Maather Al-Rawi | King AbdulAziz University (KAU) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (original) (raw)

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Papers by Maather Al-Rawi

English Language Teaching, May 15, 2016

The main aim of this paper is to examine the syntactic status of a selected text-corpus focus, wi... more The main aim of this paper is to examine the syntactic status of a selected text-corpus focus, with a special focus on the verb within its Verb-Phrase. The major claim is that the power of the verb in its VP is loaded syntactically through which the speaker's desire of the doublespeak within X-Phemism is achieved. In order to fulfill this claim, a corpus-based exploration is applied on the selected data produced in Standard English. The analysis is accounted for a conceptualization of grammar that is based on general syntactic constraints on a well-formedness. The syntactic conceptualization (Chomsky, 2000; Ouhalla, 2002) is selected in its broad sense, as the basic framework where it best captures the syntactic role played by the verb-predicate and its various arguments.

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research

The paper describes Saudi English morphosyntactic and lexical features that are widely practiced ... more The paper describes Saudi English morphosyntactic and lexical features that are widely practiced among educated Saudis, who completed at least nine years of English language study. The occurrence of the morphosyntactic features is argued to be affected by the speakers' contact to the native English. Those who are in direct contact with Standard English (Std Eng) have 15 morphosyntactic features unlike those who have no direct contact to Std Eng (or EFL speakers) and who produce 15 more traits. Accordingly, the paper distinguishes between stable traits used by all the speakers and the ones that are used by EFL speakers only. The abundant features of Saudi English are further analyzed in comparison to those of other World Englishes varieties as well as in comparison to the Arabic structures. As for the lexical level, local lexemes are described. They are grouped into words that are borrowed from Arabic and words that are translated from Arabic. Overall, this study contributes to the exploration of the Expanding Circle variety of Saudi English and to the effect of language contact on language variations.

International Journal of Linguistics and Translation Studies

Gender is considered a vital factor that contributes in affecting the use and interpretation of p... more Gender is considered a vital factor that contributes in affecting the use and interpretation of politeness strategies by interlocutors (Mills, 2003) which is affirmed by various studies. The objective of the present study is to investigate the use of politeness strategies among male and female interlocutors (a male interviews male and female interviewees) in a Saudi TV show to examine differences in case there are any. The present study is primarily based on the theoretical framework proposed by Brown and Levinson (1987). Such framework gives rise to a systematic network of politeness strategies, presupposing that speech acts are generally linked to the abstract cultural notion of “face”. Two questions are addressed as; firstly, Does the male interviewer use the same politeness strategies with both male and female interviewees? Secondly, what are the politeness strategies used by male and by female interviewees in their interaction with the male interviewer? Are they the same or dif...

This is a socio-cultural account of linguistic identity in the six Arab Gulf States which constit... more This is a socio-cultural account of linguistic identity in the six Arab Gulf States which constitute the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Through a corpus of the Gulf register, the notion of identity is analysed with reference to linguistic practices as socio-cultural means of communication. The existing register is a natural outcome which reflects the vast and fast process of modernisation. The analysis of the Gulf register seeks to provide an answer to how the Arabic Gulf native identity impacts the English linguistic practice, as an interdisciplinary and integrative part in the socio-cultural approach. Arabic meets with English as a global non-native variety of English and results in the new Gulf code. The result of the examination of linguistic practices confirm that identity in the Gulf reflects a cultural transformation and does not resist the new linguistic and socio-cultural system. The selected theoretical framework for the analysis is drawn from a variety of linguistic sub-...

International Journal of Linguistics, 2016

In this study, I aim to investigate the ambiguity on the category of the non-modifying Arabic adj... more In this study, I aim to investigate the ambiguity on the category of the non-modifying Arabic adjectives that occur independently without a modified noun and to provide an account for the following questions: (1) are independent adjectives in Arabic nouns or adjectives?; (2) do they undergo a deadjectivizing process?; and (3) if they do, at which layer in adjectival phases does nominalization take place? I attempt to investigate the bi-categorial nature of independent adjectives in Arabic showing that they are internally adjectival but externally nominal. This analysis postulates that these adjectives have undergone category-change by moving A to the nominalizer D, which has the abstract affix NOM. Semantically, the adjective becomes referential (or +[indiv(iduated)]) naming entities of certain attributes, rather than denoting the attribute. However, DP is not the mere layer at which category-change takes place. The category-change is observed to occur earlier than the DP layers as indicated by the subregularities in the adjective form. The plural morpheme indicates three layers of nominality: the lower nP, NumP, and DP. Adjectives that undergo a-ton change are nominalized having singular nominal form. Adjectives that are nominalized in NumP are pluralized with the nominal broken plural, yet having a singular adjectival form. Finally, adjectives that are nominalized in the highest functional DP projection are marked with an adjectival sound plural morpheme. This analysis provides a neat account for the diversity in the adjective number form and is favored over the alternative assumption that adjectives in pro-drop languages drop the head noun.

