The Structure of Pseudo-Verbs in Najdi Arabic: A Theoretical Account

Abstract

The present paper focuses on the analysis of Najdi Arabic (NA) preposition-based pseudo-verbs within a theoretical framework. The majority of pseudo-verbs in NA, as is the case in Standard Arabic (SA), are formed from prepositions such as ʕind ‘at’, maʕ ‘with’, li ‘to’, and fii ‘in’. Although these elements originate as prepositions, they display verbal-like properties, including pronominal suffixation, compatibility with verbal negation, and their occurrence across tense contexts, either with or without an overt copula. These constructions are widely used in NA; however, they have not been thoroughly investigated. In response, the paper aims to address this research gap. Using naturally empirical linguistic data, the paper first attempts to develop a morpho-syntactic description of NA pseudo-verbs that can uncover their characterizing linguistic properties. The paper also seeks to offer a formal theoretical analysis that can account for the underlying properties of NA pseudo-verbs and the constructions where they occur using the framework of Head-driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG). This analysis represents the novelty of the current paper. Among the key findings is that the paper proposes two different formal accounts for pseudo-verbs in NA. The first goes in line with how pseudo-verbs are viewed from the angle of traditional Arab grammarians. The second account, on the other hand, treats pseudo-verbs in a way that is cross-linguistically attested with similar linguistic expressions. Both analyses reasonably account for the linguistic properties and structural constructions of pseudo-verbs in NA. This will contribute to the ongoing linguistic research in NA and other Arabic varieties, including SA. It will also enhance the understanding of the topic of pseudo-verbs across languages