ɣ ɣa:mir]
‘overwhelming scream’
h. ‫فرخَخيمته‬
/farraɣ xe:mtu/

[farrax xe:mtu]
‘he emptied his tent’
i. ‫ملكَقوي‬
/malik gawi:/

[malig gawi:]
‘a strong king’
j. ‫سرقَكرسي‬
/sarag kursi:/

[sarak kursi:]
‘he stole a chair’
k. ‫ملحَعادي‬
/miliħ ʕa:di:/

[miliʕ ʕa:di:]
‘regular salt’
l. ‫بلع حبة‬
/balaʕ ħabbe:/

[balaħ ħabbe:]
‘he swallowed a pill’
Now, consider these further examples from the same dialect:
m. ‫ولد سعيد‬
/walad saʕi:d/

[walad saʕi:d]
‘a happy boy’
n. ‫ملكَداهية‬
/malik da:hje/

[malik da:hje]
‘a cunning king’
o. ‫فرسَقوي‬
/faras gawi:/

[faras gawi:]
‘a strong horse’
B. Why do you think the process that was working for examples (a-l) is not working in
examples (m-o)? Explain your answer.
Exercise 4: Egyptian stress!
(5 points)
3
The following words are written in broad phonetic transcription in Cairene Egyptian Arabic. For
each word, mark the stressed syllable on the basis of the stress placement algorithm that we
discussed in class.
Word
Phonetic transcription
[ma.da:.ris]
َ )schools(َ‫مدارس‬
1.
[sa.ri:ʕ]
َ )fast(َ‫سريع‬
2.
[ʔaɡ.na.bi:]
)foreign(َ‫أجنبي‬
[mum.ta.la.ka:.tuh]
َ )his properties(َ‫ممتلكاته‬
[ad.du:.tah]
)story(َ‫حدّوتة‬
5.
[xa.ra.ɡu:]
)they went out(َ‫خرجوا‬
6.
[mab.su:tˁ]
َ )happy(َ‫مبسوط‬
[ma:.ʃi:]
)ok(ََ‫ماشي‬
8.
[han.sa:.fir]
)we will travel(َ‫هنسافر‬
9.
[ʔin.fa.sˁa.lu:]
َ )they got separated(َ‫انفصلوا‬
Exercise 5: Language and Technology: A Linguistics Symposium!
3.
4.
7.
10.
(10 points)
Write a 500-word essay on the Linguistics Symposium we attended this past Friday, March 9th.
Your essay should include both a summary of at least one of the talks, and a response or
commentary on the talk or any other issues raised during the symposium that you’d like to
discuss.
Exercise 6: Transcription! Already done!
(5 points)
Exercise 7: Syllable structure! Already done!
(5 points)
Exercise 8: Stress placement in Classical Arabic! Due in class on Wednesday! (5 points)
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