English Language Teaching, 2016

The main aim of this paper is to examine the syntactic status of a selected text-corpus focus, wi... more The main aim of this paper is to examine the syntactic status of a selected text-corpus focus, with a special focus on the verb within its Verb-Phrase. The major claim is that the power of the verb in its VP is loaded syntactically through which the speaker's desire of the doublespeak within X-Phemism is achieved. In order to fulfill this claim, a corpus-based exploration is applied on the selected data produced in Standard English. The analysis is accounted for a conceptualization of grammar that is based on general syntactic constraints on a well-formedness. The syntactic conceptualization (Chomsky, 2000; Ouhalla, 2002) is selected in its broad sense, as the basic framework where it best captures the syntactic role played by the verb-predicate and its various arguments.

English Today, 2012

Saudi English (also called ‘Arabicised-English’ by Al-Shurafa, 2009) is probably one of the least... more Saudi English (also called ‘Arabicised-English’ by Al-Shurafa, 2009) is probably one of the least studied varieties among the ‘New Englishes’. This paper aims to provide an introduction to the main syntactic features of the variety. In order to do this I will use the list of features discernible in varieties of English world-wide as ascertained by two scholars working actively on the typology of the different Englishes, Kortmann & Szmrecsanyi (2004). They use the term ‘angloversals’ for recurrent non-standard features widely found in English across the globe. This paper investigates three such ‘angloversal’ features which I believe to be widespread in Saudi Arabia: (a) #57: deletion ofbe; (b) #17: irregular use of articles; and (c) #53: invariant present tense forms due to zero marking for the third person singular (Kortmann & Szmrecsanyi 2004: 1146–7). This article also aims to study the effects of the Arabic substrate on the variety of English spoken in Saudi Arabia. The occurrenc...

This paper is an attempt to solve a controversy related to the phasal status of adjective phrases... more This paper is an attempt to solve a controversy related to the phasal status of adjective phrases (APs). It focuses on APs in Arabic. Given that APs in Arabic are marked for (in)definiteness on a par with nominals, APs modifying definite nouns are, accordingly, DPs. In this paper, I prove that Adjectival DPs in Arabic are not phases. Hence, I argue against Boskovic’s (2012, 2014) view in favor of Hinzen’s (2012) view that APs are not phases. By applying the three-levelled tests: syntactic, P(honetic)F(orm)-based, and L(ogical)F(orm)-based, the paper proves that Arabic modifying adjective phrases do not comply with all the phasal diagnostics.

English Language Teaching, May 15, 2016

The main aim of this paper is to examine the syntactic status of a selected text-corpus focus, wi... more The main aim of this paper is to examine the syntactic status of a selected text-corpus focus, with a special focus on the verb within its Verb-Phrase. The major claim is that the power of the verb in its VP is loaded syntactically through which the speaker's desire of the doublespeak within X-Phemism is achieved. In order to fulfill this claim, a corpus-based exploration is applied on the selected data produced in Standard English. The analysis is accounted for a conceptualization of grammar that is based on general syntactic constraints on a well-formedness. The syntactic conceptualization (Chomsky, 2000; Ouhalla, 2002) is selected in its broad sense, as the basic framework where it best captures the syntactic role played by the verb-predicate and its various arguments.

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research

The paper describes Saudi English morphosyntactic and lexical features that are widely practiced ... more The paper describes Saudi English morphosyntactic and lexical features that are widely practiced among educated Saudis, who completed at least nine years of English language study. The occurrence of the morphosyntactic features is argued to be affected by the speakers' contact to the native English. Those who are in direct contact with Standard English (Std Eng) have 15 morphosyntactic features unlike those who have no direct contact to Std Eng (or EFL speakers) and who produce 15 more traits. Accordingly, the paper distinguishes between stable traits used by all the speakers and the ones that are used by EFL speakers only. The abundant features of Saudi English are further analyzed in comparison to those of other World Englishes varieties as well as in comparison to the Arabic structures. As for the lexical level, local lexemes are described. They are grouped into words that are borrowed from Arabic and words that are translated from Arabic. Overall, this study contributes to the exploration of the Expanding Circle variety of Saudi English and to the effect of language contact on language variations.

International Journal of Linguistics and Translation Studies

Gender is considered a vital factor that contributes in affecting the use and interpretation of p... more Gender is considered a vital factor that contributes in affecting the use and interpretation of politeness strategies by interlocutors (Mills, 2003) which is affirmed by various studies. The objective of the present study is to investigate the use of politeness strategies among male and female interlocutors (a male interviews male and female interviewees) in a Saudi TV show to examine differences in case there are any. The present study is primarily based on the theoretical framework proposed by Brown and Levinson (1987). Such framework gives rise to a systematic network of politeness strategies, presupposing that speech acts are generally linked to the abstract cultural notion of “face”. Two questions are addressed as; firstly, Does the male interviewer use the same politeness strategies with both male and female interviewees? Secondly, what are the politeness strategies used by male and by female interviewees in their interaction with the male interviewer? Are they the same or dif...

