Diss.--Cologne, 1959. / Bibliography: p. [86].

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1984. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-74).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 202-205).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--New York University, Graduate School of Arts and Science, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 567-597). Also available on the Internet.

ABSTRACT Language teachers are often asked, `Will I ever be able to sound like a native?'. Through research, experience, and long-term teaching, the answer is almost always, `If you did not learn the language as a child, then it is almost impossible to sound like a native.' Many studies have contributed to the idea that achieving the native accent as an adult is almost impossible no matter how long one has been exposed to the target language. In an attempt to find the effects of overcoming the foreign accent through exposure to the target language, the present study compares two groups of adult speakers of Arabic from Saudi Arabia learning English as a second language. The study focuses on difficulties associated with producing the Alveolar lateral approximant /l/ and it two allophones, the light [l] and the dark [l], in three different positions: initial, intervocalic and final. The English /l/ is very similar to the Arabic /l/; however, their distributions within the two languages are different. These differences cause problems among speakers of Arabic in producing the correct sound when speaking English. The two groups were chosen based on their length of exposure to the target language; the first group had little exposure to it while the second group had three or more years of exposure. After analyzing the data and comparing the results of the two groups, it can be seen that although there was no significance in the overall results, the production of the dark [l] in final position was close to significance. This suggests that the participants, who have been exposed to the target language for some time, have begun to realize the difference between both /l/s and are thus beginning to apply the English /l/ to their pronunciation when speaking English. In addition, when comparing the errors in both groups, the results suggest that most of the learners who had little exposure to the language were transferring the /l/ from their first language; while those who had three years or more exposure, were resulting to other factors related to interlanguage such as: hypercorrection, attitudes and high levels of motivation to acquire the native speakers' accent. As for the comparison of both the dark and the light /l/ in all three positions, the analysis presented here suggests that Arabic speakers learning English as a second language, regardless of their length of exposure, have more difficulty in producing the dark [l] in its correct positions than the light [l]. Similarly, Arabic speakers prefer to produce the light [l] in the intervocalic position. The results of this study are beneficial to both teachers and learners in ESL settings. If teachers and learners familiarize themselves with the production of the dark [l] in the English language, the possibilities of overcoming this barrier to accented speech may still be regarded as an achievable goal.

This thesis follows the emergence and development of Tahmid, the Arabic laudatory preamble, as a literary genre in the Arabic tradition: a genre that imaginatively presents the distinct worldview (weltanschauung) that its author embraces and a genre that not only features as a standard introduction for an infinite number of texts, but is also, in and of itself, a rich source of meaning. The dissertation proposes a literary approach for unearthing its depths of knowledge, termed the 'relational approach'. This approach identifies and focuses on the various relations and associations, highlighted and evoked by a Tahmid despite its usual conciseness, which are the source of its vitality. Drawing upon a broad range of samples, the study also delineates the common characteristics and trends of the Tahmid tradition as a whole, and focuses on its distinctiveness and significance in Fatimid-Tayyibi literature ('Fatimid-Tayyibi' refers to Ismili Musta'lian Tayyibi Shiites in Fatimid Egypt as well as their spiritual successors in Yemen and India, commonly known as the Da'udi Bohras). Following the introduction, the thesis is structured on a chronological basis in three parts. Section-I (chapters 1-3) traces the development of Tahmid from its origins to maturity as a distinct genre in Arabic prose. Section-II (chapter-4), building on the literary-history presented in the previous section, presents a methodology for the analysis of Tahmid and applies it to a selection of examples. Section-III (chapters 5-7) focuses on the unique characteristics of Fatimid-Tayyibi Tahmids and presents an analysis of a number of examples. The section ends with a case-study of a Tahmid in one of the Fatimid-Tayyibi Da'i Syedna Taher Saifuddin's (d. 1385/1965) risalahs. The question posited in the title of this thesis, 'is the Tahmid a literary genre?' is answered in the Conclusion. An appendix of Tahmids referred to in the thesis and illustrative samples, especially from the Fatimid-Tayyibi manuscripts, accompanies the dissertation in a separate volume.

