The Syntax of Sluicing in Omani Arabic

Abstract

This study examines the syntax of sluicing in Omani Arabic to uncover its morpho-syntactic properties and underlying source. It also attempts to account for the apparent preposition stranding (p-stranding) effects displayed by Omani Arabic sluicing, which indicates that the language is a counterexample to the p-stranding generalisation (Merchant, 2001). The paper concludes that sluicing exists in the language and it is derived from regular wh-questions by wh-movement and TP ellipsis at PF. Furthermore, Omani Arabic displays pseudo-sluicing (i.e., an elliptical cleft wh-question), which can also be derived via wh-movement from spec-TP to spec-CP plus TP deletion at PF. Finally, the study argues that the apparent cases of sluicing under p-stranding are actually pseudo-sluicing. The drop of copular pronouns in the sluiced clause and omission of the preposition with the relative clause lead to the illusion that sluicing in Omani Arabic exhibits p-stranding effects.

Prepositional Phrases in Modern Standard Arabic: An Agree-Based Analysis

“…Notice, however, that P to in ( 27) is lexical: (27) Mary went to school. 1 Notice however that p-stranding becomes possible in MSA, and in many other dialects of Arabic (see, e.g., Algryani, 2019, for Libyan Arabic), but two conditions must be met: a. A resumptive pronoun must cliticize onto the preposition, and b.…”

The Preposition Stranding in IRAQI Arabic Sluicing Conditions and Generalization

“…Many who are mindful of the norms and responsive to linguistic variations find stranded preposition to be bad grammar and may use alternatives, particularly in structured and written forms, carefully and actively (Kim,Sun-Woong, 2010). Examples can be contained in (2) and (3) below. (2a) that the prison is the place, which the prisoner escaped from.…”

“…In addition, the authors consider wh-clefts only as an alternative pre-sluice, but in experiments 1 and 2 we will demonstrate the relevance of resumptive pronouns under structural analysis. In order to explain these critiques of existing Arabic literature and of the following studies, it is important to recognise that Arabic, including Iraqi-Arabic, has three well-specified, specific techniques for shaping wh-questions: whmovement (3a), wh-clefts (3b), and wh-resumption (3c) in the following example: A wh-phrase fronting, the possible presence of a pronominal copula and the mandatory presence of the relative completentizer (aly) in most syntactic positions with the exception of local subjects distinguish the wh-clefting technique (Algryani, 2019). Ultimately, the reverberative approach is characterised by the omission of a quantitative complement, absence of a pronominal copula and the inclusion of a reverberating pronoun.…”