Aspects Of The Phonology And Morphology Of Saudi Varieties Of Arabic

The paper explores phonological and morphological aspects specific to Saudi Arabic varieties, including Ha’ili, Najdi, and Southwestern dialects. It highlights unique features like archaic elements and innovations in pronunciation and word structure. The study examines the presence of ancient phonetic traits, such as the lateral fricative pronunciation of certain sounds in Asir and Tihamah regions, and substrate influences like the nasal definite article in Faifi Arabic, reflecting non-Arabic Semitic origins. Moreover, it identifies innovations like word-initial consonant clusters in Najdi Arabic and the morphological augmentative forms in Ha’ili Arabic, where certain words gain an additional syllable or sound to indicate larger or enhanced forms.

Another focus is the morphological possessive suffix in the Southwestern Saudi variety, with a rare three-way allomorphy in possessive pronouns (-k, -ka, -ak), a feature largely absent in other dialects. Additionally, final degemination and stress shift phenomena in Najdi and Northwestern Saudi dialects are detailed, showcasing how word-final geminates reduce or alter stress, a rare feature in Arabic dialects. The study contributes valuable insights into the evolution of Saudi dialects, linking these distinctive features to potential historical influences and regional linguistic diversity.