LANGUAGE IN INDIA

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Volume 22:6 June 2022
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Investigating Age as a Social Variable Among Muslim Alawites in Tartus Syria:
The Qaf as an Example

Tamam Mohamad, Ph.D. Research Scholar

1. Abstract

This paper is part of a larger project that investigates language variation and change in the city of Tartus, Syria, where more variables are examined. The current study investigates the variable use of the Qaf variable, which is realized as either [q] and [?] in the colloquial speech of Muslim Alawites in the urban and rural regions. A quantitative analysis was carried out on the data that emerged from interactions with 94 randomly selected participants. The frequency of the [q] and [?] variants was recorded, and inferential statistics using the Binary Logistic Regression test was employed to examine any possible influence of the social factor of age on the realization of [q] and [?]. This study adopts the statistical method commonly used by first-wave variationist sociolinguists. Data analysis revealed various [q] and [?] usage patterns regarding the social categories examined. Age was statistically insignificant in the rural regions. However, the younger age groups (i.e., 19 and below, Between 20-29, and Between 30-39) were largely [?] speakers in the urban region. The elder age groups (i.e., Between 40-49 and 50 and above) showed a tendency toward the [q] variant.This paper is part of a larger project that investigates language variation and change in the city of Tartus, Syria, where more variables are examined. The current study investigates the variable use of the Qaf variable, which is realized as either [q] and [?] in the colloquial speech of Muslim Alawites in the urban and rural regions. A quantitative analysis was carried out on the data that emerged from interactions with 94 randomly selected participants. The frequency of the [q] and [?] variants was recorded, and inferential statistics using the Binary Logistic Regression test was employed to examine any possible influence of the social factor of age on the realization of [q] and [?]. This study adopts the statistical method commonly used by first-wave variationist sociolinguists. Data analysis revealed various [q] and [?] usage patterns regarding the social categories examined. Age was statistically insignificant in the rural regions. However, the younger age groups (i.e., 19 and below, Between 20-29, and Between 30-39) were largely [?] speakers in the urban region. The elder age groups (i.e., Between 40-49 and 50 and above) showed a tendency toward the [q] variant.

Keywords: variation, change, Alawites, age, Syria.

2. Introduction

2.1 The Linguistic Variable

The (q) variable has been regarded as “the most salient phonological feature by which speakers of any of the colloquial Arabic varieties can be identified” (Al-Khatib, 1988, p. 80). The status of the variable and its clear social embeddedness have attracted attention and made it “the best studied sociolinguistic variable in Arabic” (Al-Wer & Herin, 2011, p. 59). This interest resulted in dozens of studies dealing with the social life of this variable in the Arabic World in general (Abdel-Jawad, 1981; Al-Khatib, 1988; Al-Wer & Herin, 2011; Suleiman, 2004) and the Syrian context in specific (Daher, 1998; Habib, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2016).

The principal reflexes of this variable include the voiceless uvular plosive [q], the voiceless glottal stop [?], the voiced velar plosive [g], and the voiceless plosive [k] (Table 2.1). While the [q] is the main reflex used in Standard Arabic, it is also present in other colloquial dialects across the Arabic context. The rest of the reflexes are colloquial (Suleiman, 2004, p. 98). The [q] and [?] can be referred to as [qaf] and [?af], respectively. The principal reflexes of this variable include the voiceless uvular plosive [q], the voiceless glottal stop [?], the voiced velar plosive [g], and the voiceless plosive [k] (Table 2.1). While the [q] is the main reflex used in Standard Arabic, it is also present in other colloquial dialects across the Arabic context. The rest of the reflexes are colloquial (Suleiman, 2004, p. 98). The [q] and [?] can be referred to as [qaf] and [?af], respectively.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Tamam Mohamad, Ph.D. Research Scholar
Center for Linguistics
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
tamamxmohamad@gmail.com
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