LE 94: The Verbal Groups of English and Arabic: A Comparative Exploration

The Verbal Groups of English and Arabic: A Comparative Exploration

Ahmed Umar
University of Maiduguri

This is a comparative study of the verbal group in English and Arabic, with a particular focus on verbal elements like tense, aspect, finiteness and voice. The study analysed the data using the systemic functional framework complemented by some Arabic grammatical theories. The Systemic Functional theory (Halilday and Matthiessen, 2004) proved efficient in analysing the data due to its view of language as a mega-system of sub-systems, whereby items are selected and arranged by language users based on the functional suitability of the items. In English and Arabic grammars (Hudson, 2005; Baidhoon, 2005), verbal formations entail systematic selection and use of words and affixes. With the Systemic Functional theoretical tool, this study discovered that the two languages agree on salient functional dimensions (tense, aspect, etc) but differ on minute structural details (word order, word forms).

English relies mainly on word order, using same forms for various functions; Arabic uses morphological processes, with minimal word order, for such functions. English uses word order especially in the perfect and progressive aspects, wherein tense is indicated by the operator, and lexical verbs are repetitive of form. Arabic uses word order in the past continuous tense only.

Ahmed Umar was born in Maiduguri in 1969. His early education was in Arabic studies. After his dominantly Arabic Primary education (1985), he gradually developed a keen interest in secular education, especially English. Through persevering home self-education, he succeeded in earning a private GCE O’level result which enabled him to go to University (1993). To date, Umar is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria; a holder of B.A., M.A. and PhD. degrees in English Language. His areas of specialization are Comparative Bilingual / Multilingual Studies and Creative Writing. His linguistic researches cover English, Arabic, Hausa, Kanuri and Bura. Several of his linguistic works are published in reputable academic journals, in Nigeria and Europe. His published literary anthology, A BEGGAR SINGS, is a satirical depiction of the socio-political situation in Nigeria.

ISBN 9783862884186. Linguistics Edition 94. 120pp. 2013.