In the Arabic language a “word/particle” is divided into three classes: noun verb and particle. After research of relevant literature it became evident to this researcher that the bulk of research related to signifying particles has stressed their complementary relation to nouns and verbs which has created shortcomings in these studies. The most noteworthy of them has been to restrict a study of particles either to their linguistic or grammatical functions or to confine this endeavor to some particles only. This study aims to study all particles as independent components of Arabic signifiers. In the first section , the researcher reviews relevant grammatical terminologies relating to and associated with the particles such as: speech ,word , noun, verb…etc, and outlines both instances of similarities and differences found among them. He then elucidates the three categories of word particles by referring to the peculiarities of each of them. The remaining chapters are devoted to presenting the linguistic definitions of each word particle , beginning with single phoneme particles and systematically progressing to higher ones. Essentially all word particles fulfill linguistic functions before they may fulfill any syntactic or other functions. After reviewing their linguistic functions, the researcher queries , or proposes the possibility of using linguistic terminology for them instead of using syntactical or grammatical terminology because the former embraces all word particles whereas the latter is restricted to just some of them. In the final section, he focuses on the syntactical functions of the semantic particles, and their influence grammatically , wehter it is permanent or occasional influence. He also explains word particles associated with whether nouns or verbs , or with both of them. / الكلمة في اللغة العربية تنقسم الى ثلاثة أقسام :اسم وفعل وحرف، ولقد تبين للباحث بعد مراجعته للأدبيات أن معظم الدراسات التى تناولت حروف المعاني تناولتها من منظور انها مكملة للقسمين الآخرين، هذه النظرية أدّت إلى قصور في الدراسة، وقد تجلى اهم أوجه هذا القصور أولا في التركيز على جانب واحد من جوانب دراسة الحروف، اعني الجانب اللغوي او الوظيفة النحوية، او الإقتصار على بعض الحروف دون سائرها. هذا البحث يعتبر محاولة لدراسة جميع الحروف كقسم مستقل من أقسام الكلمة العربية، يبتدأ الباحث فيه - في الفصل الأول - باستعراض المصطلحات النحوية المحيطة والمرتبطة بالحروف من قبيل : الكلام والكلمة واللفظ والقول ...الخ مبيناً كيفة تداخل وترابط تلك المصطلحات وأوجه إختلافها، ثم أقسام الكلام الثلاثة مع الإشارة إلى مميزات كل قسمٍ وخصائصه ، وتتناول بقية الفصول المعاني اللغوية للحروف- إبتداء بالحروف الأحادية ثم الثنائية والثلاثية والرباعية و الخماسية - لأنّ الأصل في كل الكلمات أن تؤدّي وظائف لغوية محدّدة قبل أن يكون لها دورٌ نحويٌ او لايكون، ويتساءل الباحث او يقترح – بعد استعراض المعاني الللغوية للحروف – امكانية استخدام التسميات اللغوية للحروف بدلاً من التسمية النحوية، لأنّ الأولى تشمل كلّ الحروف ، بينما تقتصر الثانية على قسمٍ من الحروف . ثمّ يتدرج إلى الفصل الأخير المخصص للعمل النحوي للحروف ، مستعرضاً أوجه عملها – سواء كانت دائمة العمل أو عاملة أحياناً ومهملة في بعض الأحوال- ومبيناً ما يختص منها بالعمل بالاسم او بالفعل وما يشترك في الدخول عليهما. / Linguistics and Modern Languages

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

In this thesis we investigate the potential of developing a speech recognition system based on a recently introduced artificial neural network (ANN) technique, namely Reservoir Computing (RC). This technique has, in theory, a higher capability for modelling dynamic behaviour compared to feed-forward ANNs due to the recurrent connections between the nodes in the reservoir layer, which serves as a memory. We conduct this study on the Arabic language, (one of the most spoken languages in the world and the official language in 26 countries), because there is a serious gap in the literature on speech recognition systems for Arabic, making the potential impact high. The investigation covers a variety of tasks, including the implementation of the first reservoir-based Arabic speech recognition system. In addition, a thorough evaluation of the developed system is conducted including several comparisons to other state- of-the-art models found in the literature, and baseline models. The impact of feature extraction methods are studied in this work, and a new biologically inspired feature extraction technique, namely the Auditory Nerve feature, is applied to the speech recognition domain. Comparing different feature extraction methods requires access to the original recorded sound, which is not possible in the only publicly accessible Arabic corpus. We have developed the largest public Arabic corpus for isolated words, which contains roughly 10,000 samples. Our investigation has led us to develop two novel approaches based on reservoir computing, ESNSVMs (Echo State Networks with Support Vector Machines) and ESNEKMs (Echo State Networks with Extreme Kernel Machines). These aim to improve the performance of the conventional RC approach by proposing different readout architectures. These two approaches have been compared to the conventional RC approach and other state-of-the- art systems. Finally, these developed approaches have been evaluated on the presence of different types and levels of noise to examine their resilience to noise, which is crucial for real world applications.

