Re: Alif Baa- pronouncing Alif

From: Yusuf B Gursey (ybg_at_theworld.com)
Date: 12/01/04 

Date: 1 Dec 2004 11:53:32 -0800

belamiNoSpam@sympatico.ca (Raymond Roy) wrote in message news:<41a8a7bb.6697472@news1.sympatico.ca>...
> Le 24 Nov 2004 11:35:56 -0800, eazy927@hotmail.com (Homer) écrivit :

> I am not an authority, but here is what I have learnt in three years:
>
> The pronunciation of fatha differs according to the consonant
> environment, and also according to the dialect. Near emphatic
> consonants, the 'a' is much more darker ('father') than elsewhere, for
> instance in the word 'SâHib' (companion, owner). Its pronunciation
> varies also according to the length and stress.

yes, and variants were discussed for the Old Dialects by the medieval
grammarians. 'ima:la(t) being the tendency to front /a/ or /a:/ and
tafxi:m the tendency to make it further back.

>
> In North Africa for instance, the word 'samâH' (generosity, forgiveness)
> sounds to my ear like 'samêH' ('e' as in bed, and long).

IMHO that would be a little too much fronting to make it good
classical arabic, though it is somtimes done in modern arabic, like
/biya:r/ for "Pierre".

>
> But as I said, I am no specialist. Before you believe what I have
> written, check it in real life, with native speakers from different
> countries, if possible.
>

my recommendation is in the absence of *trained* (well educated in
classical arabic) native speakers is Qur'anic recitations (by Arabs)
or formal radio and
broadcasts (in standard arabic), bearing in mind that for purposes of
broadcasting colloquial influences are sometimes tolerated in foreign
words, increasing the phonemic range.

> Raymond

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