This is a socio-cultural account of linguistic identity in the six Arab Gulf States which constit... more This is a socio-cultural account of linguistic identity in the six Arab Gulf States which constitute the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Through a corpus of the Gulf register, the notion of identity is analysed with reference to linguistic practices as socio-cultural means of communication. The existing register is a natural outcome which reflects the vast and fast process of modernisation. The analysis of the Gulf register seeks to provide an answer to how the Arabic Gulf native identity impacts the English linguistic practice, as an interdisciplinary and integrative part in the socio-cultural approach. Arabic meets with English as a global non-native variety of English and results in the new Gulf code. The result of the examination of linguistic practices confirm that identity in the Gulf reflects a cultural transformation and does not resist the new linguistic and socio-cultural system. The selected theoretical framework for the analysis is drawn from a variety of linguistic sub-...

International Journal of Linguistics, 2016

In this study, I aim to investigate the ambiguity on the category of the non-modifying Arabic adj... more In this study, I aim to investigate the ambiguity on the category of the non-modifying Arabic adjectives that occur independently without a modified noun and to provide an account for the following questions: (1) are independent adjectives in Arabic nouns or adjectives?; (2) do they undergo a deadjectivizing process?; and (3) if they do, at which layer in adjectival phases does nominalization take place? I attempt to investigate the bi-categorial nature of independent adjectives in Arabic showing that they are internally adjectival but externally nominal. This analysis postulates that these adjectives have undergone category-change by moving A to the nominalizer D, which has the abstract affix NOM. Semantically, the adjective becomes referential (or +[indiv(iduated)]) naming entities of certain attributes, rather than denoting the attribute. However, DP is not the mere layer at which category-change takes place. The category-change is observed to occur earlier than the DP layers as indicated by the subregularities in the adjective form. The plural morpheme indicates three layers of nominality: the lower nP, NumP, and DP. Adjectives that undergo a-ton change are nominalized having singular nominal form. Adjectives that are nominalized in NumP are pluralized with the nominal broken plural, yet having a singular adjectival form. Finally, adjectives that are nominalized in the highest functional DP projection are marked with an adjectival sound plural morpheme. This analysis provides a neat account for the diversity in the adjective number form and is favored over the alternative assumption that adjectives in pro-drop languages drop the head noun.

English Language Teaching, 2016

The main aim of this paper is to examine the syntactic status of a selected text-corpus focus, wi... more The main aim of this paper is to examine the syntactic status of a selected text-corpus focus, with a special focus on the verb within its Verb-Phrase. The major claim is that the power of the verb in its VP is loaded syntactically through which the speaker's desire of the doublespeak within X-Phemism is achieved. In order to fulfill this claim, a corpus-based exploration is applied on the selected data produced in Standard English. The analysis is accounted for a conceptualization of grammar that is based on general syntactic constraints on a well-formedness. The syntactic conceptualization (Chomsky, 2000; Ouhalla, 2002) is selected in its broad sense, as the basic framework where it best captures the syntactic role played by the verb-predicate and its various arguments.

English Today, 2012

Saudi English (also called ‘Arabicised-English’ by Al-Shurafa, 2009) is probably one of the least... more Saudi English (also called ‘Arabicised-English’ by Al-Shurafa, 2009) is probably one of the least studied varieties among the ‘New Englishes’. This paper aims to provide an introduction to the main syntactic features of the variety. In order to do this I will use the list of features discernible in varieties of English world-wide as ascertained by two scholars working actively on the typology of the different Englishes, Kortmann & Szmrecsanyi (2004). They use the term ‘angloversals’ for recurrent non-standard features widely found in English across the globe. This paper investigates three such ‘angloversal’ features which I believe to be widespread in Saudi Arabia: (a) #57: deletion ofbe; (b) #17: irregular use of articles; and (c) #53: invariant present tense forms due to zero marking for the third person singular (Kortmann & Szmrecsanyi 2004: 1146–7). This article also aims to study the effects of the Arabic substrate on the variety of English spoken in Saudi Arabia. The occurrenc...

This paper is an attempt to solve a controversy related to the phasal status of adjective phrases... more This paper is an attempt to solve a controversy related to the phasal status of adjective phrases (APs). It focuses on APs in Arabic. Given that APs in Arabic are marked for (in)definiteness on a par with nominals, APs modifying definite nouns are, accordingly, DPs. In this paper, I prove that Adjectival DPs in Arabic are not phases. Hence, I argue against Boskovic’s (2012, 2014) view in favor of Hinzen’s (2012) view that APs are not phases. By applying the three-levelled tests: syntactic, P(honetic)F(orm)-based, and L(ogical)F(orm)-based, the paper proves that Arabic modifying adjective phrases do not comply with all the phasal diagnostics.