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)
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| Countries: | Primarily in the Arab League, in the Middle East and North Africa; and in the Horn of Africa (used as literary Arabic);
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| Number of speakers: | 313 million
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| Agreement features: | gender, number, person
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| Attested word orders: | SV, VS
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| Coordination types: | and, or
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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 | 2nd | fem | masc
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| fem | fem | masc
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| masc | masc | masc
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Examples:
| (1) | almarʔatu | w-arrija:lu | yarkudʕa:ni
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| woman.sg | and-man.sg | run.3du.masc
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| `The woman and the man run.'
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| (2) | arrajulu | w-almarʔatu | yarkudʕa:ni
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| man.sg | and-woman.sg | run.3du.masc
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| `The man and the woman run.'
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VS order
Pattern: There is closest conjunct agreement.
| 1st | 2nd | fem | masc
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| fem | fem | fem
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| masc | masc | masc
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Examples:
| (3) | tarkudʕu | almarʔatu | w-arrajulu
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| run.3sg.fem | woman.sg | and-man.sg
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| `The woman and the man run.'
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| (4) | yarkudʕu | arrajulu | w-almarʔatu.
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| run.3sg.masc | man.sg | and-woman.sg
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| `The man and the woman run.'
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Coordination with ``or''
SV order
Pattern: Mismatches are resolved to masculine.
| 1st | 2nd | fem | masc
|
| fem | fem | masc
|
| masc | masc | masc
|
Examples:
| (5) | almarʔatu | ʔaw | arrajulu | yarkudʕa:ni. |
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| woman.sg | or | man.sg | run.3pl |
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| `The woman or the man run.'
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| (6) | arrajulu | ʔaw | almarʔatu | yarkudʕa:ni. |
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| man.sg | or | woman.sg | run.3pl |
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| `The man or the woman run.'
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VS order
Pattern: There is closest conjunct agreement.
| 1st | 2nd | fem | masc
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| fem | fem | fem
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| masc | masc | masc
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Examples:
| (7) | tarkudʕu | almarʔatu | ʔaw | arrajulu. |
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| run.3sg.fem | woman.sg | or | man.sg |
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| `The woman or the man run.'
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| (8) | yarkuʕu | arrajulu | ʔaw | almarʔatu. |
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| run.3sg | man.sg | or | woman.sg |
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| `The man or the woman run.'
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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 | 2nd | sg | du | pl
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| sg | du | | pl
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| du | | |
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| pl | pl | | pl
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Examples:
| (9) | alwaladu | w-arrajulu | yarkudʕa:ni |
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| boy.sg | and-man.sg | run.3du |
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| `The boy and the man run.'
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| (10) | alwaladu | w-arrija:lu | yarkudʕu:na. |
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| boy.sg | and-man.pl | run.3pl |
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| `The boy and the men run.'
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| (11) | alʔawla:du | w-arrajulu | yarkudʕu:na. |
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| boy.pl | and-man.sg | run.3pl |
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| `The boys and the man run.'
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| (12) | alʔawla:du | w-arrija:lu | yarkudʕu:na. |
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| boy.pl | and-man.pl | run.3pl |
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| `The boys and the men run.'
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VS order
Pattern: The verb shows default singular agreement in VS order.
| 1st | 2nd | sg | du | pl
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| sg | sg | | sg
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| du | | |
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| pl | sg | | sg
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Examples:
| (13) | yarkudʕu | alwaladu | w-arrajulu. |
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| run.3sg | boy.sg | and-man.sg |
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| `The boy and the man run.'
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| (14) | yarkudʕu | alʔawla:du | w-arrajulu. |
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| run.3sg | boy.pl | and-man.sg |
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| `The boys and the man run.'
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| (15) | yarkudʕu | alwaladu | w-arrija:lu. |
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| run.3sg | boy.sg | and-man.pl |
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| `The boy and the men run.'
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| (16) | yarkudʕu | alʔawla:du | w-arrija:lu. |
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| run.3sg | boy.pl | and-man.pl |
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| `The boys and the men run.'
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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 | 2nd | sg | du | pl
|
| sg | du | | pl
|
| du | | |
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| pl | pl | | pl
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Examples:
| (17) | alwaladu | ʔaw | arrajulu | yarkudʕa:ni. |
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| boy.sg | or | man.sg | run.3du |
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| `The boy or the man run.'
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| (18) | alʔwla:du | ʔaw | arrajulu | yarkudʕu:na. |
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| boy.pl | or | man.sg | run.3pl |
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| `The boys or the man run.'
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| (19) | alwaladu | ʔaw | arrija:lu | yarkudʕu:na. |
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| boy.sg | or | man.pl | run.3pl |
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| `The boy or the men run.'
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| (20) | alʔwla:du | ʔaw | arrija:lu | yarkudʕu:na. |
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| boy.pl | or | man.pl | run.3pl |
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| `The boys or the men run.'
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VS order
Pattern: The verb shows default singular agreement in VS order.
| 1st | 2nd | sg | du | pl
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| sg | sg | | sg
|
| du | | |
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| pl | sg | | sg
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Examples:
| (21) | yarkudʕu | alwaladu | ʔaw | arrajulu. |
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| run.3sg | boy.sg | or | man.sg |
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| `The boy or the man run.'
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| (22) | yarkudʕu | alʔwla:du | ʔaw | arrajulu. |
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| run.3sg | boy.pl | or | man.sg |
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| `The boys or the man run.'
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| (23) | yarkudʕu | alwladu | ʔaw | arrija:lu. |
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| run.3sg | boy.sg | or | man.pl |
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| `The boy or the men run.'
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| (24) | yarkudʕu | alʔwla:du | ʔaw | arrija:lu. |
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| run.3sg | boy.pl | or | man.pl |
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| `The boys or the men run.'
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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.)
Examples:
| (25) | ʔanta | wa-ʔana: | narkudʕu. |
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| You | and-I | run.1pl |
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| `You and I run.'
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| (26) | ʔana: | wa-ʔanta | narkudʕu. |
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| I | and-you | run.1pl |
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| `I and you run.'
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VS order
Examples:
| (27) | ʔarkudʕu | ʔana: | wa-ʔija:k. |
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| run.1sg | I | and-you |
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| `I and you run.'
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Coordination with ``or''
SV order
Pattern: Mismatching person is resolved following the hierarchy 1 > 2 > 3. (Number is resolved to plural.)
Examples:
| (28) | ʔanta | ʔaw | ʔana: | narkudʕu. |
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| You | or | I | run.1pl |
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| `You or I run.'
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| (29) | ʔana: | ʔaw | ʔanta | narkudʕu. |
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| I | or | you | run.1pl |
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| `I or you run.'
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