| dc.description.abstract | This thesis aims to study the phenomenon of
pharyngealization in Arabic, in the dialect of Tripoli,
Libya in relation to other dialects of Arabic. The
term 'pharyngealization', as used in this study, refers
to all the sounds whose main articulatory requisite is
a constriction in the pharyngeal cavity. This is a
physiological and articulatory study -based primarily on
observations made on video-endoscopic and video-fluorographic
recordings; spectrographic analysisq palatographic
and airflow measurements also contributed.
Chapter 1 states the aim and scope of this thesis.
It defines the dialect studied and describes some of the
main aspects of the sound system of Tripoli Arabic.
Chapter 2 gives a description of the main structures
and muscles and their actions that are considered to,
directly or indirectly, play the major role in the production
of these sounds.
Chapter 3 describes the experimental techniques used
in this study: a) fibreoptic endoscopy with videorecording
b) X-ray recording; static, xeroradiography
and videofluorography c) airflow recording by pneumotachography
d) palatography e) labiography and f) spectrography.
Chapter 4 deals with the pharyngeal consonants and
studies certain issues related to their phonetic realizations
and to the role of the epiglottis in their production.
Chapter 5 describes the uvular consonants.
Endoscopic observation revealed a great side wall movement
of the pharynx occurring during the articulation of the
uvular /q/, which takes place at a superior level in the
pharynx.
Chapter 6 deals with the pharyngealized consonants,
divides them into primary and secondary and attempts to show
that a large part of the problem in the description of these
sounds stems from a phonemic split in the vowel /a:/.
Chapter 7 discusses the main findings in this study
and shows, among other things, that a great epiglotto-pharyngeal
constriction is the main articulatory requisite
in the articulation of the pharyngeal sounds in Arabic,
irrespective of other factors. It also attempts to determine
to what extent soft palate lowering and nasal airflow are
coterminous with the articulation of the pharyngeal sounds. | en |
