Non-Assimilatoy Processes in Algerian Arabic as Spoken in Mostaganem

Abstract

The present disserttion revolves around the non-assimilatory processes in the Algerian Arabic as spoken in Mostaganem. These non-assimilatory processes include addition, deletion, metathesis, compensatory lengthening, and major class change. The approach adopted in this study is Goldsmith’s autosegmental phonology. Thus, the aim of this work remains in knowing whether the model is able to account for the non-assimilatory processes in Mostaganemian Arabic (MA). In the process of conducting the experiments, a qualitative method has been adopted. Thus, a corpus of the speech of thirty native speakers of MA was recorded and transcribed. After completing the transcription part, the phonological processes were extracted and analyzed using autosegmental phonology framework. The outcome of this study was that non-linear phonology succeeded in accounting and explaining MA’s non-assimilatory processes.