Thematic Structure and Para-Syntax: Arabic as a Case Study

177 Pages·2020·9.051 MB·English

by  James Dickins

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Thematic Structure and Para-S yntax:

Arabic as a Case Study
Thematic Structure and Para-S yntax: Arabic as a Case Study presents a structural
analysis of Arabic, providing an alternative to the traditional notions of theme
and rheme.
Taking Arabic as a case study, this book claims that approaches to thematic
structure propounded in universalist linguistic theories, of which Hallidayan sys-
temic functional linguistics is taken as an illustrative example, are profoundly
wrong. It argues that in order to produce an analysis of thematic structure and
similar phenomena which is not undermined by its own theoretical presupposi-
tions, it is necessary to remove such notions from the domain of linguistic and
semiotic theory. The book initially focuses on Sudanese Arabic, because this
allows for a beautifully clear exposition of general principles, before applying
these principles to Modern Standard Arabic, and some other Arabic varieties.
This book will be of interest to scholars in Arabic linguistics, linguistic theory,
and information structure.
James Dickins is Professor of Arabic at the University of Leeds.
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Routledge Studies in Arabic Linguistics

Series Editor: James Dickins, University of Leeds, UK
Routledge Studies in Arabic Linguistics is a state- of- the- art series presenting
high quality research on the linguistics of Arabic. Titles in the series range from
reprinted classics to innovative studies in the field and cover both research mono-
graphs and edited volumes.
Thematic Structure and Para-S yntax: Arabic as a Case Study
James Dickins
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/
Routledge-S tudies- in- Arabic- Linguistics/book-s eries/RSAL18
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Thematic Structure and

Para- Syntax: Arabic as a
Case Study
James Dickins
iv
First published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2020 James Dickins
The right of James Dickins to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him
in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks,
and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-i n- Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Dickins, J. (James), author.
Title: Thematic structure and para-syntax: Arabic as a case study / James Dickins.
Description: London; New York: Routledge, 2020. |
Series: Routledge studies in Arabic linguistics |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019043687 (print) | LCCN 2019043688 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780367367503 (hardback) | ISBN 9780429351150 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Arabic language–Syntax. | Linguistics–Philosophy. |
Linguistic analysis (Linguistics) Classification: LCC PJ6151 .D53 2020 (print) |
LCC PJ6151 (ebook) | DDC 492.7/5–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019043687
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019043688
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 36750- 3 (hbk)
ISBN: 978- 0- 429- 35115- 0 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Newgen Publishing UK
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This book is dedicated to M.A.L. Lamb, the originator of

extended axiomatic functionalism.
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vi i
Contents

List of figures  ix
List of tables  x
1 Introduction  1
2 Signs, syntax, para- syntax, theme and rheme  5
2.1 Introduction 5
2.2 Signs 5
2.3 Grammar (morphology and syntax) as sign- level analysis 7
2.4 Syntax and para- syntax 7
3 Issues in defining ‘theme’  25
3.1 Introduction 25
3.2 Theme as starting point of the utterance 25
4 Recursion  29
4.1 Introduction 29
4.2 Recursion 29
5 Summary of arguments so far  38
6 Traditional Arabic grammar analysis of Arabic clause structure  40
6.1 Introduction 40
6.2  Traditional Arabic grammar analysis of Arabic clause
structure 40
7 Peri/Thema–Nuc/Rhema analysis of Standard Arabic  49
7.1 Introduction 49
7.2  Application of Peri/Thema–Nuc/Rhema analysis to
Standard Arabic 50
viii
viii Contents
7.3 Comparison with Baker’s (2011) analysis of Standard Arabic 57
7.4  Nuc/Rhema- markers and Peri/Thema- markers in
Standard Arabic 59
7.5 A comparison with Arabic dialects and other languages 87
8 Phrase- structural para-s yntax in Arabic: beyond theme
and rheme  89
8.1 Introduction 89
8.2 Initiality as non-t hematic discourse marker in Arabic 89
8.3  Initiality as non-t hematic discourse marker: Standard
Arabic compared to other languages 92
9 Phrase- structural para-s yntactic notions vs. (real)
semantic notions  93
9.1 Introduction 93
9.2  The necessity of separating phrase-s tructural para- syntactic
from (real) semantic notions 93
10 Distinguishing syntax from para-s yntax  97
10.1 Introduction 97
10.2  The necessity of distinguishing syntax from para- syntax
in Standard Arabic 97
11 Conclusions  98
Technical appendix: endnotes  100
References  143
Index  151
ix
Figures

2.1 Signs and their realisations: a basic model 6
7.1 Hierarchy of markedness of themes in Standard Arabic 66
TA.1 Extended axiomatic functionalism: signum ontology 101
TA.2 Extended axiomatic functionalism: system ontology 103
TA.3 Extended axiomatic functionalism: complete model (system
ontology and signum ontology) 106
TA.4 Position classes for attributive adjective coordination in English 121
TA.5 Position classes for attributive adjective coordination in
English: alternative representation 121
TA.6 Position class for bipartite clauses in Arabic 122