The First-Person Singular Object/Possessive Pronominal Suffix in Ḥuwēṭāt Arabic in Tabuk: Variation between [-i] and [-iːh]

Abstract

This study investigates sociolinguistic variation in the first-person singular object/possessive pronominal suffix in the Ḥuwēṭāt dialect spoken in Tabuk Province, northwestern of Saudi Arabia. The variable has two attested realisations: the traditional local form [-iːh] and the innovative supra-local form [-i]. The study examines the extent to which linguistic factors, including phonological context and gemination, and social factors, particularly age and gender, condition the use of the traditional variant. Data were collected through sociolinguistic interviews with 37 members of the Ḥuwēṭāt tribe and comprised 331 tokens. The data were coded and analysed using Rbrul. The results show that the traditional [-iːh] variant occurs slightly more frequently than the innovative [-i], accounting for 52.9% and 47.1% of the tokens, respectively. Gender and gemination emerged as statistically significant predictors of the traditional variant. Geminated contexts favour [-iːh] (58%, factor weight = 0.559), while non-geminated contexts disfavor it (50%, factor weight = 0.441). Male speakers also favour [-iːh] (60%, factor weight = 0.573), whereas female speakers show a lower rate of the traditional variant (48%, factor weight = 0.427). Cross-tabulation further reveals a gendered age pattern: younger females favour the innovative form, whereas younger males retain the traditional form at a relatively high rate. These findings suggest that the variable is sociolinguistically conditioned and that the traditional suffix retains considerable vitality in the Ḥuwēṭāt community. Although the age pattern may be compatible with ongoing change, the cross-sectional nature of the data calls for caution in interpreting the results as evidence of change in progress.