This book is the first comparative study of the syntax of Arabic dialects, based on natural language data recorded in Morocco, Egypt, Syria, and Kuwait. These four dialect regions are geographically diverse and representative of four distinct dialect groups.

Kristen E. Brustad has adopted an analytical approach that is both functional and descriptive, combining insights from discourse analysis, language typology, and pragmatics—the first time such an approach has been used in the study of spoken Arabic syntax. An appendix includes sample texts from her data.

Brustad's work provides the most nuanced description available to date of spoken Arabic syntax, widens the theoretical base of Arabic linguistics, and gives both scholars and students of Arabic tools for greater cross-dialect comprehension.

Kristen E. Brustad is an associate professor of Arabic at Emory University. She is co-author, with Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi, of the Arabic language program Al-Kitaab fii Ta callum al-cArabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic, published by Georgetown University Press.

Notes on Transcriptions and Glosses

Introduction

1. The Definiteness Continuum

2. Number, Agreement and Possession

3. Relative Clauses

4. Demonstrative Articles and Pronouns

5. Categorizing Verbs

6. Aspect

7. Tense and Time Reference

8. Mood

9. Negation

10. Sentence Typology

Conclusions

Appedix 1: Informants

Appendix 2: Texts

Morocco

Egypt

Syria

Kuwait

References

Subject Index

Author Index

Tables

Figures