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The Role of the b-prefix in Gulf Arabic Dialects as a Marker of Future, Intent and/or Irrealis

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Author

Summary, in English

This paper presents arguments for a re-analysis of the b-prefix in Gulf

Arabic dialects. Similar to several other dialects, Gulf Arabic possesses a b-prefix

that is inserted before the p-stem (prefix form) of the verb. However,

the Gulf Arabic b-prefix differs substantially from the one encountered in

other Arabic dialects. According to most previous studies, the Gulf Arabic

b-prefix encodes future tense or intentive mood or a combination of these.

Based on a thorough survey of the use of this particle in modern speech, I

suggest that it is used in Gulf Arabic today as a generalized marker of the

irrealis mood rather than being limited to function as a future/intentive

marker. Futurity is one - but not the only or necessarily the most important

one - of its connotations. Meanwhile, another marker, rāḥ, emerges as an

obvious future marker in some parts of the dialectal area.

Publishing year

2008

Language

English

Pages

26-52

Publication/Series

Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies

Volume

8

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

University of Oslo

Topic

  • General Language Studies and Linguistics

Keywords

  • Arabic
  • Gulf Arabic
  • Dialect
  • Tense
  • Mood
  • Aspect
  • Syntax
  • Semantics
  • Future
  • Irrealis
  • b-prefix

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0806-198X