Medial deictic demonstratives in Arabic: Fact or fallacy

Samir Omar Jarbou
Abstract

This paper investigates two different views concerning the number of deictic degrees of demonstratives in Classical Arabic (CA) and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). The first view claims that CA has a medial category of demonstratives in addition to proximals and distals; the second view postulates that there are only proximals and distals in CA. The study examines the dialectal origin of singular and dual CA demonstratives based on writings of ancient grammarians in addition to investigating the Semitic origin of these demonstratives. It is argued that the demonstrative system in CA is the result of a combination of two dialectal demonstrative systems: one of these had been used in Old ?ijaazi, while the other had been used in Old Tamiimi Arabic. Each of these dialects had only proximals and distals but no medials. Demonstratives in these dialects had dissimilar forms for distals. ?ijaazi distals had two suffixes attached to the proximal base, while Tamiimi ones had one suffix only. The presence of these different forms led grammarians representing the first view to the fallacy that demonstratives with one suffix are medials, while those with two suffixes are distals. However, the supposed medials are in fact the distals that were used in Old Tamiimi; their distance value is the same as that of Old Hijaazi distals.

Keywords:
Quick links
A browser-friendly version of this article is not yet available. View PDF
Akbari, Abdullah
(d. 1219) (2001) Allubaab fi ‘ilal albinaa’ wal ‘i ‘raab, vol 1. Gh. M. Telimaat (ed.). Beirut: Dar Alfikr Almu’aasir.Google Scholar
Al-Hamad, Ghanim
(2004) Abhaath fi Al’arabiia Alfusha. Amman: Dar ‘ammar.Google Scholar
Anderson, Stephen, and E. Keenan
(1985) Deixis. In T. Shopen (ed.), Language Typology and Syntactic Description. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 259–308.Google Scholar
Ashmuuni, Muhammad
(d. 1522) (1993) Manhaj Asaalik ila Alfiiat Ibn Malik, vol1. A.A. ‘abd Al-Hamiid (ed.). Cairo: Almaktaba Al’zhariia Lituraath.Google Scholar
Azhari, Muhammad
(d. 980) (2001) Tahðiib Al-Lugha, vol 15. M. Mir’ib (ed.). Beirut: Dar ‘iHyaa’ Aturaath Al’arabi.Google Scholar
Beeston, Alfred
(1970) The Arabic Language Today. London: Hutchinson.Google Scholar
Brockelmann, Carl
(1977a) Tariikh Al’dəb Al’arabi (Geschichte der Arabischen Literatur 1898–1902) vol 1. A. Najjar (trans.), 4th ed. Cairo: Dar Al-ma’araif.Google Scholar
(1977b) Fiqh Alloghat Asamyaa (Grundriss der Vergleichenden Grammatik der Semitischen Sprachen 1908–1913). R. Abd Etawwab (trans.). Riyadh: Riyadh University Press.Google Scholar
Diessel, Holger
(1999) Demonstratives: Form, Function and Grammaticalization. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Dixon, Robert
(2003) Demonstratives: A cross-linguistic typology. Studies in Language 27.1: 61–112. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Farraa’, Yahya
(d. 822) (2001) Ma ‘aani AlQuran vol 1. In A.Y. Najati, and M.A. Najjar (eds.), 3rd ed. Cairo: Dar Alkutub Al-Masria.Google Scholar
Fleisch, Henri
(1979) Traité de Philologie Arabe, vol. 2. Beyrouth: Dar al-Machreq.Google Scholar
Fischer, Wolfdietrich
(1987) Grammatik des Klassischen Arabisch. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.Google Scholar
Ghalaaiini, Mustafa, A. Khafaja
A. A’hl 1973 Jami’ ‘adduruus ‘al’arabyya. Beirut: Almatba’a Al-’asryya.
Hasselbach, Rebecca
(2007) Demonstratives in Semitic. Journal of the American Oriental Society 107.1: 1–27.Google Scholar
Holes, Clive
(2004) Modern Arabic: Structures, Functions, and Varieties. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.Google Scholar
Huang, Yan
(2007) Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University PressGoogle Scholar
Ibn ‘Aqiil, Abdullaah
(d.1367) (1996) Sharh Ibn ‘qiil ‘ala Alfiiat Ibn Malik, vol 1. MM. Halawi (ed.). Beirut: Dar Ahiia? Aturath Al- ‘arabi.Google Scholar
Ibn Manduur, Muhammad
(d. 1311) (1999) Lisaan Al-’arab vol 5. A. Abdilwahaab, and M. Al-’ubaidy (eds.). Beirut: Dar ?ihyaa? Aturaath Al-’rabi.Google Scholar
Ingham, Bruce
(1982) Northeast Arabian Dialects. London: Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
(1994) Najdi Arabic: Central Arabian, vol 1. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Jawhari, Ism’iil
(d.1002) (1990) Aṣiḥaaḥ vol 6. A. Aṭṭaar (ed.). Beirut: Dar Al-’ilm Lilmalaiin.Google Scholar
Johnstone, Thomas
(1967) Eastern Arabian Dialect Studies. London: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Levinson, Stephen
(2006) Deixis and Pragmatics. In H. Larry, and W. Gregory (eds.), The Handbook of Pragmatics. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 97–121. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lipinski, Edward
(2001) Semitic Languages: Outline of a Comparative Grammar. 2nd ed. Orientalia Lovanensia Analecta. Leuven: Peeters Publishers.Google Scholar
Lyons, John
(1977) Semantics. Rpt. 1978. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar
Mubarrad, Muḥammad
(d.898) (1963) Al-muqtaḍab vol. 3. M. ‘adiima (ed). Beirut: ‘alam Al-kutub.Google Scholar
Owens, Jonathan
(2006) A Linguistic History of Arabic. Oxford: Oxford University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Prochazka, Theodore
(1988) Saudi Arabian Dialects. New York: Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Qabbish, Aḥmad
(1979) Alkamil fi naḥau wa Saraf wal ‘i’raab. Beirut: Dar Al-Jiil.Google Scholar
Sieny, Maḥmuud
(1978) The Syntax of Urban Higazi Arabic (Saudi Arabia). London: Longman.Google Scholar
Sibawayhi, Uthmaan
(d.793) (1991) Al-Kitaab. A.M. Haruun (ed.). Beirut: Dar Aljiil.Google Scholar
Soyuutii, Jalauddiin
(d.1505) (1975) Sharah Jam’ Aljawaami’ ham’ Alhwaami’. A.M. Haruun, and A.S. Makram (eds.). Kuwait: Dar Al-bunuuth Al’ilmia.Google Scholar
Rabin, Chaim
(1951) Ancient West-Arabian. London: Taylor’s Foreign Press.Google Scholar
Versteegh, Kees
(2001) The Arabic Language. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.Google Scholar
Wright, William
(1898) A Grammar of the Arabic Language. Rpt 1976. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Zamakhshari, Maḥmuud
(d. 1143) (1999) Al-Mufaṣil fi ṣan’at al-’i’raab. A.B. Ya’quub (ed.). Beirut: Dar Al-kutub Al-’ilmia.Google Scholar
Ziad, Mis’ad
(nd) http://​www​.drmosad​.com​/index153​.htm. Retrieved May 12 2009.