Possessive Constructions in Arabic: A Cross-dialectal Study

Abstract

Abstract. This contribution is a cross-dialectal analysis of possessive constructions. The dialects under studyinclude the Maghribin dialects and some of the dialects in the Arabian Gulf. The paper analyzes the formal aspectsinvolved in the construction of the notion of possession in individual dialects and its relation to Standard Arabic.The resulting strategies of possessive formation and structure will be exhibited and formalized in a vast array ofArabic dialects from a comparative perspective. It will be found that an important linguistic shift has been and stillis operating in the construction of possessive structure. This shift is due to many reasons. One of the mostimportant reasons is the contact with other languages or linguistic structures. In the case of Maghribin dialects, thepaper finds that the shift from ‘synthetic’ construction to a more ‘analytic’ construction is due to a recognizedBerber substratum. On the other hand, and in the case of the Arabian Gulf regional dialects and Classical Arabic,several linguistic forces are in play in the formation of a more dynamic type of possessive structure.