Arabic-L:LING:Characterizing MSA/Egyptian

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Wed 13 Aug 2003
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject:Characterizing MSA/Egyptian

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1)
Date: 13 Aug 2003
From: Michael Akard <michael_akard at hotmail.com>
Subject:Characterizing MSA/Egyptian

  like Dr. Manal's comparison of MSA/Egyptian and UK English/US English;  
in both cases, the former is considered the origin whereas the latter  
is much more widely used.

But rather than liken the dozens of British English dialects with the  
dozens of American English dialects, I wonder if a more appropriate  
analogy for the difference between MSA and Egyptian Arabic would be RP  
(Received Pronunciation) English vs. any natural dialect of English.  
Like MSA, RP has no native speakers but rather is taught in school as  
the formal, scholarly form of the language, and like Egyptian Arabic,  
natural dialects of English are shaped by regional history and culture  
and immediately identify the speaker as a member of that particular  
community.

Michael Akard

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End of Arabic-L:  13 Aug 2003