The main object of this thesis is to assess the various techniques of poetic language in Classical Arabic as they appear in a particular corpus: the work of Abu Tammam. After a general introduction which is meant to put the poet and his production in the right historical and socio-cultural context, different aspects of his conservatism are dealt with (e.g. poetic register, archaism, dialectism), before introducing the concept of 'foregrounding' which will provide the rest of the analysis with Its theoretical framework. According to this principle, a work of art in general is marked by its deviation from norms. Such deviation is behind the element of interest and surprise which gives significance and value to a piece of art. In Abu Tammam's poetry, the foregrounded feature occurs in the form of parallelism or a deviation, and in both cases, it is picked out by the reader who will interpret it in relation to the background of the expected linguistic pattern. In the analysis, particular interest is concentrated on phenomena at various linguistic levels. In this way, parallelism in Abu Tammam's poetry is found to occur mainly on the formal level (i.e. grammatical, phonological, metrical), while deviation is of interest primarily when it occurs on the semantic level. Each level is dealt with separately in different chapters. Thus, chapter three is concerned with grammatical parallelism and its two facets in Abu Tammam's poetry: the syntactic and the lexical-semantic. Both are dealt with successively in relation to the structure of the single verse of Classical Arabic which is found to be the basic foundation of this type of parallelism. In chapter four, phonological parallelism is dealt with and such devices as alliteration, internal rhyme, and morpho-phonological correspondence are analysed in detail, after an attempt to assess the way they have been approached by the Arab scholars. Their contribution to the musicality of a piece of poetry as well as their expressive power are illustrated with examples from Abu Tammam's production. Metre, as an instance of foregrounded parallelism, is then looked into in chapter five. Here, the foundations of Arabic metres are first discussed before dealing with the distribution of metres in Abu Tammam's work. Then, the interaction of metre and 'prose rhythm' in his production is assessed, followed by a discussion of rhyme and its cohesive function. Finally, semantic deviation is analysed, and such features as semantic 'absurdity' and 'redundancy' in Abu Tammam's language are briefly dealt with, before looking into the figurative devices most typical of his style. Particular interest is concentrated on metaphor for its central position in his work, and reference is made at various occasions to the attitude of the Arab scholars towards his own use of figurative devices.

Chapter I: The history of the Hilalis, from the time of the Jahiliya down to the present day, is traced with special emphasis on social and cultural background. The influence of the Bedouin traits in their character on their history is shown, and the social and political consequences of the Hilali entry into North Africa are briefly discussed. Their dispersal throughout the Arab world, in particular in North Africa, is described and as an additional illustration of this the genealogical tables of various Hilali tribes are attached at the end of the thesis. Chapter II: The origin of the older specimens of poetry connected with the Hilali narrative is examined. The spread of the narrative to Egypt and the changes it underwent at the hands of Egyptian composers and narrators is discussed, followed by a consideration of the identity of original anonymous composer or composers and time of composition. Some thought is given to the proper name for the cycles contained -in the sira. A brief critical review of previous research and studies on this subject concludes this chapter. Chapter III: A chronological survey of the episodes of the sira is made, with references to variants in the different printed editions and MSS and, where relevant, to oral Hilali tradition. Short resumes of the principal episodes are given. Chapter IV: The style and peculiarities of North African poetry and tales, both in the Middle Ages and the present, are discussed. The first section deals with the fragments recorded in the Muqaddima, and reference is made to the opinions of Ion Khaldun and his contemporaries, A distinction is drawn between the poetry dealing with the narrative and that of individual Hilali poets. The second section deals with modem North African tales and poems. Their literary and other values are considered and comparisons made with the Egyptian sira. The influence of the latter upon the local North African version is examined. Chapter V: A critical study of the style and characteristics of the sira poetry is made. Content and form are discussed, with particular reference to the divergence in method of scansion from that of traditional poetry. The influence of popular folk poems upon some of the poems in the sira is shown. Two new themes are considered in addition to the usual lyrical ones. Three Arabic appendices are also included: A. A revised copy of the Hilali fragments of the Muqaddima. B. A collection of Hilali tales and poetry recorded in North Africa. C. Specimens from various MSS of the sira.

