TWO WAYS TO SAY ‘I DIDN’T WRITE’ IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD: A SOCIOSYNTACTIC- EXPLORATION OF ARABIC NEGATION.

Author Name: 1. Dr. Marwan Mohammad Al-Thunaibat, 2. Rashed Aurshood Attalaheen

Volume/Issue: 05/07

Country: Malaysia

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://doi-ds.org/doilink/12.2024-57483953/UIJIR

Affiliation:

1. Universiti Utara Malaysia.
2. Mutah University.

ABSTRACT

This study investigates linguistic variation in negation structures among Palestinian and Jordanian students residing in Al-Manshiyah, a linguistically diverse neighborhood in southern Karak, Jordan. Despite shared educational settings and close social interactions, students maintain distinct dialectal features linked to their regional identities. The research focuses on two negation forms: ma katabt (commonly used by Jordanians) and ma katabt-esh (prevalent among Palestinians). It examines the syntactic differences between these forms, particularly the presence of the clitic -sh in Palestinian Arabic, and analyzes sociolinguistic factors influencing their usage, including historical migration patterns, social networks, and identity markers .Data were collected from 41 male high school students (28 Palestinian and 13 Jordanian) through classroom observation, semi-structured interviews, and syntactic elicitation tasks. The findings reveal that regional origin significantly shapes linguistic choices, with syntactic analysis underscoring differences in negation marker placement and clitic attachment. Sociolinguistic analysis highlights how community dynamics and historical migration contribute to the preservation of dialectal variation. This research offers insights into the interaction of syntactic structures and sociolinguistic influences in maintaining dialectal distinctions within mixed-origin communities.

Key words: Negation structures, syntactic variation, sociolinguistics, Palestinian Arabic, Jordanian Arabic, clitics, dialectal preservation, regional identity, linguistic diversity, mixed-origin communities.