Arabic-L:LING:giim/jiim

[Dilworth B. Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Mon 08 May 2000
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject: giim/jiim

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1)
Date: 08 May 2000
From: Waheed Samy <wasamy at umich.edu>
Subject: giim/jiim

> Mr. Mughazy wrote:
> > Moreover, using [jiim] is called [ta3Teesh eg-giim] which suggests
> > that people perceive it as unnatural pronunciation.
>
> I would like to know who these "people" are and what an "unnatural
> pronunciation" is.

These people are most everybody.

With the exception of regional dialects in Egypt, the giim is pronounced
as a voiced velar plosive both in colloquial and classical.
This includes news, both radio and TV, public announcements, political
addresses, and so on.

On the other hand the jiim, a voiced postalveolar fricative,
and its more 'erudite' affricate counter part, the djeem,  are both used by
sheikhs on religious occasions, such as the Friday khutba, and by
participants in religious radio or TV programs.

The rules concerning the appropriate usage of register, which include
giim, jiim, and djiim, are such that the use of an un-called-for jiim or
djiim would immediately be noticed.

A person's speech - to be classical - does not hinge on jiim or djiim.
>>From a purely Egyptian point of view, the q - ? pair are much more
important as a measure of classicalness.  There are several other
criteria amongst the most important of which is case marking.

Waheed

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End of Arabic-L: 08 May 2000