I believe that spoken and written languages are verbal and visual expressions of cultures. Language is used to convey and sustain values and the belief system of people. Arabic is a language of complexity and formal beauty that is being disregarded and pushed away by its own native speakers. It is losing its value in the Arab world. In other words it is dying. Both the written and spoken language is being affected. As the world is interchanging, integrating, and becoming closer, there has been a strong impact on many societies, threatening their original culture. Arab cultures are abandoning the rich tradition of the Arabic language to universalize communication. My thesis investigates the relationships between typography as both a visual form of language and play as a mechanism to help children become more familiar and intimate with their native language.

This study aims at answering questions pertaining to the performance of bilingual Arab-American students on solving word problems written in their home and school languages: (1) Does the language in which a word problem is stated have an effect on the performance of the bilingual Arab-American students?; (2) Do Arab-American students with higher levels of Arabic proficiency perform better in either or both versions of the word problems?; and (3) What are some common differences and similarities in the problem solving processes of Arab-American students as they solve problems in English or Arabic? The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze these questions. A total of 173 students from a full-time Islamic school participated in this study: 56 students in fifth grade, 56 students in sixth grade, and 61 students in seventh grade. All students were asked to solve two sets of ten word problems each. The students were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Results showed that Arab-American students performed significantly better in the English version of the word problems. Arab-American students with higher levels of Arabic proficiency performed better in the Arabic version of the word problems. Students' standardized scores on mathematics problem solving was a significant factor in explaining variances in student performance on both language versions of both sets of word problems. While students' standardized scores on reading comprehension was a significant factor in predicting the students' performance on the English version of the word problems, students' final average in the Arabic subject was a significant factor in predicting students' performance on the Arabic version of the word problems. Differences and similarities emerged in the problem solving processes of Arab-American students solving the word problems in either English or Arabic. Some students found statements involving double comparisons, problems with hidden information, and problems that required multi-step solutions or thinking backwards to be problematic in both language versions of the problems. Difficult vocabulary was especially problematic for students when solving the Arabic version of the word problems.

