NORTH LEVANTINE 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: | Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
|
| Number of speakers: | 24.6 million
|
| Agreement features: | gender, number, person
|
| Attested word orders: | SV, VS
|
| Coordination types: | and, or
|
|
Data Collection
All examples were elicited with a native speaker from Syria via video conference. The speaker was asked to translate English sentences keeping the word order as indicated. (Data by: Aya Al-Ghanem)
Patterns for gender
Coordination with ``and''
SV order
Pattern: Mismatches are resolved to masculine. (Note: Gender is not marked in 3rd person plural.)
| 1st | 2nd | fem | masc
|
| fem | fem | masc
|
| masc | masc | masc
|
Examples:
| (1) | el-rrijal | w | el-marra | ʕam | y-erkud-u
|
| the-man | and | the-woman | prog | 3.masc-run-pl
|
| `The man and the woman are running.'
|
| (2) | el-marra | w | el-rrijal | ʕam | y-erkud-u
|
| the-woman | and | the-man | prog | 3.masc-run-pl
|
| `The woman and the man are running.'
|
VS order
Pattern: Mismatches are resolved to masculine. (Note: Gender is not marked in 3rd person plural.)
| 1st | 2nd | fem | masc
|
| fem | fem | masc
|
| masc | masc | masc
|
Examples:
| (3) | ʕam | y-erkud-u | el-rrijal | w | el-marra
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl | the-man | and | the-woman
|
| `The man and the woman are running.'
|
| (4) | ʕam | y-erkud-u | el-marra | w | el-rrijal
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl | the-woman | and | the-man
|
| `The woman and the man are running.'
|
Coordination with ``or''
SV order
Pattern: Mismatches are resolved to masculine. (Note: Gender is not marked in 3rd person plural.)
| 1st | 2nd | fem | masc
|
| fem | fem | masc
|
| masc | masc | masc
|
Examples:
| (5) | el-rrijal | ʔaw | el-marra | ʕam | y-erkud-u
|
| the-man | or | the-woman | prog | 3.masc-run-pl
|
| `The man or the woman are running.'
|
| (6) | el-marra | ʔaw | el-rrijal | ʕam | y-erkud-u
|
| the-woman | or | the-man | prog | 3.masc-run-pl
|
| `The woman or the man are running.'
|
VS order
Pattern: Mismatches are resolved to masculine. (Note: Gender is not marked in 3rd person plural.)
| 1st | 2nd | fem | masc
|
| fem | fem | masc
|
| masc | masc | masc
|
Examples:
| (7) | ʕam | y-erkud-u | el-rrijal | ʔaw | el-marra
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl | the-man | or | the-woman
|
| `The man or the woman are running.'
|
| (8) | ʕam | y-erkud-u | el-marra | ʔaw | el-rrijal
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl | the-woman | or | the-man
|
| `The woman or the man are running.'
|
Patterns for number
Coordination with ``and''
SV order
Pattern: With two singular conjuncts, plural marking on the verb is fine, while singular marking is highly marked. If the two conjuncts mismatch in number, number is resolved to plural.
| 1st | 2nd | sg | pl
|
| sg | pl/??sg | pl
|
| pl | pl | pl
|
Examples:
| (9) | el-ssabi | w | el-rrijal | ʕam | y-erkud-u/??y-erkud
|
| the-boy | and | the-man | prog | 3.masc-run-pl/3.masc-run
|
| `The boy and the man are running.'
|
| (10) | el-ssabi | w | el-rrijaal | ʕam | y-erkud-u
|
| the-boy | and | the-men | prog | 3.masc-run-pl
|
| `The boy and the men are running.'
|
| (11) | el-sseby-an | w | el-rrijal | ʕam | y-erkud-u
|
| the-boy-pl | and | the-man | prog | 3.masc-run-pl
|
| `The boys and the man are running.'
|
VS order
Pattern: With two singular conjuncts, plural marking or singular marking on the verb is fine. If the two conjuncts mismatch in number, number is resolved to plural.
