Future and Progressive Markers in Assiri Arabic: A Case Study of Grammaticalization
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1508.27Keywords:
grammaticalization, progressive marker, future marker, Assiri ArabicAbstract
The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the process through which future and progressive markers in Assiri Arabic evolve from lexical elements into grammatical ones, a process known as grammaticalization. Addressing a gap in the literature, this study provides the first analysis of grammaticalization within Assiri Arabic, a previously unexamined dialect in the field. This paper follows van Gelderen's (2003) proposal that elements move up the syntactic tree rather than down as they grammaticalize. Moreover, this analysis advocates a streamlined syntactic structure where there is only a single functional category below the Tense Phrase (TP), known as the Aspect Phrase (ASPP). This approach simplifies the syntactic model and aligns with trends in contemporary syntactic theory. The structural framework employed in this analysis is based on the Minimalist Program as developed by Chomsky (1995, 2000, 2001b, 2007, 2008). This Minimalist approach aims to explain linguistic phenomena with the simplest and most economical theoretical constructs, making it an ideal choice for examining the intricate process of grammaticalization in Assiri Arabic.
References
Alnajjar, B. (1991). Grammaticalization of lexical markers in Kuwaiti Arabic. Folia Linguistica, 25(3-4), 665-676. https://doi.org/10.1515/lin.1991.25.3-4.665
Alshboul, S., Al Shaboul, Y., & Asassfeh, M. (2010). Grammaticalization patterns: Evidence from future markers in Jordanian Arabic. Journal of the Australasian University Language and Literature Association, 114, 99-110. https://doi.org/10.1179/000127910804775487
Altamimi, M. (2021). The grammaticalization of lexical verbs into progressive and future markers in Saudi Najdi Arabic [Doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University].
Basulaiman, E. (2018). The grammaticalization of the posture verb sit as a progressive marker in UHA: A corpus-based analysis [Master's thesis, University of Essex].
Camilleri, M., & Sadler, L. (2017). Posture verbs and aspect: A view from vernacular Arabic. In Proceedings of the LFG'17 Conference (pp. 167-187). CSLI Publications.
Camilleri, M., & Sadler, L. (2019). The grammaticalization of a copula in vernacular Arabic. Glossa: A Journal of General Linguistics, 4(1), Article 137. https://doi.org/10.5334/gjgl.808
Chomsky, N. (1995). Categories and transformations. In The minimalist program (pp. 219-394). MIT Press.
Chomsky, N. (2000). Minimalist inquiries. In R. Martin, D. Michaels, & J. Uriagereka (Eds.), Step by step (pp. 89-155). MIT Press.
Chomsky, N. (2001a). Derivation by phase. In M. Kenstowicz (Ed.), Ken Hale: A life in language (pp. 1-52). MIT Press.
Chomsky, N. (2001b). Beyond explanatory adequacy (MIT Occasional Papers in Linguistics No. 20). MIT Department of Linguistics and Philosophy.
Chomsky, N. (2007). Approaching UG from below. In U. Sauerland & H. M. Gartner (Eds.), Interfaces + recursion = language? Chomsky's minimalism and the view from syntax-semantics (pp. 1-29). Mouton de Gruyter.
Chomsky, N. (2008). On phases. In C. P. Otero, R. Freidin, & M. L. Zubizarreta (Eds.), Foundational issues in linguistic theory (pp. 133-166). MIT Press.
Druel, J. N. (2014). Grammaticalization of Arabic Prepositions and Subordinators. Al-Masāq, 26(1), 95–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/09503110.2014.878433
Essesy, M. (2010). Grammaticalization of Arabic prepositions and subordinators: A corpus-based study. Brill.
Fassi Fehri, A. (1993). Issues in the structure of Arabic clauses and words. Kluwer Academic.
Heine, B. (2003). Grammaticalization. In B. D. Joseph & R. D. Janda (Eds.), The handbook of historical linguistics (pp. 575-601). Blackwell Publishing.
Heine, B., & Reh, M. (1984). Grammaticalization and reanalysis in African languages. Buske Verlag.
Hopper, P. J., & Traugott, E. C. (2003). Grammaticalization. Cambridge University Press.
Jarad, N. I. (2013). The evolution of the b-future marker in Syrian Arabic. Lingua Posnaniensis, 55(1), 69-85. https://doi.org/10.2478/linpo-2013-000
Jarad, N. I. (2017). Grammaticalization in Emirati Arabic. Arabica, 64(5/6), 742–760. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700585-12341473
King Fahd Publishing Company. (2002). The Holy Quran.
Lehmann, C. (2002). Thoughts on grammaticalization (LINCOM Studies in Theoretical Linguistics, Vol. 1). Lincom Europa.
Mitchell, T. F., & El-Hasan, S. (1994). Modality, mood, and aspect in spoken Arabic. Kegan Paul International.
Prochazka, T. (1988). Saudi Arabian dialects. Kegan Paul International.
Roberts, I. G., & Roussou, A. (2003). Syntactic change: A minimalist approach to grammaticalization. Cambridge University Press.
van Gelderen, E. (2003). Aspect in English modal complements. Studia Linguistica, 57(1), 27-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9582.00096
van Gelderen, E. (2024). The linguistics cycle: Economy and renewal in historical linguistics. Routledge.
Wilmsen, D. (2017). Grammaticalization and degrammaticalization in an Arabic existential particle šay. Folia Orientalia, 54, 279-307.
