Wiktor Gębski | University of Cambridge (original) (raw)

Papers by Wiktor Gębski

Research paper thumbnail of Preliminary Description of the Jewish Arabic Dialect of Ghardaïa (Central Algeria) with Elements of Phonology, Socio-Phonetics, and Morphology

Journal of Semitic Studies, 2024

Ghardaïa, situated in the centre of Saharan Algeria, is renowned for its well-preserved medieval ... more Ghardaïa, situated in the centre of Saharan Algeria, is renowned for its well-preserved medieval architecture tracing back to its establishment by the puritanical Ibāḍiyyah sect in the 11th century CE. The city has been home to a Jewish community for centuries, although its exact origins remain debated. Evidence suggests migrations from Djerba, Marrakesh, and Tafilalt shaping a unique Jewish dialect that reflects ties to both Tunisia and Morocco. This paper presents a preliminary linguistic analysis of the Jewish dialect of Ghardaïa, shedding light on its historical layers and socio-linguistic dynamics. Through comparative analysis with neighbouring Muslim dialects, Jewish Djerba, and Jewish Marrakesh, it unravels the complexities of this distinct linguistic heritage, providing insights into its origins and evolution. Additionally, it delves into the nuanced variations between male and female lects within the Jewish community of Ghardaïa, elucidating socio-phonetic features that contribute to the rich diversity of the dialect.

Research paper thumbnail of The Syntax of the Jewish Arabic Dialect of Wad-Souf (Saharan Algeria)

Journal of Semitic Studies, 2024

Jewish dialects of Algerian Arabic remain terra incognita within Arabic dialectology. This paper ... more Jewish dialects of Algerian Arabic remain terra incognita within Arabic dialectology. This paper addresses this lacuna and examines specific syntactic aspects within the critically endangered Jewish dialect of Wad-Souf. The study selectively focuses on the topics relevant to the ongoing discussions in the field of Arabic dialectology and the sub-field of Judaeo-Arabic. This research builds on my prior work concerning the phonology and morphology of Jewish Wad-Souf, emphasising linguistic traits that align with Bedouin dialects and showcasing historical connections to sedentary Jewish dialects. The article includes glossed text samples and analytical sections exploring noun, verb and pronoun syntax. While presenting tendencies rather than rigid rules, this research lays the groundwork for future studies on the Jewish dialect of Wad-Souf and on Algerian Judaeo-Arabic in general, forming a basis for a deeper understanding of its syntax and linguistic nuances. The data were obtained during three periods of fieldwork in Israel between March and December 2022.

Research paper thumbnail of The Arabic dialect of the Jews of Wad-Souf (Saharan Algeria): Phonology and Morphology

Zeitschrift für arabische Linguistik (forthcoming)

The Jewish dialect of Wad-Souf is an Arabic variety originally spoken in Eastern Algeria, near th... more The Jewish dialect of Wad-Souf is an Arabic variety originally spoken in Eastern Algeria, near the Tunisian border. Similarly to other provincial varieties of Algerian Judaeo-Arabic, it has not attracted scholarly attention previously. This paper is based on the author’s fieldwork among the last speakers of the Jewish community of Wad-Souf, who currently live in Israel. It contains two types of transcribed primary data: a narrative and a folktale. Linguistic analysis follows, focusing primarily on phonology and verb morphology. As is demonstrated, Jewish Wad-Souf has a number of features, which are traditionally attributed to Bedouin dialects, like the velar realization of etymological /q/, preservation of interdentals, and prefix-conjugation plural forms of 3rd radical weak in stem I ending with /-u/. By analysing various linguistic features, this paper attempts to situate Jewish Wad-Souf on the dialectological map of North Africa.

Research paper thumbnail of Between Analogy and Language Contact: A Case Study of Grammatical Change in Maghrebi Judaeo-Arabic Dialects

Folia Orientalia, 2023

Analogy and language contact represent endogenous and exogenous factors of language change. Altho... more Analogy and language contact represent endogenous and exogenous factors of language change. Although both processes have been discussed in the realm of Arabic dialectology, they are usually treated as two unrelated scenarios. The central question that this study posits is whether those are two functionally independent phenomena, or they can operate synergetically. The primary focus of this paper is two typologically distinct Jewish dialects, i.e., sedentary Gabes (Southern Tunisia), and exhibiting numerous Bedouin features Wad-Souf (Eastern Algeria). Based on new data obtained from fieldwork, this paper accounts for five cases of grammar evolution within verb morphology and syntax through the lens of analogy and language contact. It raises the possibility that language change can occur under certain circumstances at an intersection of endogenous and exogenous factors.

