| Description |
xix, 419 pages ; 23 cm |
| Series |
Georgetown classics in Arabic language and linguistics |
|
Georgetown classics in Arabic language and linguistics
|
| Note |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 397-406) and index |
| Contents |
Introduction -- A brief history of Arabic -- Phonology -- Verb morphology -- Noun morphology -- Beyond root and pattern -- Syntax and Semantics I -- Syntax and Semantics II -- Lexical and stylistic developments -- Language level |
| Summary |
The revised and updated edition of Modern Arabic takes this authoritative, concise linguistic description of the structure and use of modern Arabic to an invaluable new level. Clive Holes traces the development of the Arabic language from Classical Arabic, the written language used in the 7th century for the Qur'an and poetry, through the increasingly symbiotic use of Modern Standard Arabic or MSA (the language of writing and formal speech) and dialectal Arabic (the language of normal conversation). He shows how Arabic has been shaped over the centuries by migration, urbanization, and education--giving us "a balanced, dispassionate, and accurate picture of the structures, functions, and varieties of the contemporary Arabic language." Holes explains the structural characteristics--phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and lexical and stylistic developments--that the majority of the dialects share, as distinguished from Modern Standard Arabic. He also shows how native speakers use both types of Arabic for different purposes, with MSA being the language of power and control as used on television and in political speeches, and the dialects serving as the language of intimacy and domesticity. He further shows how MSA and spoken dialects are not as compartmentalized as one might be led to believe. Modern Arabic illustrates the use of the Arabic language in real life, whether in conversation, news bulletins and newspaper articles, serious literature, or song. -- Publisher description |
| Subjects |
Arabic language -- Textbooks for foreign speakers -- English
|
| Genre/Form |
Textbooks for English speakers. fast |
| OCLC # |
54677538 |
| ISBN |
1589010221 |
|
9781589010222 |
| LCCN |
2004005616 |
|