Cette thèse s’intéresse au corpus d’énoncés reconnu légitime pour asseoir un parler dit « normatif ». L’engouement pour la langue des Arabes et son apprentissage s’est fait - depuis la propagation de l’Islam - de plus en plus fort. L’arabe devient alors objet d’étude. Très tôt, à une époque encore discutée, s’organise une grande collecte des éléments constitutifs de ce qui allait servir de base à l’établissement des codes linguistiques de la langue arabe. En parallèle, s’effectue également une autre collecte : celle des récits sur les dits et faits du Prophète Muḥammad, composant le corpus du Hadith (ou de la Tradition dans une plus large mesure). Ainsi, le Hadith est-il incontestablement devenu une des sources les plus importantes, presque incontournable dans les sciences arabo-islamiques. À la mesure de la place qu’il occupe dans beaucoup de disciplines, on aurait pu s’attendre à ce qu’il ait une légitimité prépondérante dans le domaine de la grammaire arabe mais il n’en est pas ainsi. Contre toute attente, le Hadith semble n’arriver qu’à une place subalterne. Le grammairien, qui tient un discours ou une discussion sur la langue, se base sur un corpus d’énoncés reconnu légitime pour asseoir des règles grammaticales et celui-ci regroupe essentiellement le Coran et les propos arabes (poésie et prose anciennes). Dans le discours grammatical, le Hadith n’est peut-être pas absent, mais il voit sa légitimité extrêmement discutée. Nous avons essayé d’éclaircir ce point en inscrivant cette polémique dans un questionnement plus global. Nous nous sommes intéressé à l’étude du rapport entre la légitimité de la langue et les différents corpus qui forment son assise. Quels ont été les critères d’inclusion et d’exclusion entrant en compte pour la constitution de ce corpus ? Quel outil représentait chacun des textes (Coran, Hadith et Kalam al-ˁArab) pour le grammairien ? Au-delà des assertions, nous avons observé l’attitude du grammairien avec ces différents textes prenant soin de mettre en exergue à la fois les particularités mais aussi les points communs de ces sources. / This thesis deals with the corpus of statements recognized as legitimate in order to establish a so-called "normative" speech. The enthusiasm for the Arabic language and its study became increasingly strong with the spread of Islam. Arabic becomes an object of study. Very early on, at a time still being discussed, a large collection of elements constituting what would serve as a basis for the establishment of the linguistic codes of the Arabic language was organized. At the same time, there is also another collection: that of the narratives on the said and the facts of the Prophet Muḥammad, composing the corpus of Hadith (or Tradition to a greater extent). Thus, the Hadith has undoubtedly become one of the most important sources, almost impossible to circumvent in the Arab-Islamic sciences. Given the major role it plays in many disciplines, one might have expected it to have a preponderant legitimacy in the field of Arabic grammar, but this is not so. Against all expectations, the Hadith seems to arrive only at a subordinate place. The grammarian, who holds a discourse or a discussion on the language, bases himself on a corpus of statements recognized as legitimate in order to establish grammatical rules. This corpus essentially groups together the Quran and the words of the Arabs (ancient poetry and prose). In grammatical discourse, the Hadith may not be absent, but its legitimacy is extremely debated. We have tried to clarify this by putting this polemic into a more global questioning. We are interested in studying the relationship between the legitimacy of the language and the different corpuses that form its foundation. What were the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the constitution of this corpus? What tool did each of the texts (Qur'an, Hadith and Kalam al-ˁArab) represent for the grammarian? Beyond the assertions, we have observed the attitude of the grammarian toward these different texts taking care to highlight both the peculiarities but also the common points of these sources.

Esta tese investiga os termos gramaticais árabes pertencentes às classes do nome, do verbo e da partícula. Com o intuito de propor uma harmonização dos termos árabes em português, buscam-se encontrar termos equivalentes em ambos os idiomas, e, para isso, três possibilidades são levantadas: a) equivalência direta, quando os semas das definições terminológicas dos termos gramaticais árabe e português forem concordantes; b) equivalência aproximada, quando nem todos os semas forem concordantes, nesse caso, investigamos a descrição de uso de mais de um termo gramatical português na tentativa de encontrar um equivalente mais adequado para o termo árabe; c) não-equivalência, quando não for verificado equivalente em português para o termo gramatical árabe, então, propomos um neologismo terminológico ou uma paráfrase. O objetivo desta pesquisa é traçar bases teóricas e metodológicas para uma futura elaboração de um dicionário bilíngue (árabe-português) de termos gramaticais árabes. Apresentamos 15 termos teste, a fim de exemplificar os procedimentos metodológicos de análise delineados, até a redação do verbete final que formaria a macroestrutura do referido dicionário. Dos novos termos analisados, 9 pertencem à categoria do nome e 3 ligados à partícula. Como a classe verbal foi objeto de estudo do mestrado (CAFFARO, 2013), selecionamos apenas 3 termos para ilustrar os objetivos traçados na presente tese e, da mesma forma, redigimos os verbetes finais para os termos selecionados. / This thesis investigates the Arabic grammatical terms that belong to the classes of noun, verb and particle. In order to propose a harmonization of these Arabic terms in Portuguese, we have tried to find equivalent terms in both languages and for this, three different possibilities have been generated: a) direct equivalence, which occurs when the terminological definition characteristics of the Arabic and Portuguese grammatical terms were coincidental; b) very nearly equivalence, that happens when not every characteristics were coincidental, in this case, we have investigated the description of use of more than one Portuguese grammatical term as an attempt to find a most appropriate equivalent to the Arabic term; c) non-equivalence, when a Portuguese equivalent has not been verified for the Arabic grammatical term, so we propose a terminological neologism or a paraphrase. The aim of this research is to set up the theoretical and methodological basis for the elaboration of an Arabic grammatical terms bilingual dictionary (Arabic- Portuguese). We have presented 15 test terms, in order to exemplify the outlined methodological procedures, up to the final entry writing, which would be responsible for composing the macrostructure of the mentioned dictionary. Nine of the new analyzed terms belong to the category of noun and three of them are related to the particle. As the verb class has been studied in Master Degree (CAFFARO, 2013), we have selected just three terms to illustrate the objectives presented in this thesis, similarly, we have written the final entry to the selected terms.