Research paper thumbnail of Three Tales in Tunisian, Algerian, and Libyan Spoken Judeo-Arabic with a Linguistic Commentary

Carmilim- For the study of Hebrew Language and its Cognate Languages, 2023

This paper presents three hitherto unpublished folktales from three different Jewish communities ... more This paper presents three hitherto unpublished folktales from three different Jewish communities from North Africa: Wad-Souf (Algeria), Gabes (Tunisia), and Tripoli (Libya). The tale of Gabes was recorded by the author during fieldwork in Israel in December 2018. The two other stories were transcribed and translated based on the recordings available on the website of the Mother Tongue Project. The texts are followed by a short commentary, which examines some characteristic traits of modern Jewish dialects of North Africa. The discussion focuses on selected phonological, morphological, and syntactic phenomena occurring in the data presented here.

Research paper thumbnail of The Development of Sibilant Harmony in Maghrebi Arabic from the Perspective of Language Contact in Pre-Islamic Africa

Mediterranean Language Review, 2023

The puzzling distribution of alveolar and alveopalatal sibilants in North African Arabic dialects... more The puzzling distribution of alveolar and alveopalatal sibilants in North African Arabic dialects sets them apart from the eastern branch of Arabic (i.e., East of Egypt). In the Maghreb, lexical items containing two originally heterogenous sibilants alter one of them to form an alveolar or palatal harmony. In virtually all dialects of Libya and most sedentary and Bedouin dialects of Tunisia, one observes a strong preference towards alveolar articulation, while numerous Jewish dialects of Tunisia and the vast majority of Moroccan ones attest to an extensive palatalization. Although certain varieties of Algerian Arabic permit disharmony of sibilants, they tend to appear in a metathetic order. This paper attempts to account for the reasons for those developments through the lens of language contact with Berber, Neo-Punic, and African Latin. Based on the distribution of sibilants in those languages, I reconstruct the emergence of sibilant harmony in North African Arabic by means of a retracted tongue tip [RTT] feature.

Research paper thumbnail of The Phonology of the Judaeo-Arabic Dialect of Gabes (Southern Tunisia)

Journal of Semitic Studies, 2022

This paper presents a phonological analysis of a hitherto unexamined endangered Arabic dialect, t... more This paper presents a phonological analysis of a hitherto unexamined endangered Arabic dialect, that of the Jews of Gabes in Southern Tunisia, combining a comparative examination of various phonological phenomena in selected Arabic dialects of the region. The primary aim of the study is to establish the features distinguishing Jewish Gabes from other Jewish North-African dialects, and, since no south-Tunisian Jewish dialect has been studied to date, to produce a thorough analysis of the sound system of this variety. Special attention was paid to the alternations of sibilants in the region, which distinguish North-African Arabic from the dialects spoken East of Egypt. Moreover, this article constitutes the very first attempt at acoustic analysis of the emphatics and vowels in North-African Arabic. Based on the data obtained by means of the Praat software, it has been shown that the emphatic consonants in Jewish Gabes have different levels of spreadability.

Research paper thumbnail of Expressions of Tense and Aspect in the Tunisian Varieties of Arabic: A Comparative Study of Jewish and Muslim Dialects

Journal of Jewish Languages, 2022

The aspectual and temporal value of the verb is one of the most discussed problems in Semitic lin... more The aspectual and temporal value of the verb is one of the most discussed problems in Semitic linguistics. Nonetheless, in the field of North African Arabic dialectology this subject has not received its due attention, and compared to other Arabic dialects, it remains terra incognita. The present article explores strategies by which spoken varieties of Tunisian Arabic express tense and aspect. The core data examined in this study comes from an endangered dialect spoken by the Jews of Gabes (southern Tunisia). Comparative material includes an array of examples from both Jewish and Muslim varieties. I reconstruct the origin of the preverbal particles and auxiliaries in Tunisian Arabic, and argue that, in contradistinction to Moroccan Arabic, the ka- particle in Jewish Gabes does not originate in kān. I present evidence that the active participle in Jewish and Muslim varieties has divergent functional distribution, which suggests a Northwest Semitic substrate in Judeo-Arabic.

Books by Wiktor Gębski

Research paper thumbnail of A Grammar of the Jewish Arabic Dialect of Gabes

Open Book Publishers, 2024

DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK: https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0394 ... more DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK: https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0394

This volume undertakes a linguistic exploration of the endangered Arabic dialect spoken by the Jews of Gabes, a coastal city situated in Southern Tunisia. Belonging to the category of sedentary North African dialects, this variety is now spoken by a dwindling number of native speakers, primarily in Israel and France.

Given the imminent extinction faced by many modern varieties of Judaeo-Arabic, including Jewish Gabes, the study's primary goal is to document and describe its linguistic nuances while reliable speakers are still accessible. Data for this comprehensive study were collected during fieldwork in Israel and France between December 2018 and March 2022.

