Variation in the Use of Interdentals in the Taif Arabic Dialect: The Impact of Spatiality and Neighbourhood
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The variation in the use of plain interdentals (ð) and (θ ) across Arabic dialects is a significant factor in dialect classification. This study examines the variation in the use of these variants in two Saudi dialects (tribal and non-tribal) within Taif city in the western province of Saudi Arabia. The population of Taif consists of tribal groups that use interdentals and non-tribal groups that use stops. Spatiality (Britain, 2004) and neighbourhood (tribal dominant, non-tribal dominant, and mixed) were examined in relation to interdental and stop usage by both tribal and non-tribal groups. Due to Taif's unique location, which promotes interdental use, tribal speakers have preserved their heritage-dominant interdentals, preventing the adoption of [t] and [d] throughout the city. On the other hand, the non-tribal speakers demonstrate variability in their use of interdentals and stops. This does not necessarily signify a shift towards interdentals; rather, it reflects a dynamic utilisation of the variants to convey different social meanings
Source: مجلة العلوم العربية و الإنسانية
Authors: Najla M. Alghamdi, Kholoud A. Al-Thubaiti
Institutions: Taif University, Umm al-Qura University
Language: English
Subfield: Linguistics and Language
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7171253735
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