This thesis consists of the production of an inter-active computer-based artwork, an analysis of its research outcomes, and an exploration of the theoretical issues that influenced the artistic practice. The artwork, Postcard from Tunis, is an Integrationist exploration of writing and its transformation at the human-computer interface. It is set in a personal portrait of Tunis, a city with a rich history of writing. The thesis starts with the theory of writing. The conventional view of real writing as representation of speech is shown to have serious limitations.Postcard from Tunis offers users who are not Arabic-literate the perception that there are actually no fixed boundaries between writing and pictures, as both are based on spatial configurations. User interaction with Postcard from Tunis, particularly rollover activity, creates a variety of dynamic signs that cannot be theorised by a bipartate theory of signs and that transcend a distinction between the verbal and the non-verbal altogether. Postcard from Tunis both extends Integrationist theory into writing and human-computer interaction and also uniquely articulates this integration of activities in a way that is impossible with written words on paper. The research asserts the validity of the Integrationist theory of writing, language and human communication and of uncoupling these from spoken words. A framework is outlined for future Integrationist research into icons and human-computer interaction. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The notion of a nascent Arabic public sphere vis-à-vis the region s transnational news networks has been at the centre of much debate. However, this debate is met with little empirical grounding as well as a conceptual limitation to discussing political publics. This thesis seeks to contribute to and inform current debates by means of an empirical exploration of Arabic public spheres across the mediated-political realm of news media as well as the performative-cultural sphere of interactive theatre. The Jordanian parliamentary elections of November 2007 offer a framework for the research which is made up of two case studies. The first case study examines the portrayal and representation of Jordanian citizens in the news coverage of the parliamentary elections. Four transnational broadcasters (al-Jazeera, al-Arabiya, al-Hurra and JTV) were monitored during the lead up to and post the elections (over a month s duration) and different modes of participation were identified in the coverage. The second case study explores the ways in which Jordanian citizens participated in interactive theatre performances about the elections across Jordan. The performances were specifically developed to ellicit responses from audiences in the form of discussion as well as role playing (in which the audiences assume the roles of citizens in a town hall meeting). Results from the two case studies revealed significant differences in the ways in which citizens participated, or were portrayed as participating, across the political and cultural spheres. The transnational media portrayed citizens largely as observers of the political process and, less frequently, as commentators on issues of public concern. The mediated public sphere was also found to be gendered and afforded Jordanian women less presence and access to participate. On the other hand, the cultural public sphere afforded citizens spaces to discuss issues of public concern as well as contest dominant and exclusionary narratives within their societies. Jordanian women were also found to negotiate change through the reinterpretation of the symbolic. These findings demonstrate that confining our understanding of Arabic public spheres to the political-mediated marginalises the diverse ways in which citizens do participate, particularly so in the case of women.

For decades, the heritage language learner has been the topic of research in the field of second language acquisition for commonly taught languages such as Spanish. However, in the field of Arabic second language acquisition, little research has been done on this learning community. This report seeks to fill this gap in scholarship by reporting the survey results of religious heritage language learners of Arabic, defined as non-Arab Muslim students. This report analyzes a qualitative survey of fourteen religious heritage students of Arabic. The analysis helps characterize this community with regards to trends in previous exposure to Arabic before enrolling in university courses, motivations for learning Arabic and shifts in motivations, attitudes and preferences towards teachers, and the effect their studies has had on their personal spirituality and perceptions about their spirituality. Each section of this report presents suggestions for further research and implications on teaching and learning. Finally, I propose suggestions for curriculum development based on the results of the survey. Given the geopolitical importance of the Middle East and the prevalence of misperceptions about the region amongst Americans, competence in Arab cultural literacies is especially timely and critically urgent. A closer look at religious heritage students of Arabic can help educators strategize the teaching of cultural literacy. For instance, religious heritage students can help their peers learn about Islam and the religious significance of Arabic. At the same time, religious heritage students in particular may benefit most from being taught about the religious diversity of the Arab world and other aspects of the rich Arab cultures to which they may not previously been exposed. By re-envisioning the role of religious heritage learners of Arabic, the hope is that educators can create curricula that effectively and efficiently convey cultural literacy to all students in the Arabic language classroom. The study of religious heritage also has potential for targeted improvement of pedagogical praxis for teaching the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing to these students. / text