The Arabic Verb: Form and meaning in the vowel-lengthening patterns(63 Studies in Functional and Structural Linguistics)

The Arabic verbal system is, for most grammarians, the keystone of the language. Notable for the regularity of its patterns, it presents the linguist with an unparalleled opportunity to explore the Saussurean notion of the indivisible sign: form and meaning. Whilst Arabic forms are well-documented, the elucidation of the corresponding meanings has proved more challenging. Beginning with an examination of the verbal morphology of Modern Standard Arabic, including an evaluation of the significance of the consonantal root, this volume then concentrates on establishing the function of the vowel-lengthening verbal patterns (III and VI). It explores issues of mutuality and reciprocity, valency and transitivity, ultimately focusing on atelic lexical aspect as the unified meaning of these patterns. This study is rich in data and relies extensively upon contemporary examples (with transliteration and translation) to illustrate its arguments, adopting an empirical structuralist approach which is aimed both at general linguists and at specialist Arabists.

Table of Contents:
1. Preface, pxi-xii; 2. Notes on symbols, abbreviations and other conventions followed in examples, pxiii-xvi; 3. 1. Introduction, p1-13; 4. 2. Verbal morphology and the lexicon, p15-38; 5. 3. Alternative morphologies, p39-62; 6. 4. Understanding Arabic verbal semantics: Form and meaning, p63-82; 7. 5. Evaluating the pattern III-pattern VI semantic relationship, p83-102; 8. 6. Transitivity and valency, p103-130; 9. 7. The pattern III template: From form to meaning, p131-156; 10. 8. An aspectual model for Modern Standard Arabic, p157-188; 11. 9. Aspectual categorisation of patterns III and VI, p189-212; 12. 10. Inceptive aspect, p213-236; 13. 11. The passive in patterns III and VI, p237-246; 14. 12. Conclusions, p247-256; 15. Bibliography, p257-264; 16. Appendix I. Data tables, p265; 17. Appendix II. Semantic category labels, p267-268; 18. Appendix III. Native speaker questionnaire, p269-273; 19. Appendix IV. Passive participles in patterns III and VI, p275; 20. Name index, p277-278; 21. Subject index, p279-281

Review :
The book must be read by everybody interested in problems of the semantics of verbal derivation in Modern Literary Arabic in spite of several controversies. This study takes a problem that has been considered previously, but never adequately addressed, examines more data on the subject than has ever previously been done, considers links between form and meaning in the III and VI verbs and exceptions to previous accounts, and adapts two separate theories to establish an aspectual model for Modern Standard Arabic that accounts for the data. The richness and careful analysis of this data will have implications not only for research on aspectual systems and of the Arabic verb system but also for Arabic language pedagogy.