Book announced at https://linguistlist.org/issues/33.2677

AUTHOR: Enam Al-Wer
AUTHOR: Uri Horesh
AUTHOR: Bruno Herin
AUTHOR: Rudolf De Jong
TITLE: Arabic Sociolinguistics
PUBLISHER: Cambridge University Press
YEAR: 2022

REVIEWER: Farah Ali

SUMMARY

As the presence of Arabic in academic contexts grows, both in scholarly and language learning situations, there is an increased need for foundational resources that inform the study of Arabic, particularly as it functions in a variety of social and cultural contexts. This textbook introduces Arabic sociolinguistics, specifically focusing on variation and change in the Arabic language, as well as providing readers with methodological foundations for pursuing research in Arabic sociolinguistics. Written in English, this book is designed for students and scholars who may or may not have proficiency in Arabic, though some knowledge of linguistics is assumed.

Chapter 1 (Introduction) provides an overview of Arabic dialectology, thus establishing the variationist perspective in which this text is grounded. Here, the authors introduce important key concepts that are relevant to discussions of variation in Arabic, such as diglossia and code-switching. This chapter also discusses historical linguistics, where the authors aptly note that language variation and language change are inextricably linked. The authors conclude with an overview of the book, as well as a list of recommended readings that introduce Arabic linguistics. Chapter 2 (Methodology: Principles and Practice) is similarly structured as an introductory chapter, providing readers with foundational information about research methodologies as they may apply to the study of Arabic sociolinguistics, which can inform their understanding of subsequent chapters of this book, as well as in the design of one’s own research projects. The authors offer sound advice about research design, such as “the rule of thumb is that the methods should be dictated by the objectives of the research” (p. 10), which many students and burgeoning researchers do not always consider when embarking on their first empirical studies. They also point out other critical aspects of research and more specifically about language analysis: descriptive vs. prescriptive and exploratory vs. confirmatory approaches, the observer’s paradox, the advantages and disadvantages of having an insider role in one’s research, sociolinguistic variables, qualitative and quantitative research, practical and logistical considerations when conducting research, among other topics.

Chapter 3 (Gender) is the first of several chapters to focus on specific sociolinguistic variables as they relate to variation in Arabic. While this chapter centers on gender, the authors do note the intersection of different social variables, and address them when relevant. Given the popular generalization that women lean towards prestigious linguistic features more than men, it is also in this chapter that the authors critique previous claims about the role of Classical Arabic in variation and change, particularly in its relationship to vernacular varieties. Chapter 4 (Education) examines educational background as a variable, and provides an interesting discussion on historical changes in educational opportunities available to Arabic speakers and how they may inform language variation and even the presence of other languages in the educational systems. The authors look at several cases in the Arabic-speaking world, including: Ha’il, Saudi Arabia; Amman, Jordan; Morocco; Algeria; Cairo, Egypt; Jaffa, Israel. Chapter 5 (Social Stratification), which is tightly connected to education, introduces social class and classic paradigms for understanding social stratification. This chapter includes a discussion of social networks and social integration, regionality (e.g. indigenous, interloper, among other speaker statuses), and life-mode (e.g. self-employed, ordinary wage earners, highly skilled/professional wage earners).

Chapter 6 (Religion and Ethnicity) is the final chapter dedicated to a specific set of social variables and examines how religious and ethnic diversity in the Arabic-speaking world has produced situations of both multilingualism and variation within Arabic. The authors look at several different religious communities and their speech varieties, including Jewish communities in North Africa, Druze Muslim varieties in the Levant, as well as Sunni and Shi’a Muslim communities in such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and Christian and Muslim communities in Jordan. Chapter 7 (Language Change) offers a shift in focus, and takes an historical linguistic perspective to discuss language change and its relationship with language variation. Specifically, they note that variation is a prerequisite to change, though not a condition that necessitates change. This chapter also revisits methodological considerations for sociolinguistic research, this time focusing on the study of language change. Here, the authors offer a comprehensive look at studying change in real time vs. apparent time. Finally, this chapter distinguishes between directions of change, namely, change from above vs. change from below.

While Chapter 7 deals with diachronic variation, Chapter 8 (Spatial Variation) deals with synchronic contexts. This chapter begins by exploring geography as a natural barrier to communication that can be a contributing factor to variation. Much of this chapter, however, is dedicated to a discussion of linguistic atlases and their role in the study of dialectology. While this chapter is heavily centered on variation across different physical spaces, it does acknowledge to some extent the ways in which social factors can be critical, such as in the case of urbanization in Casablanca, Morocco as a result of French colonization. Finally, Chapter 9 (Contact and Diffusion) delves into language contact and how interaction between different speech communities lead to the diffusion of specific linguistic features. Most notable in this chapter is the discussion of substrate effects like borrowing, which draws on examples from Aramaic and Amazigh, as well as the topic of areal groupings, where the authors explore how languages coexisting in the same geographical area begin to share linguistic features.

EVALUATION

This book provides a sound introduction to variation and change in Arabic, and draws on many different varieties of the language, thus providing students and scholars with a sense of the linguistic diversity of the Arabic-speaking world. The authors’ attention to language contact and lesser discussed varieties of Arabic among linguistic enclaves was especially notable. For instance, their focus on Arabic among Jewish communities, Arabic-influenced creole languages, as well as Maltese and Cypriot Arabic is seldom found in Arabic sociolinguistic scholarship and/or textbooks, but still certainly worth highlighting. Additionally, the authors attempt to examine a variety of important sociocultural factors that are crucial to understanding language variation, and it is commendable that - while addressing them in their own chapters - their inevitable overlap and intersections are acknowledged throughout these chapters, since it is rarely the case that a single social variable on its own can account for a linguistic variant and is more often than not related to intersecting identities that collectively play a role in individual or community linguistic behavior.

Another notable strength as a textbook is the focus on methodology in Chapter 2. The inclusion of such a chapter makes this textbook far more accessible to advanced undergraduate and/or graduate students in linguistics who wish to gain a foundational understanding of how sociolinguistic research is conducted. This chapter gives a thorough overview of key concepts and frameworks for approaching sociolinguistic research, and more so with variationist research, and does so in a clear and articulate manner. Speaking more generally about the book in its entirety, the authors provide a very organized and clearly written guide to those who are new to Arabic sociolinguistics. Additionally, as a textbook, the inclusion of questions at the end of each chapter makes for an excellent resource that can guide homework assignment or in-class activities.

With regard to areas for improvement that could enhance this book, it is noted above that this book focuses primarily on variation and change in Arabic. As such, the title, Arabic Sociolinguistics does appear to be rather broad for this narrow scope. Along these lines, while the authors note that sociolinguistic research methods can include qualitative and quantitative approaches, this book relies heavily on quantitative-based scholarship. While this fits squarely with common practices in variationist research, the addition of qualitative-based scholarship would provide a more well-rounded introduction to sociolinguistic research. Additionally, though the authors’ coverage of variation across different social and regional contexts is extensive, some space dedicated to Arabic in diasporic contexts would also undoubtedly be of interest to many readers. Lastly, as an introductory textbook, the accessibility of the content could be improved with minor additions, such as including orthographic representations of Arabic alongside IPA and translations, which would be helpful to Arabic speakers with little linguistic knowledge, as well as the inclusion of a glossary for linguistic terminology. Apart from these observations, the authors have provided a useful and instructive manual for those who wish to delve into Arabic sociolinguistics for the first time.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Farah Ali is Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies at DePauw University. Her research interests include Spanish and Arabic linguistics, migration and diaspora, multilingualism, and language and identity.