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

Abstract

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 under certain circumstances, language change can occur at the intersection of endogenous and exogenous factors.