Research paper thumbnail of Preliminary Description of the Jewish Arabic Dialect of Ghardaïa (Central Algeria) with Elements of Phonology, Socio-Phonetics, and Morphology

Journal of Semitic Studies, 2024

Ghardaïa, situated in the centre of Saharan Algeria, is renowned for its well-preserved medieval ... more Ghardaïa, situated in the centre of Saharan Algeria, is renowned for its well-preserved medieval architecture tracing back to its establishment by the puritanical Ibāḍiyyah sect in the 11th century CE. The city has been home to a Jewish community for centuries, although its exact origins remain debated. Evidence suggests migrations from Djerba, Marrakesh, and Tafilalt shaping a unique Jewish dialect that reflects ties to both Tunisia and Morocco. This paper presents a preliminary linguistic analysis of the Jewish dialect of Ghardaïa, shedding light on its historical layers and socio-linguistic dynamics. Through comparative analysis with neighbouring Muslim dialects, Jewish Djerba, and Jewish Marrakesh, it unravels the complexities of this distinct linguistic heritage, providing insights into its origins and evolution. Additionally, it delves into the nuanced variations between male and female lects within the Jewish community of Ghardaïa, elucidating socio-phonetic features that contribute to the rich diversity of the dialect.

Research paper thumbnail of The Syntax of the Jewish Arabic Dialect of Wad-Souf (Saharan Algeria)

Journal of Semitic Studies, 2024

Jewish dialects of Algerian Arabic remain terra incognita within Arabic dialectology. This paper ... more Jewish dialects of Algerian Arabic remain terra incognita within Arabic dialectology. This paper addresses this lacuna and examines specific syntactic aspects within the critically endangered Jewish dialect of Wad-Souf. The study selectively focuses on the topics relevant to the ongoing discussions in the field of Arabic dialectology and the sub-field of Judaeo-Arabic. This research builds on my prior work concerning the phonology and morphology of Jewish Wad-Souf, emphasising linguistic traits that align with Bedouin dialects and showcasing historical connections to sedentary Jewish dialects. The article includes glossed text samples and analytical sections exploring noun, verb and pronoun syntax. While presenting tendencies rather than rigid rules, this research lays the groundwork for future studies on the Jewish dialect of Wad-Souf and on Algerian Judaeo-Arabic in general, forming a basis for a deeper understanding of its syntax and linguistic nuances. The data were obtained during three periods of fieldwork in Israel between March and December 2022.

Research paper thumbnail of The Arabic dialect of the Jews of Wad-Souf (Saharan Algeria): Phonology and Morphology

Zeitschrift für arabische Linguistik (forthcoming)

The Jewish dialect of Wad-Souf is an Arabic variety originally spoken in Eastern Algeria, near th... more The Jewish dialect of Wad-Souf is an Arabic variety originally spoken in Eastern Algeria, near the Tunisian border. Similarly to other provincial varieties of Algerian Judaeo-Arabic, it has not attracted scholarly attention previously. This paper is based on the author’s fieldwork among the last speakers of the Jewish community of Wad-Souf, who currently live in Israel. It contains two types of transcribed primary data: a narrative and a folktale. Linguistic analysis follows, focusing primarily on phonology and verb morphology. As is demonstrated, Jewish Wad-Souf has a number of features, which are traditionally attributed to Bedouin dialects, like the velar realization of etymological /q/, preservation of interdentals, and prefix-conjugation plural forms of 3rd radical weak in stem I ending with /-u/. By analysing various linguistic features, this paper attempts to situate Jewish Wad-Souf on the dialectological map of North Africa.

Research paper thumbnail of Between Analogy and Language Contact: A Case Study of Grammatical Change in Maghrebi Judaeo-Arabic Dialects

Folia Orientalia, 2023

Analogy and language contact represent endogenous and exogenous factors of language change. Altho... more Analogy and language contact represent endogenous and exogenous factors of language change. Although both processes have been discussed in the realm of Arabic dialectology, they are usually treated as two unrelated scenarios. The central question that this study posits is whether those are two functionally independent phenomena, or they can operate synergetically. The primary focus of this paper is two typologically distinct Jewish dialects, i.e., sedentary Gabes (Southern Tunisia), and exhibiting numerous Bedouin features Wad-Souf (Eastern Algeria). Based on new data obtained from fieldwork, this paper accounts for five cases of grammar evolution within verb morphology and syntax through the lens of analogy and language contact. It raises the possibility that language change can occur under certain circumstances at an intersection of endogenous and exogenous factors.