Gum arabic is a natural gummy exudate from acacia trees and exhibits natural built-in variations commonly associated with hydrocolloids. This study is concerned with the determination of factors which could influence its properties and functionality. These factors include origin (location, soil type, rainfall), different collections, age of the trees and storage condition. Previous studies acknowledged the influence of some of these factors but somehow lack providing definitive answers to questions being asked by the end user and required for the development of Gum arabic industry in Sudan. Local knowledge as well as the various stages of gum collection and processing were reviewed in order to provide a clear background and the justification for the experimental design. In this study samples were collected from six plantations located in the west and east regions in Sudan. Samples were collected from trees of different age (5, 10, 15 and 20 years old) and also from different picking interval (1-4). Each sample was divided into three portions (UK, Khartoum and Port Sudan) and stored for 5 years in order to determine the effect of the respective location. Various analytical parameters (% loss on drying, Optical rotation, % protein, intrinsic viscosity, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution) were measured to fully characterise the gum samples and to determine their functionality (emulsification). The results obtained for all samples were consistent with those previously reported in the literature (see Chapter 4). The only exception, identified in a number of samples from the western region, is the high proportion (~30%) of high molecular weight fraction termed arabinogalactan-protein complex (AGP). The results clearly demonstrated significant variations between plantations located in western region compared with the eastern region. However, the variations between the plantations within the same region are statistically not significant. High values of % protein, viscosity, Mw and % AGP were obtained from the 1st pick, from both regions, and then significantly decreased thereafter to the fourth pick. Samples from west region in Sudan, from 1st and 2nd pick and from tree age (15) years gave the highest viscosity, molecular weight, % AGP and superior emulsification performance compared to other samples from different tree ages. The regression statistical analysis for the physiochemical properties correlation with emulsification performance demonstrated the role of % AGP to be the most influential factor followed by viscosity. The major finding of this study is the effect of storage condition on the properties and functionality of Acacia senegal. An increase in the molecular weight for all stored samples (for 5 years) irrespective of region was evident and statically significant. However, this increase was more prominent for samples from the western region compared to the eastern region. The AGP fraction was increased by the storage treatment up to 40% in Port-Sudan, 20% in Khartoum-Sudan and 15% in UK. The result clearly demonstrated that the temperature and humidity are the crucial factors to induce the natural maturation process in acacia gums. Statistical analysis (linear regression) suggested statistically significant models and equations to predict and explain the variations in the physiochemical and functional properties based on the environmental factors, picking set and age of the tree.

abstract: A question that has driven much of the current research in formal syntax is whether it is the lexicon or the syntax that determines the argument structure of a verb. This dissertation attempts to answer this question with a focus on Arabic, a language that has received little attention in the literature of argument structure. In this dissertation, argument structure realization is examined in relation to three different components, namely the root, the CV-skeleton and the structure around the verb. I argue that argument structure is not determined on a root level in Arabic. I also show that only few CV-skeletons (verb patterns) are associated with certain argument structures. Instead, the burden of determining argument structure lies on elements around the structure of VP. The determinants of inner aspect in Arabic and the relation between eventuality types and argument structure are also examined. A cartographic model is provided to show how elements around the VP play a role in determining the inner aspect. This model also represents a relationship between argument structure and eventuality types. The question of what determines argument structure is further addressed through the investigation of the causative/inchoative alternation in Arabic in light of recent semantic and syntactic accounts. I argue that most Arabic verbs that undergo the alternation are non-agentive change-of-state verbs. Although certain lexical characteristics may account for which verbs alternate and which do not, exceptions within a language and/or across languages do exist. I point to a range of phenomena that can be only explained from syntactic points of view. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. English 2012