The Variables of the Second Person Singular Feminine Present Tense Morpheme Used by Housha Bedouin Female Speakers in Jordan

Abstract

The present study aims at analyzing and describing a variety used by theBedouin speakers who live in one of the Jordanian villages that is located in the northern areas of Jordan, close to the Syrian borders. The inhabitants of this village descend from a Great Tribe (Bani Khalid) that originally relates to the Muslim leader Khalid Bin Al-Waleed; they communicate using a variety of the Bedouin dialect which is widespread in Jordan.  The researcher analyzed the two variables of the second person singular feminine present tense morpheme used by female speakers in this village; these allomorphs are: (i:n& i) that are added to the present tense form of the verb when addressing a female. The researcher recorded some utterances produced by different female speakers in various situations and contexts, and she divided the speakers subject of the study into two groups: Group (A) and group (B) in which their ages differ. The study, which is based on direct listening to the speakers, revealed that younger females tend to use the less frequent variable since it is considered, in their view, as more prestigious than the more frequent one that is selected by older females and considered closer to Classic Arabic. Moreover, the study showed that younger females tend to use the less frequent variable in the presence of outsiders as a sign of convergence.