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Perspectives on Arabic Linguistics XXXV: Papers from the Annual Symposium on Arabic Linguistics, Washington, D.C., 2022
Edited by Ahmad Alqassas
[Studies in Arabic Linguistics 14] 2025
► pp. 80–107

Chapter 4
Neutralization of voice in colloquial Arabic verbs

 | Charles University
In this paper, I propose the concept of neutralization of voice, motivated by certain cases of intransitive usage of transitive verbs in some Arabic varieties. I confront the concept with a sample of Arabic verbs and argue that a class of constructions can indeed be accounted for in terms of voice neutralization, defined as the omission of coding of a de-transitivizing valency alternation. I also suggest some factors licensing the phenomenon and discuss its possible implications for cross-varietal and typological comparison, as well as its validity in terms of the study of actual language use, including marginal and emergent constructions conditioned by context.
Keywords: voice, valency, Arabic, Arabic dialects, voice alternations, non-standard constructions, communicative efficiency, diathesis
Article outline
  • Introduction
    • Transitivity alternations and their coding
    • Introducing the phenomenon
    • The notion of voice neutralization
  • 1.Pilot study on the Egyptian usage of ʾibil ‘accept’ and ʾaddim ‘submit’
  • 2.Heuristic search for voice-neutralizing verbs
    • Methodological issues and problems
  • 3.Description and analysis
    • The “standard” alternative
    • Morphology: The derivational status of the verb
    • Semantics: The type of alternation neutralized
      • a.The passive alternation
      • b.The reflexive alternation
      • c.The IO-passive/reflexive alternation
    • Pragmatics: The degree of conventionalization
  • Scale of stability/conventionalization of the neutralized pattern
    • Neutralization of voice observed in the data
  • 4.Discussion and open issues
    • a.Morphological limitations
    • b.The absence of an object
    • c.The particular contextual frame and agentivity of the undergoer
    • d.Unmarked reflexive or antipassive?
    • e.Stylistic and pragmatic aspects (communicative efficiency)
    • The relevance of voice neutralization as a notion
    • The inclusion of IO-passive alternation
    • Alternative approaches to the IO-passive alternation
    • Periphrasis by means of ʕamal ‘do’
    • Cross-varietal diversity and comparison
    • Typological and diachronic implications
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Author queries
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • References
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