Abstract
This paper is an attempt to look at the sound system of Baghdadi Arabic in view of the Distinctive Feature Theory, in order to see how far such a theory would be applicable to the language variety being dealt with in this paper. The main purpose ,here, is to see how far is it possible to group the sounds of Baghdadi Arabic into classes according to their phonetic (distinctive) properties. Thus, on one hand, the paper is meant to deal with the sounds of Baghdadi Arabic in terms of Trubetzkoy's distinctive oppositions, using the method of contrasting the classes of sounds according to such oppositions.
Highlights
The sound system of Baghdadi Arabic will be approached by means of adopting analyses presented in Trubetskoy's Theory of Distinctive Features
If we try to apply this principle to Baghdadi Arabic, we find that │p│ stands in a bilateral opposition to │b│
If one tries to apply this statement to Baghdadi Arabic, it would be found that the opposition between │p│ and │b│ is proportional because the relation between these two members of the sound system of Baghdadi Arabic is similar to the relation between each two members of the following oppositions:
Summary
Trubetzkoy tried to establish phonemic distinctiveness within the framework of the relationship that holds between members of a particular system. It is significant to note, here, that a relationship of bilateral opposition can be maintained between │m│ and │b│ in terms of nasality, because the same feature holds between the following pairs, too :- │n│ vs │d│ and. In addition to │t│ and │d│, the Baghdadi Arabic sound system contains the emphatic(2) alveolar plosive │ṭ│. Since this segment shares the properties common to both │t│ and │d│, it is said to be in a Multilateral opposition to │d│. The sound segment │t│ stands in a bilateral opposition to │t│ in terms of the feature 'emphatic', as it is evident by the Baghdadi Arabic minimal pairs [ti:n] vs [ti:n], and [ta:b] (' )طيبrecovered' vs [ta:b] (' )جيبrepented'. The same is true of the three alveolar fricatives │s│, │z│ and │ ṣ │ of Baghdadi Arabic. (ibid)
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