| 1st | 2nd | sg | pl
|
| sg | pl/sg | pl
|
| pl | pl | pl
|
Examples:
| (12) | ʕam | y-erkud-u/??y-erkud | el-ssabi | w | el-rrijal
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl/3.masc-run | the-boy | and | the-man
|
| `The boy and the man are running.'
|
| (13) | ʕam | y-erkud-u | el-ssabi | w | el-rrijaal
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl | the-boy | and | the-men
|
| `The boy and the men are running.'
|
| (14) | ʕam | y-erkud-u | el-sseby-an | w | el-rrijal
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl | the-boy-pl | and | the-man
|
| `The boys and the man are running.'
|
Coordination with ``or''
SV order
Pattern: With two singular conjuncts, plural marking on the verb is fine, while singular marking is highly marked. If the two conjuncts mismatch in number, number is resolved to plural.
| 1st | 2nd | sg | pl
|
| sg | pl/??sg | pl
|
| pl | pl | pl
|
Examples:
| (15) | el-ssabi | ʔaw | el-rrijal | ʕam | y-erkud-u/??y-erkud
|
| the-boy | or | the-man | prog | 3.masc-run-pl/3.masc-run
|
| `The boy or the man are running.'
|
| (16) | el-ssabi | ʔaw | el-rrijaal | ʕam | y-erkud-u
|
| the-boy | or | the-men | prog | 3.masc-run-pl
|
| `The boy or the men are running.'
|
| (17) | el-sseby-an | ʔaw | el-rrijal | ʕam | y-erkud-u
|
| the-boy-pl | or | the-man | prog | 3.masc-run-pl
|
| `The boys or the man are running.'
|
VS order
Pattern: With two singular conjuncts, plural marking or singular marking on the verb is fine. If the two conjuncts mismatch in number, number is resolved to plural.
| 1st | 2nd | sg | pl
|
| sg | pl/sg | pl
|
| pl | pl | pl
|
Examples:
| (18) | ʕam | y-erkud-u/??y-erkud | el-ssabi | ʔaw | el-rrijal
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl/3.masc-run | the-boy | or | the-man
|
| `The boy or the man are running.'
|
| (19) | ʕam | y-erkud-u | el-ssabi | ʔaw | el-rrijaal
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl | the-boy | or | the-men
|
| `The boy or the men are running.'
|
| (20) | ʕam | y-erkud-u | el-sseby-an | ʔaw | el-rrijal
|
| prog | 3.masc-run-pl | the-boy-pl | or | the-man
|
| `The boys or the man are running.'
|
Patterns for person
Coordination with ``and''
SV order
Pattern: Mismatching person is resolved following the hierarchy 1 > 2 > 3. (Number is resolved to plural.)
| 1st | 2nd | 1 | 2 | 3
|
| 1 | | 1pl | 1pl
|
| 2 | 1pl | | 2pl/??2sg
|
| 3 | 1pl | 2pl |
|
Examples:
| (21) | ʔana | w | ʔnta | ʕam | n-erkud
|
| I | and | you.masc | prog | 1pl-run
|
| `I and you are running.'
|
| (22) | ʔnta | w | ʔana | ʕam | n-erkud
|
| you.masc | and | I | prog | 1pl-run
|
| `You and I are running.'
|
| (23) | ʔana | w | huwe | ʕam | n-erkud
|
| I | and | he | prog | 1pl-run
|
| `I and he are running.'Data
|
| (24) | huwe | w | ʔana | ʕam | n-erkud
|
| he | and | I | prog | 1pl-run
|
| `He and I are running.'
|
| (25) | ʔnta | w | huwe | ʕam | t-erkud-u/??t-erkud
|
| you.masc | and | he | prog | 2.masc-run-pl/2.masc-run
|
| `You and he are running.'
|
| (26) | huwe | w | ʔnta | ʕam | t-erkud-u
|
| he | and | you.masc | prog | 2.masc-run-pl
|
| `He and you are running.'
|
VS order
Pattern: Both closest conjunct agreement and resolved agreement (following the hierarchy 1 > 2 > 3) are possible.
