The Relationship between the Morphological Phenomena of the Current Sakakan Dialect and the Modern Standard Arabic

Abstract

The Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and many of its dialects have been investigated, described, and analyzed morphologically by intensive previous research. However, the dialect of Sakakan tribes in the north region of the Arab peninsula has not received any adequate attention in this regard.  Therefore, this research aims at describing, analyzing and documenting some current morphological phenomena in the Sakakan dialect (SD) that is spoken in Al-Jouf region, KSA. This research also aims at finding out the relationship between four morphological phenomena of SD namely: the masculine regular plural, the dual, the feminine plural, and the irregular plural and their corresponding examples in MSA or any other neighboring Semitic languages. In order to achieve these objectives, the related literature was reviewed before implementing a semi-structured interview and an observation scale. The research employed a nonprobability sampling procedure (convenience sampling) to select (30) Sakakan participants from various ethnographic and demographic backgrounds (age, gender, and education level variables). By using a mixed-analytical method based on quantitative and qualitative approaches, the investigated SD morphological phenomena when described and documented showed a strong relationship with MSA.  One implication of this research is the need for further investigation and identification of the morphology of current Arabic dialects.