The Cambridge Handbook of Arabic Linguistics

Description

Arabic linguistics encompasses a range of language forms and functions from formal to informal, classical to contemporary, written to spoken, all of which have vastly different research traditions. Recently however, the increasing prominence of new methodologies such as corpus linguistics and sociolinguistics have allowed Arabic linguistics to be studied from multiple perspectives, revealing key discoveries about the nature of Arabic-in-use and deeper knowledge of traditional fields of study. With contributions from internationally renowned experts on the language, this handbook provides a state-of-the-art overview of both traditional and modern topics in Arabic linguistics. Chapters are divided into six thematic areas: applied Arabic linguistics, variation and sociolinguistics, theoretical studies, computational and corpus linguistics, new media studies and Arabic linguistics in literature and translation. It is an essential resource for students and researchers wishing to explore the exciting and rapidly moving field of Arabic linguistics.

Karin Christina Ryding is Professor Emerita of Arabic linguistics in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. In 2008, she was granted the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Association of Teachers of Arabic, and the Distinguished Service Award from the Georgetown Faculty of Languages and Linguistics. Recent publications include Arabic: A Linguistic Introduction (Cambridge 2014). David Wilmsen is Professor and Head of the Department of Arabic and Translation Studies at the American University of Sharjah. He has lived thirty years in the Arabophone world, studying the local dialects of the regions in which he has lived, publishing numerous studies in Arabic dialectology, and teaching in and administering translation and Arabic-as-foreign-language study-abroad programs.

'Edited by two distinguished scholars of Arabic, this Handbook is a welcome, critical introduction to one of the largest and most important languages of the world. It finds a balance between treating core linguistic matters - including theoretical and descriptive grammar, dialectology, sociolinguistics, and computational and corpus linguistics - and exploring emerging domains such as Arabic in the social media and Applied Linguistics. With its breadth and individual expertise, it promises to be a standard reference work for years to come.' Jonathan Owens, Professor of Arabic Linguistics, Bayreuth University