A Horn of Pepper or a Head of Onion

An Analysis of Semantic Variation of Classifiers in Jordanian Spoken Arabic from a Cognitive Sociolinguistic Approach

Bibliographic Data

ID7903786
AuthorsAbdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh (0000-0001-7605-2497, University of Jordan, corresponding author), Aseel Zibin (0000-0003-2509-064X, University of Jordan), Lama Ahmed Khalifah (0000-0001-7497-8456, University of Jordan)
Year2024
Volume9
Issue8
Pages270
Publication date2024-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguages (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2226-471X • E-ISSN: 2226-471X
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/languages9080270
OpenAlexW4401215776
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited34

This study examines the semantic variation in fruit and vegetable classifier usage in Amman, Jordan, employing a cognitive sociolinguistic approach. The semantic variation revolves around using idiomatic classifiers, such as raːs basʕal (“head of onion”), in contrast to neutral classifiers, i.e., ħabbet basʕal (“a piece of onion”) or numerals, such as basʕalteːn (“two onions”). This study focuses on classifiers used with fruits and vegetables, which are particularly relevant due to their physical shapes often prompting metaphorical classifiers and their tendency to take Arabic collective forms that are grammatically singular but semantically plural, complicating the issue of counting and potentially leading to the innovation of novel classifiers. The sample comprised 50 individuals from Amman, stratified based on their gender, age, and education. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal a statistically significant inclination among older, male, and less formally educated speakers towards favoring idiomatic classifiers over the neutral options. This preference suggests that the choice between idiomatic and neutral classifiers may be influenced by social factors. We categorized the metaphors underlying the idiomatic classifiers as entrenched, conventionalized, and transparent, based on Müller (2009). The context of conventional metaphors demonstrates that the source domains of these metaphors could be active for a speaker at a specific moment but may not be active for another speaker at another moment, proposing that metaphoricity is not only a property of a linguistic item but also the cognitive achievement of a certain speaker. The preference for idiomatic classifiers, we argue, may be associated with notions of lower refinement, traditionalism, or reduced prestige

Arabic · Classifier (UML · Cognition · Head (geology · Linguistics · Natural language processing · Plural · Variation (astronomy · Computer Science · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Philosophy · Psychology · Artificial Intelligence

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