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Article published In:
Studies in Language
Vol. 48:1 (2024) ► pp.121–180

Phasal polarity in Tunisian Arabic

| Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität MünsterMünster
ORCID logo | Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
| Universität Wien
This paper gives a corpus-based descriptive account of the phasal polarity system (still, already, not yet, and no longer) in the Arabic vernacular of Tunisia. The aim is to broaden the empirical foundations for cross-linguistic research in this domain, and to narrow the gap between typologically oriented and philological research on Arabic varieties. Like many languages (van Baar 1997: 118), Tunisian Arabic has autochthonous expressions for the three concepts still, not yet, and no longer. still is primarily expressed via a construction < ‘has not ceased’. Despite its conceptual transparency, this appears to be a cross-linguistically uncommon source. not yet is expressed via the inner negation of still, and no longer via a construction < ‘has not repeated’. For already, northern sedentary varieties have borrowed from French (replacing an older autochthonous expression), whereas southern Bedouin varieties have a “gap” in their system. The description further includes notes on the synchronic and diachronic variation of individual items, and functions of these outside the realm of phasal polarity.
Keywords: Tunisian Arabic, phasal polarity, aspect, semantics, pragmatics
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Subject matter and goals
    • 1.2Phasal polarity
    • 1.3Goals and scope of this study
  • 2.Tunisian Arabic
    • 2.1Geographic, demographic, and socio-linguistic background
    • 2.2Data collection
    • 2.3Previous treatments of PhP in Tunisian Arabic
    • 2.4Typological profile
  • 3.Overview of the Tunisian Arabic PhP system
  • 4.The expression of still
    • 4.1 māzāl
      • 4.1.1Formal aspects
      • 4.1.2Meaning and use
      • 4.1.3Some functional extensions
    • 4.2 bāqi
      • 4.2.1Formal aspects
      • 4.2.2Meaning and use
      • 4.2.3Other functions
    • 4.3The durative auxiliary q-ʕ-d/g-ʕ-d
    • 4.4 l-taww(a)
  • 5.The expression of already
    • 5.1 Baʕda
      • 5.1.1As an already expression
      • 5.1.2Other functions
    • 5.2 Dēžā
      • 5.2.1As an already expression
      • 5.2.2Other functions
    • 5.3Other items
  • 6.The expression of not yet
    • 6.1 māzāl neg
    • 6.2 māzāl (without an overt predicate)
    • 6.3 bāqi neg
    • 6.4“Bare” bāqi
    • 6.5l-taww(a) neg
  • 7.The expression of no longer
    • 7.1 māʕād(š)
      • 7.1.1Formal aspects
      • 7.1.2Meaning and use
    • 7.2 lāʕād
      • 7.2.1Formal aspects
      • 7.2.2Meaning and use
    • 7.3 mā-māzāl-(š)
  • 8.Conclusions and outlook
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations and conventions
  • References
Published online: 20 March 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sl.22043.fis
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Persohn, Bastian
2024. When ‘still’ means ‘not yet’. STUF - Language Typology and Universals 77:1 ► pp. 83 ff. DOI logo

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