Clause structure in contact contexts: The case of Sason Arabic

Faruk Akkus, Elabbas Benmamoun

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the syntax of negation in Sason Arabic which patterns with both its Arabic neighbors, particularly the so-called Mesopotamian varieties (such as the Iraqi variety/varieties of Mosul) and the neighboring languages that are typologically different, particularly Kurdish and Turkish. We provide a description of copula constructions in Sason and discuss their word order patterns and interaction with sentential negation. Depending on the nature of the predicate, Sason displays both head-initial word order, which reflects its Arabic and Semitic lineage, and head-final word order, which shows the influence of its head final neighbors and competitors for linguistic space.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationPerspectives on Arabic Linguistics XXVIII
Subtitle of host publicationPapers from the Annual Symposium on Arabic Linguistics, Gainesville, Florida, 2014
EditorsYoussef A Haddad, Eric Potsdam
PublisherJohn Benjamins Publishing Company
Pages153-172
ISBN (Electronic)9789027266897
ISBN (Print)9789027200327
DOIs
StatePublished - May 19 2016

Publication series

NameStudies in Arabic Linguistics
Volume4
ISSN (Print)2212-8042

Keywords

  • clause structure
  • Sason Arabic
  • language contact
  • copula

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