EVOLUTION OF PHONOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES IN THE GHAMDI ARABIC DIALECT: A CONTEMPORARY ANALYSIS OF VOWEL HARMONY AND GENDER DISTINCTION

Abstract

This dissertation examined two phonological and morphological changes in Ghamdi Arabic (GA), focusing on vowel harmony and gender distinctions. By comparing Prochazka’s 1988 findings with recent data from 26 participants across two age groups. Participants consisted of 20 younger speakers (10 males and 10 females, ages 20 to 35) and six older speakers (three males and three females, ages 60 years and above). The study traced the evolution of these features over time and examined the impact of age and gender in these linguistic changes. A mixed-methods approach has been used, combining qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys. Interviews allowed participants to use GA naturally, and surveys allowed participants to make a forced-choice response for specific verb forms. The results show that vowel harmony in GA has become more consistent, with younger speakers favoring harmonized forms. Additionally, gender distinctions in second- and third-person plural verbs are fading, as younger participants increasingly use masculine forms for both genders. Both findings point to simplification and regularization over time, and this study situated these changes within a broader sociolinguistic context, emphasizing the influence of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), education, and social mobility. This research has contributed to understanding how dialects evolve in diglossic settings, where standard and colloquial forms interact. It provides valuable insights into GA’s development, filling a gap in Arabic linguistics and highlighting the processes of simplification, regularization, and leveling. By documenting these changes, we have not only preserved an important linguistic variety but have also shed light on broader mechanisms of language change.