| 1st | 2nd | 1 | 2 | 3
|
| 1 | | 1pl | 1pl
|
| 2 | 1pl/2sg | | 2sg
|
| 3 | 1pl/3sg | 2sg/3sg |
|
Examples:
| (27) | ʕam | n-erkud | ʔana | w | ʔnta
|
| prog | 1pl-run | I | and | you.masc
|
| `I and you are running.'
|
| (28) | ʕam | n-erkud/t-erkud | ʔnta | w | ʔana
|
| prog | 1pl-run/2.masc-run | you | and | I
|
| `You and I are running.'
|
| (29) | ʕam | n-erkud | ʔana | w | huwe
|
| prog | 1pl-run | I | and | he
|
| `I and he are running.'
|
| (30) | ʕam | n-erkud/y-erkud | huwe | w | ʔana
|
| prog | 1pl-run/3.masc-run | he | and | I
|
| `He and I are running.'
|
| (31) | ʕam | t-erkud | ʔnta | w | huwe
|
| prog | 2.masc-run you.masc | and | he
|
| `You and he are running.'
|
| (32) | ʕam | t-erkud/y-erkud | huwe | w | ʔnta
|
| prog | 2.masc-run/3.masc-run | he | and | you.masc
|
| `He and you are running.'
|
Coordination with ``or''
SV order
Pattern: Mismatching person is resolved following the hierarchy 1 > 2 > 3. (Number is resolved to plural.)
| 1st | 2nd | 1 | 2 | 3
|
| 1 | | 1pl/??2sg | 1pl/??3sg
|
| 2 | 1pl | | 2pl/??2sg
|
| 3 | 1pl | 2pl/2sg |
|
Examples:
| (33) | ʔana | ʔaw | ʔnta | ʕam | n-erkud/??t-erkud
|
| I | or | you.masc | prog | 1pl-run/2.masc-run
|
| `I or you are running.'
|
| (34) | ʔnta | ʔaw | ʔana | ʕam | n-erkud
|
| you.masc | or | I | prog | 1pl-run
|
| `You or I are running.'
|
| (35) | ʔana | ʔaw | huwe | ʕam | n-erkud/y-erkud
|
| I | or | he | prog | 1pl-run/3.masc-run
|
| `I or he are running.'
|
| (36) | huwe | ʔaw | ʔana | ʕam | n-erkud
|
| he | or | I | prog | 1pl-run
|
| `He or I are running.'
|
| (37) | ʔnta | ʔaw | huwe | ʕam | t-erkud-u/t-erkud
|
| you.masc | or | he | prog | 2.masc-run-pl/2.masc-run
|
| `You or he are running.'
|
| (38) | huwe | ʔaw | ʔnta | ʕam | t-erkud-u/??t-erkud
|
| he | or | you.masc | prog | 2.masc-run-pl//2.masc-run
|
| `He or you are running.'
|
VS order
Pattern: You get closest conjunct agreement.
| 1st | 2nd | 1 | 2 | 3
|
| 1 | | 1pl | 1pl
|
| 2 | 2sg | | 2sg
|
| 3 | ?1pl/3sg | 3sg |
|
Examples:
| (39) | ʕam | n-erkud | ʔana | ʔaw | ʔnta
|
| prog | 1pl-run | I | or | you.masc
|
| `I or you are running.'
|
| (40) | ʕam | t-erkud | ʔnta | ʔaw | ʔana
|
| prog | 2.masc-run | you.masc | or | I
|
| `You or I are running.'
|
| (41) | ʕam | n-erkud | ʔana | ʔaw | huwe
|
| prog | 1pl-run | I | or | he
|
| `I or he are running.'
|
| (42) | ʕam | ?n-erkud/y-erkud | huwe | ʔaw | ʔana
|
| prog | 1pl-run/3.masc-run | he | or | I
|
| `He or I are running.'
|
| (43) | ʕam | t-erkud | ʔnta | ʔaw | huwe
|
| prog | 2.masc-run | you.masc | or | he
|
| `You or he are running.'
|
| (44) | ʕam | y-erkud | huwe | ʔaw | ʔnta
|
| prog | 3.masc-run | he | or | you.masc
|
| `He or you are running.'
|