Research paper thumbnail of Three Tales in Tunisian, Algerian, and Libyan Spoken Judeo-Arabic with a Linguistic Commentary

Carmilim- For the study of Hebrew Language and its Cognate Languages, 2023

This paper presents three hitherto unpublished folktales from three different Jewish communities ... more This paper presents three hitherto unpublished folktales from three different Jewish communities from North Africa: Wad-Souf (Algeria), Gabes (Tunisia), and Tripoli (Libya). The tale of Gabes was recorded by the author during fieldwork in Israel in December 2018. The two other stories were transcribed and translated based on the recordings available on the website of the Mother Tongue Project. The texts are followed by a short commentary, which examines some characteristic traits of modern Jewish dialects of North Africa. The discussion focuses on selected phonological, morphological, and syntactic phenomena occurring in the data presented here.

Research paper thumbnail of The Development of Sibilant Harmony in Maghrebi Arabic from the Perspective of Language Contact in Pre-Islamic Africa

Mediterranean Language Review, 2023

The puzzling distribution of alveolar and alveopalatal sibilants in North African Arabic dialects... more The puzzling distribution of alveolar and alveopalatal sibilants in North African Arabic dialects sets them apart from the eastern branch of Arabic (i.e., East of Egypt). In the Maghreb, lexical items containing two originally heterogenous sibilants alter one of them to form an alveolar or palatal harmony. In virtually all dialects of Libya and most sedentary and Bedouin dialects of Tunisia, one observes a strong preference towards alveolar articulation, while numerous Jewish dialects of Tunisia and the vast majority of Moroccan ones attest to an extensive palatalization. Although certain varieties of Algerian Arabic permit disharmony of sibilants, they tend to appear in a metathetic order. This paper attempts to account for the reasons for those developments through the lens of language contact with Berber, Neo-Punic, and African Latin. Based on the distribution of sibilants in those languages, I reconstruct the emergence of sibilant harmony in North African Arabic by means of a retracted tongue tip [RTT] feature.

Research paper thumbnail of The Phonology of the Judaeo-Arabic Dialect of Gabes (Southern Tunisia)

Journal of Semitic Studies, 2022

This paper presents a phonological analysis of a hitherto unexamined endangered Arabic dialect, t... more This paper presents a phonological analysis of a hitherto unexamined endangered Arabic dialect, that of the Jews of Gabes in Southern Tunisia, combining a comparative examination of various phonological phenomena in selected Arabic dialects of the region. The primary aim of the study is to establish the features distinguishing Jewish Gabes from other Jewish North-African dialects, and, since no south-Tunisian Jewish dialect has been studied to date, to produce a thorough analysis of the sound system of this variety. Special attention was paid to the alternations of sibilants in the region, which distinguish North-African Arabic from the dialects spoken East of Egypt. Moreover, this article constitutes the very first attempt at acoustic analysis of the emphatics and vowels in North-African Arabic. Based on the data obtained by means of the Praat software, it has been shown that the emphatic consonants in Jewish Gabes have different levels of spreadability.

Research paper thumbnail of Expressions of Tense and Aspect in the Tunisian Varieties of Arabic: A Comparative Study of Jewish and Muslim Dialects

Journal of Jewish Languages, 2022

The aspectual and temporal value of the verb is one of the most discussed problems in Semitic lin... more The aspectual and temporal value of the verb is one of the most discussed problems in Semitic linguistics. Nonetheless, in the field of North African Arabic dialectology this subject has not received its due attention, and compared to other Arabic dialects, it remains terra incognita. The present article explores strategies by which spoken varieties of Tunisian Arabic express tense and aspect. The core data examined in this study comes from an endangered dialect spoken by the Jews of Gabes (southern Tunisia). Comparative material includes an array of examples from both Jewish and Muslim varieties. I reconstruct the origin of the preverbal particles and auxiliaries in Tunisian Arabic, and argue that, in contradistinction to Moroccan Arabic, the ka- particle in Jewish Gabes does not originate in kān. I present evidence that the active participle in Jewish and Muslim varieties has divergent functional distribution, which suggests a Northwest Semitic substrate in Judeo-Arabic.

Research paper thumbnail of A Grammar of the Jewish Arabic Dialect of Gabes

Open Book Publishers, 2024

DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK: https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0394 ... more DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK: https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0394

This volume undertakes a linguistic exploration of the endangered Arabic dialect spoken by the Jews of Gabes, a coastal city situated in Southern Tunisia. Belonging to the category of sedentary North African dialects, this variety is now spoken by a dwindling number of native speakers, primarily in Israel and France.

Given the imminent extinction faced by many modern varieties of Judaeo-Arabic, including Jewish Gabes, the study's primary goal is to document and describe its linguistic nuances while reliable speakers are still accessible. Data for this comprehensive study were collected during fieldwork in Israel and France between December 2018 and March 2022.