User:Majd Kajan/sandbox

= Phonological history of Levantine Arabic = Levantine Arabic exhibits a number of phonetic changes from Classical Arabic, some of them typical of vernacular varieties of Arabic in general while others are characteristic of Levantine in particular. The Aramaic substrate in Levantine can be seen in its phonology, in its use of [e] and [o] in the same positions as Aramaic.

Vowel Reduction

 * word-initial/medial /a/ > [æ ä ɑ]

The pronunciation of /a/ depends on its phonological environment. It may be pronounced as [æ] or [ä] normally, and if present in a word with emphatic consonants (//), it will be backed to [ɑ]. amar.


 * word-final /a/ > [e] (urban) > [i] (rural)


 * word-initial/medial /i/ > [ə] or [i] (in open syllables)


 * word-final-syllable /i/ > [e], except preceding geminates where word-final /i/ > [ə]


 * word-initial/medial /u/ > [ə] or [u] (in open syllables)


 * word-final-syllable /u/ > [o], except preceding geminates where word-final /u/ > [ə]


 * /a:/ > [æ: ä: ɑ:]

The pronunciation of /a:/ depends on its phonological environment. It may be pronounced as [æ:] or [ä:] normally, and if present in a word with emphatic consonants (//), it will be backed to [ɑ:]. rayeħ.


 * /a:/ > [e: o:]

In areas with Imala of long /a:/ it will be pronounced as [e:] when not in an emphatic environment, and even in many (but not all) words with an emphatic environment kéteb réyeħ. In areas with tafkhím it will be pronounced [o:], róyeħ bókol.


 * /aj/ (rural) > [e:] (urban)
 * /aw/ (rural) > [o:] (urban)

The diphthongs are preserved in (many?) rural areas, and in certain words and more learnèd terms in Urban Levantine, also diphthongs are also preserved word-finally mayy, daww fayy.

Consonants

 * Qāf ق: /q/ > /ʔ/ (Urban), /q/ > /k/ (rural Palestinian), /q/ (rural), /q/ > /g/ (Bedouin)

The pronunciation of Qāf ق is one of the most characteristic features of any Arabic variety. Urban Levantine pronounces it as a glottal stop: ʔāf ق, a feature shared with lower Egyptian and some North African urban varieties. This pronunciation is the most standard and prestigious in the Levant. Certain lexical items and learnèd terms may preserve the /q/ pronunciation regardless of variety. in words with both a hamze and qaf also may be preserved

qal 2al anqara


 * Jīm ج: [ɟ > d͡ʒ > ʒ]

Some areas preserve the affricate pronunciation [d͡ʒ].

jouriyye


 * Ḍād ض: [ɮˤ] > [dˠ]
 * Ḏāl ذ: [ð] > [d] or [z]

In native Levantine words, both [d] and [z] can be found, sometimes even in the same root. For example, from the CA root ðwq one gets both dú2 and zó2. Learnèd terms from Standard Arabic tend to use the fricative pronunciation [z]. mizhel, zarra


 * Ṯé ث: [θ] > [t] or [s]

In native Levantine words, both [t] and [s] can be found. For example, from the CA root θql one t2íl tænye and. Learnèd borrowings from Standard Arabic tend to use the fricative pronunciation [z]. sa2il sænye


 * Hamze ء: