Reduplication of lexical stem and biliteral root in Najdi Arabic

Abstract

This study is a descriptive account of reduplication patterns in Najdi Arabic. It focuses on reduplication of lexical stems and biliteral roots in term of semantical functions. The data (reduplication patterns) have been collected from authentic speech samples of Najdi speakers and are examined by the researcher, who is a native speaker of Najdi. Lexical stems (noun, verb, or adjective) can be reduplicated to indicate intensity or emphasis. The reduplication patterns can be identical (two lexical items are repeated), inflected (one item is inflected), or of different parts of speech (e.g., reduplication of a noun and a verb sharing the same consonantal root). Biliteral roots can be reduplicated to generate quadriliteral roots but with different but somehow related semantic properties. A quadriliteral reduplicated root might be used to indicate increase of frequency or a metaphorical meaning, both of which are related to the biliteral root. Lastly, a quadriliteral root can be onomatopoeic, meaning that the reduplication is an imitation of sound.