A GENERAL THEORY OF MULTIVALUATION A GENERAL THEORY OF MULTIVALUATION

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MODERN STANDARD ARABIC

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Himmelreich, Anke, Melissa Jeckel, Katharina Hartmann, Johannes Mursell (2021): Agreement with Coordinated Subjects in the World's Languages [Data set]. Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main (Link: https://www.multivaluation.de/database.php)

Overview

Language family:Afro-Asiatic (Semitic)
Countries:Primarily in the Arab League, in the Middle East and North Africa; and in the Horn of Africa (used as literary Arabic);
Number of speakers:313 million
Agreement features:gender, number, person
Attested word orders:SV, VS
Coordination types:and, or

Data collection

The data were entered by a native speaker via an online survey.

Patterns for gender

Coordination with ``and''

SV order

Pattern: Mismatches are resolved to masculine.

1st | 2ndfemmasc
femfemmasc
mascmascmasc

Examples:

(1)     almarʔatuw-arrija:luyarkudʕa:ni
woman.sgand-man.sgrun.3du.masc
`The woman and the man run.'
(2)     arrajuluw-almarʔatuyarkudʕa:ni
man.sgand-woman.sgrun.3du.masc
`The man and the woman run.'

VS order

Pattern: There is closest conjunct agreement.

1st | 2ndfemmasc
femfemfem
mascmascmasc

Examples:

(3)     tarkudʕualmarʔatuw-arrajulu
run.3sg.femwoman.sgand-man.sg
`The woman and the man run.'
(4)     yarkudʕuarrajuluw-almarʔatu.
run.3sg.mascman.sgand-woman.sg
`The man and the woman run.'

Coordination with ``or''

SV order

Pattern: Mismatches are resolved to masculine.

1st | 2ndfemmasc
femfemmasc
mascmascmasc

Examples:

(5)     almarʔatuʔawarrajuluyarkudʕa:ni.
woman.sgorman.sgrun.3pl
`The woman or the man run.'
(6)     arrajuluʔawalmarʔatuyarkudʕa:ni.
man.sgorwoman.sgrun.3pl
`The man or the woman run.'

VS order

Pattern: There is closest conjunct agreement.

1st | 2ndfemmasc
femfemfem
mascmascmasc

Examples:

(7)     tarkudʕualmarʔatuʔawarrajulu.
run.3sg.femwoman.sgorman.sg
`The woman or the man run.'
(8)     yarkuʕuarrajuluʔawalmarʔatu.
run.3sgman.sgorwoman.sg
`The man or the woman run.'

Patterns for number

Coordination with ``and''

SV order

Pattern: With two singular conjuncts, the verb is marked as dual. If one of the conjuncts is plural, number is resolved to plural.

1st | 2ndsgdupl
sgdupl
du
plplpl

Examples:

(9)     alwaladuw-arrajuluyarkudʕa:ni
boy.sgand-man.sgrun.3pl
`The boy and the man run.'
(10)     alwaladuw-arrija:luyarkudʕu:na.
boy.sgand-man.plrun.3pl
`The boy and the men run.'
(11)     alʔawla:duw-arrajuluyarkudʕu:na.
boy.pland-man.sgrun.3pl
`The boys and the man run.'
(12)     alʔawla:duw-arrija:luyarkudʕu:na.
boy.pland-man.plrun.3pl
`The boys and the men run.'

VS order

Pattern: The verb shows default singular agreement in VS order.

1st | 2ndsgdupl
sgsgsg
du
plsgsg

Examples:

(13)     yarkudʕualwaladuw-arrajulu.
run.3sgboy.sgand-man.sg
`The boy and the man run.'
(14)     yarkudʕualʔawla:duw-arrajulu.
run.3sgboy.pland-man.sg
`The boys and the man run.'
(15)     yarkudʕualwaladuw-arrija:lu.
run.3sgboy.sgand-man.pl
`The boy and the men run.'
(16)     yarkudʕualʔawla:duw-arrija:lu.
run.3sgboy.pland-man.pl
`The boys and the men run.'

Coordination with ``or''

SV order

Pattern: With two singular conjuncts, the verb is marked as dual. If one of the conjuncts is plural, number is resolved to plural.

1st | 2ndsgdupl
sgdupl
du
plplpl

Examples:

(17)     alwaladuʔawarrajuluyarkudʕa:ni.
boy.sgorman.sgrun.3pl
`The boy or the man run.'
(18)     alʔwla:duʔawarrajuluyarkudʕu:na.
boy.plorman.sgrun.3pl
`The boys or the man run.'
(19)     alwaladuʔawarrija:luyarkudʕu:na.
boy.sgorman.plrun.3pl
`The boy or the men run.'
(20)     alʔwla:duʔawarrija:luyarkudʕu:na.
boy.plorman.plrun.3pl
`The boys or the men run.'

VS order

Pattern: The verb shows default singular agreement in VS order.

1st | 2ndsgdupl
sgsgsg
du
plsgsg

Examples:

(21)     yarkudʕualwaladuʔawarrajulu.
run.3sgboy.sgorman.sg
`The boy or the man run.'
(22)     yarkudʕualʔwla:duʔawarrajulu.
run.3sgboy.plorman.sg
`The boys or the man run.'
(23)     yarkudʕualwladuʔawarrija:lu.
run.3sgboy.sgorman.pl
`The boy or the men run.'
(24)     yarkudʕualʔwla:duʔawarrija:lu.
run.3sgboy.plorman.pl
`The boys or the men run.'

Patterns for person

Coordination with ``and''

SV order

Pattern: Mismatching person seems to be resolved according to the hierarchy 1 > 2 > 3. (Number is resolved to plural.)

1st | 2nd123
11pl
21pl
3

Examples:

(25)     ʔantawa-ʔana:narkudʕu.
Youand-Irun.1pl
`You and I run.'
(26)     ʔana:wa-ʔantanarkudʕu.
Iand-yourun.1pl
`I and you run.'

VS order

Examples:

(27)     ʔarkudʕuʔana:wa-ʔija:k.
run.1sgIand-you
`I and you run.'

Coordination with ``or''

SV order

Pattern: Mismatching person is resolved following the hierarchy 1 > 2 > 3. (Number is resolved to plural.)

1st | 2nd123
11pl
21pl
3

Examples:

(28)     ʔantaʔawʔana:narkudʕu.
YouorIrun.1pl
`You or I run.'
(29)     ʔana:ʔawʔantanarkudʕu.
Ioryourun.1pl
`I or you run.'