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A phonological study of the spatial diffusion of urban linguistic forms to the varieties of the Nile Delta 1
Author(s) -
Ornaghi Dario
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of sociolinguistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1467-9841
pISSN - 1360-6441
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9841.2010.00439.x
Subject(s) - socialization , variety (cybernetics) , linguistics , geography , sociology , diffusion , consumption (sociology) , psychology , social science , computer science , philosophy , physics , artificial intelligence , thermodynamics
This paper investigates the possible spatial diffusion of linguistic urban features into the areas traditionally dominated by rural varieties of Egyptian Arabic in the Nile Delta. In the last fifty years, this area has experienced enormous changes in terms of spatial mobility, education levels, patterns of socialization and consumption, and exposure to the media. These modifications have diverse effects on the linguistic varieties of previously more isolated rural speech communities and may promote the diffusion of the urban variety. Focusing on two phonological variables, this study will attempt to outline the dynamics of diffusion and retention in two locations through the analysis of 27 sociolinguistic interviews issued from a larger fieldwork study carried out in the Governorate of alʃarqijja in 2007–2008.