Ya ṛaḅḅíː! Tanṭīni binéːt!: Ǧbēne in the Traditional Muṯallaṯ Arabic of Bāḳa l-Ġarbiyye

Abstract

This article offers a local version of the Palestinian folktale of Ǧbēne, audio recorded in 2018 in the town of Bāḳa l-Ġarbiyye in the Muṯallaṯ area. The tale of Ǧbēne represents the feminine passage from infancy to adulthood and marriage. These stages are marked by the opposition of white and black, which symbolically evoke complex cultural values. After a background to folktales in general, and in the Palestinian Arabic speaking area in particular, the tale of Ǧbēne is examined within its sociocultural context, with reference to its contemporary transmission and notes on plot, content, and cultural elements and comparisons of its different versions. The text is provided in transcription and translation, and accompanied by a linguistic analysis that highlights the features of the traditional Arabic variety spoken in Bāḳa l-Ġarbiyye through comparisons with other dialects, especially those spoken in adjacent areas inside the Muṯallaṯ region and outside it.