Modern South Arabian

Marie-Claude Simeone-Senelle (1)

1 LLACAN - Langage, LAngues et Cultures d'Afrique Noire

This chapter is devoted to the linguistic characteristics of the six Modern South Arabian languages (MSAL) in their present state. A brief presentation of the native speakers and their way of life is followed by an overview of the dialectology and the socio-linguistic situation in the MSAL regions. The linguistic section covers phonology and phonetics, morphology, syntax. It underscores the the unity of these languages beyond their differences and their originality within the Semitic family, their originality within the ensemble of the Semitic languages, and it contributes to a better knowledge of these latter. The characteristics of all the six MSAL are illustrated by numerous examples, including new data in the poorly known Hobyot. As for the traditional oral literature that conveys the most ancient part of the cultural patrimony of the South Arabia patrimony, the sources of information are summarized in the list of references for further lectures.

Mots clés: Modern South Arabian languages. Maps . Mehri; Hobyot; Harsusi; Bathari; Jibbali/Sheri; interrogative; deictic; simple and complex sentences; negation). relationship with ancient south Arabian; Soqotri. Dialectology; Sociolinguistic situation; Phonology and Phonetics; Morphology (Noun; personal; relative pronouns); Verb (Derivation and conjugation )-; Syntax (nominal and verbal sentences

Domaines: Linguistique

Marie-Claude Simeone-Senelle. Modern South Arabian. S. Weninger, G. Khan, M.P. Streck et al. Semitic Languages. An International handbook, Mouton de Gruyter, pp.1073-1113, 2011, Handbücher zur Sprach und Kommunikations Wissenschaft [HSK 36]. ⟨halshs-00642314⟩