Context and Linguistic Skills Factors Affecting the Pronunciation of Arabic Proper Names in Speakers of Bahdini Kurdish

• Published in: Advances in language and literary studies Vol. 8; no. 6; p. 118
• Main Author: Mohammed Shareef, Dilgash
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Footscray Australian International Academic Centre PTY. Ltd (AIAC) 25.12.2017
• Subjects: Accentuation; Arabic language; Formality; Kurdish language; Kurdish people; Onomastics; Personal names; Pronunciation; Respondents
• DOI: 10.7575/aiac.alls.v.8n.6p.118
• ISSN: 2203-4714

The purpose of this research is to explore the pronunciation of Arabic proper names by Bahdini Kurds living in Duhok and the districts around. Thirty-two respondents were selected to say fifty Arabic proper names commonly used by Kurdish today’s society. The variables identified are linguistic skills in Kurdish and Arabic, and the extent of the formality of the context. The study concluded that being a fluent speaker of Arabic gives a Bahdini Kurdish speaker the ability to pronounce the Arabic proper names in a native-like accent. Yet, those speakers have revealed a tendency towards the use of a Kurdish pronunciation of such names when the context was informal. Dissimilarly, the Kurdish pronunciation was regularly used by speakers skilled or unskilled in Kurdish language and linguistics in both formal and informal situations.