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Article published In:
Journal of Historical Linguistics
Vol. 10:1 (2020) ► pp.111–135

From locative existential construction fi(ih) to a TMA/progressive marker

Grammaticalization of fi(ih) in Gulf Arabic Pidgin

| Jazan University

The grammaticalization framework has been suggested as a predictive power for language change. This paper considers the grammatical functions of the locative construction fi(ih) in the Gulf Arabic Pidgin (a variety spoken by workers from the Indian subcontinent and south Asian countries working in the Arabian/Persian Gulf States). In Gulf Arabic, there are (1) the preposition fi ‘in; into; inside’ and (2) the locative construction fi(ih) ‘there is/are’, which only has an existential function. In Gulf Arabic Pidgin, the locative construction fi(ih), however, has several grammatical functions, including (1) a possessive marker (i.e., have-constructions), (2) an equative/predicative copula, and (3) a preverbal predicative marker. The aim in this paper is two-fold: first, to show how a grammaticalization framework can possibly account for the grammatical innovations of fi(ih) in the Gulf Arabic Pidgin; and second, to suggest that these grammatical innovations might be the results of an ongoing grammaticalization process of LOCATIVE>TMA/PROGRESSIVE. Earlier studies conducted on this pidgin serve as data sources for this project.

Keywords: grammaticalization, language change, innovation, Gulf Arabic Pidgin
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1What is a pidgin?
    • 2.2Gulf Arabic Pidgin (GAP)
  • 3.Theoretical framework
    • 3.1Grammaticalization
    • 3.2Grammaticalization in contact situations (linguistics)
  • 4. Fi(ih) in Gulf Arabic Pidgin (GAP)
  • 5.The data, procedures, and analysis
  • 6.Functions and examples of fi(ih) in GAP
    • 6.1The use of fi(ih) as a preposition with a locative function meaning ‘in’ (GA and GAP)
    • 6.2As an existential fi(ih) (GA and GAP)
    • 6.3As an equative/predicative copula (GAP innovation)
    • 6.4A syntactic tool to achieve verbal predication (GAP innovation)
    • 6.5In predicative possessive constructions (have-constructions; GAP innovation)
  • 7. Fi(ih) in GAP: Gradual grammaticalization/grammaticalization chain
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Note
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 25 May 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.16026.mob
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