English Loanwords in Hijazi Arabic: Anaptyxis-based Analysis

Abstract

This paper examines how English words with complex syllable structures are incorporated into the phonological system of Hijazi Arabic (HA). Data provided by native speakers of HA show that English loanwords with consonant clusters often undergo anaptyxis more commonly in initial than final clusters. Further, application of anaptyxis, although incumbent in some onset clusters, may not be required in others. In this article, I argue that such asymmetry in the employment of vowel epenthesis is teleological and is perceptually driven by the relative robustness of the cluster’s consonant perceptual cues, which contribute significantly to the overall perceptibility of the cluster. While anaptyxis in perceptually salient clusters is less probable, its occurrence in perceptually less privileged ones does not only adhere to the canonical prosodic structure of the host language, but it enhances the auditory cues of its segments as well. This perceptual generalization is captured in an Optimality Theoretic account that builds on a set of DEP-V context-sensitive constraints.