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The Arabic Language Today
![]() 144 pp., 5.5 x 8.5 Paperback ISBN: 9781589010840 (1589010841) February 2006 LC: 2005054443 Sales Rights: Only for sale in U.S. and Canada Georgetown Classics in Arabic Languages and Linguistics series EXPLORE THIS TITLE DescriptionTable of Contents Reviews |
The Arabic Language Today
A. F. L. Beeston
Foreword by Clive Holes
In this classic of Arabic linguistics, A. F. L. Beeston explains the principles underlying the phonology, morphology, syntax, script, and grammar of modern written Arabic, which has changed little since Arabic grammarians outlined the language in the eighth century.
Originally published in 1970, The Arabic Language Today begins with a useful introduction to the development of the language from the fifth and sixth centuries through the nineteenth century. Beeston goes on to describe the logical structure of the language, to consider the development of the lexicon, and to comment on how the language has diverged from the Classical. For general and comparative linguists who want to know how Arabic works and for people with some working knowledge of the language who want to know more about the theory behind it, Beeston's work is a fine structural analysis and careful examination of Standard Arabic from a theoretical standpoint. Concise and brief in length, this book presents a wealth of information and is a challenging yet rewarding read for linguists, scholars, and students of Arabic. It includes an appendix of script styles and a bibliography. Karin C. Ryding and Margarett Nydell
Reviews
"A landmark in Arabic linguistic thought because of the unsurpassed economy and sophistication of its description and the deep erudition of its author."—From the Foreword by Clive Holes Table of Contents Foreword Preface 1. Introduction and Historical Background 2. Phonology The phonemic repertory Syllable structure Neutralization of length Accent Word Juncture 3. The Script Transliteration 4. The Word 5. Entity Terms: I Verbal Abstract Participles Derivational nouns Definition Number and gender Pronouns Demonstratives 6. Amplification of Substantives Adjectives The annexion structure Prepositional amplification Adjectival clauses 7. Syntactic Markers of Nouns 8. Entity Terms: II Substantive clauses The intensified noun Designations of colour, etc. Numerals 9. Theme and Predicate Theme Predicate 10. The Verb Verb stems Verb sets Modifying verbs The non-specific verb Syntactically determined variations in the verb Commands, etc. Conclusion 11. Amplification of the Predicate Circumstancial clauses 12. Clause Conversion Substantive clauses Adjectival clauses Circumstancial clauses 13. Functionals Coordination Subordination Negation Questions Emphasis 14. Conditional Structures 15. Word Order 16. Lexicon and Style Appendix: Script Styles Bibliography Index |