'Nomadic', 'Sedentary', and 'Sedentarised' as comparative ecolinguistic concepts: Evidence from Arabic historical dialectology and contact linguistics
Résumé
The traditional dichotomy of Arabic dialects into 'Bedouin' and 'Sedentary' varieties has recently been contested due to its oversimplifications and the lack of solid linguistic evidence. This study proposes a paradigm shift from the 'Bedouin-Sedentary' linguistic dichotomy to an ecolinguistically grounded 'Nomadic-Sedentarised-Sedentary' (NSS) trichotomy. The NSS framework does not use the labels 'Nomadic', 'Sedentarised', and 'Sedentary' to define fixed dialect prototypes. Instead, it employs these concepts as comparative tools to explore synchronic variation on an areal level while allowing the analysis of its diachronic causes. The NSS trichotomy is founded on a two-step comparative methodology that focuses on the distribution of exclusive ecolinguistic features and the reconstruction of both internal and external mechanisms of language change. The NSS framework is applied to three Arabic-speaking regions: Western Sudanic Arabic (WSA), Southwestern Maghrebi Arabic (SwMA), and the Arabic of the Syrian Steppe and Adjacent Regions (SyStAR). In WSA, clear distinctions emerge between the three types: 'Nomadic' dialects, such as the Baggāra varieties, retain original phonological features, 'Sedentary' dialects exhibit significant SLA-driven shifts, whereas 'Sedentarised' dialects represent an intermediate stage. SwMA displays diverse ecolinguistic patterns, with 'Nomadic' features largely confined to areas with ongoing nomadic practices. The distribution of the other features highlights the influence of migration, geographical isolation, and contact with Amazigh-speaking communities. In SyStAR Arabic, the 'Nomadic' traits persist in communities which at least until recently led a pastoralist way of life, while 'Sedentarised' and 'Sedentary' dialects reflect varying degrees of convergence due to contact, particularly with prestige varieties. The study ultimately demonstrates that the NSS trichotomy has the potential not only to redefine raditional approaches to comparing and classifying Arabic dialects but also to serve as a valuable framework for modelling other dialect continua beyond Arabic
| Origine | Publication financée par une institution |
|---|---|
| Licence |