A Linguistic History of Arabic

By Jonathan Owens

Book Overview

A Linguistic History of Arabic presents a reconstruction of proto-Arabic by the methods of historical-comparative linguistics. It challenges the traditional conceptualization of an old, Classical language evolving into the contemporary Neo-Arabic dialects. Professor Owens combines established comparative linguistic methodology with a careful reading of the classical Arabic sources, such as the grammatical and exegetical traditions. He arrives at a richer and more complex picture of early Arabic language history than is current today and in doing so establishes the basis for a comprehensive, linguistically-based understanding of the history of Arabic. The arguments are set out in a concise, case by case basis, making it accessible to students and scholars of Arabic and Islamic culture, as well as to those studying Arabic and historical linguists.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199563306
• ISBN13: 9780199563302
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: OUP Oxford
• Length: 330 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.1"