Towards a Generative Phonology of Arabic: A Review Article

In: International journal of Middle East studies: IJMES, Volume 5, Issue 1, p. 93-113

Abstract

I.O. The work under consideration1was originally a doctoral dissertation at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Department of Linguistics, under the supervision of the former head of that department, Professor Robert B. Lees, now at the University of Tel Aviv. The book deals with an interesting subject, to be sure. The basic theses and conclusions presented are worth considering and worth testing, though in my opinion they are wrong. The work as a whole is marred by typographic, stylistic and scholastic infelicities, the latter in the form of erroneous bibliographical citations, for the most part. First, I shall address myself to the main theme in terms of general linguistic theory, and Arabic linguistics and dialectology. Then I shall proceed to list some of the typographic, stylistic and scholastic infelicities, more to help the author should he revise the work than to inform the reader who would, of course, see them for himself.