This comprehensive course is designed for intermediate to advanced students of Arabic at upper undergraduate level. It uses authentic materials and a wide variety of techniques to develop the four basic language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Each of the twenty chapters is designed around a particular topic relating to the culture, history, politics, geography or society of the Arab Middle East, to give students an insight into important aspects of the region.
This volume examines orality and literacy in the ancient Greek and Roman world through a range of perspectives and in various genres. Four essays on the Homeric epics present recent research into performative aspects of language, cognitive theory and oral composition, a re-evaluation of Parry's oral-formulaic theory, and a new perspective on the poem's transmission. These are complemented by studies of the oral nature of Greek proverbial expressions, and of poetic authority within a fluid oral tradition. Two essays consider the significance of the written word in a predominantly oral culture, in relation to star calendars and to Panathenaic inscriptions. Finally, two chapters consider the ongoing influence of oral tradition in the ancient novel and in Roman declamation. These essays illustrate the importance of considering ancient texts in the context of fluctuating oral and literate influences.
Focusing on the phonology and morphology of modern spoken Arabic, this groundbreaking work presents original research by Dr. Watson, making it the first comprehensive account published in any language. The author employs a theoretically innovative yet accessible approach, catering to Arabic language specialists beyond the field of linguistics. Its broad coverage and pioneering insights establish the book as a significant contribution to the study of Arabic language.
Mehri is the most widely spoken of the six Modern South Arabian languages, with populations in eastern Yemen, western Oman, the southern fringes of Saudi Arabia, and parts of the Gulf. The Structure of Mehri is a comprehensive linguistic description of two major Mehri dialect groups: Mahriyōt, the eastern Yemeni dialect of Mehri spoken in Hawf, and Mehreyyet, the Mehri of the Omani Najd. It provides the first description of Mahriyōt, complementing Wagner (1953), which examines Mehriyet, the western Yemeni dialect of Mehri, and extending Rubin (2010), which deals with Mehreyyet. Based on fieldwork conducted by the author and material in Sima (2009) this is one of the first studies of any non-state language to include data from new technology (SMS and e-mail). Considering also other Modern South Arabian languages where relevant, phonology, morphology and syntax of Mahriyōt and Mehreyyet is analysed and compared. Within syntax, particular attention is paid to phrase structure, clause structure, coordination, negation and supplementation. Furthermore, the final chapter provides a selection of the transcribed, translated and annotated oral texts used in the book.
This work is the first book-length ethno-linguistic study of Sanan?- Arabic. The book comprises twenty-eight original oral texts which have been transcribed, translated and annotated by the author, a linguistic introduction to the texts, a glossary of all words contained in the texts, and a list of references. Each of the texts deals with one or more aspects of Yemeni culture. These include: the old city, oil presses, the old watercourse, bread, the development of restaurants, Yemeni cooking and recipes, travel in Yemen, gat, Yemeni architecture, the water-pipe, children's games of yesterday and today, Islamic festivals, and weddings. The texts are principally descriptions, narratives or mixed descriptive-narratives of personal experience. Together they tell a story of change and of what remains despite the forces of change - the rules of hospitality, fasting, food, the bath-houses - and show Yemen as a country where tradition and innovation are intriguingly interwoven.
The book is a complete course in Ṣanʿānī Arabic, the dialect spoken in the Yemeni capital, and can reasonably be used either for self study or in the classroom. It comprises twenty lessons. Each lesson consists of three major sections: dialogues and vocabulary, grammar and exercises. All the dialogues are based on or taken directly from transcriptions of tape recordings of authentic Ṣanʿānī speech. The dialogues are largely organized according to cultural themes, for example: food in the Yemen, houses in Yemen, the old city, marriage and childbirth, wedding parties, death and mourning in Yemen, gāt cultivation and gāt chewing. The grammar section is followed by exercises which are designed to practice the grammar and the vocabulary of the lesson at hand, and to revise aspects of the grammar and vocabulary from previous lessons. A glossary draws together 1400 items of vocabulary. This first language course ever published on Ṣanʿānī Arabic will be welcomed not only bye students and scholars of Yemeni Arabic, but also by Arabists and Arabic dialectologists.
Rhiannon’s story of passionate commitment to music—especially vocal improvisation—takes us through the twists and turns of her life, from a young girl discovering singing on her family’s Missouri River farm to internationally acclaimed artist and full circle as she combines farming and art on Hawaii Island. In Vocal River, Rhiannon reveals the skill and spirit of improvisation—both onstage and in daily life—for singers, musicians, artists and anyone interested in combining the creative aspects that touch all our lives. The book is also a meticulous guide to Rhiannon’s methods of teaching improvisation featuring thirty-three detailed exercises that bring us into the circle of music where, step by step, we learn about blend, collaboration, soloing, listening, skill, faith and generosity. Vocal River is the culmination of Rhiannon's long and celebrated career as an international performer and teacher. In it she shares her exuberance, her craft, and her fresh insights into the dimensions and gifts of improvisation.
This book is primarily a synchronic account of the syntax of Ṣanʿānī Arabic. The illustrative material is taken from the author’s own field notes and from publications of Ṣanʿānī jokes, sayings, proverbs, short stories and personal narratives. Chapter 1-3 provide a general introduction to the phonology and morphology of the dialect, plus general syntactic notions, with the principal purpose of facilitating comprehension of the transcription system and the syntax. Chapter 3 also establishes parts of speech. The main part of the book, Chapter 4-10, examines the way in which these parts of speech function in the larger syntactic units of phrase clause and complex clause. It is argued that each syntactic unit has three components: two constituents (a modified term and a modifier), the syntactic relationship linking these constituents, and the semantic implications of that relationship. The following syntactic relationships are examined: predication, complementation, annexion, attribution, negation, coordination and supplementation. Chapter 11 looks beyond the clause, and using examples from extended texts, considers the role of co-reference in discourse.