Gramaticalización y cambio lingüístico en árabeel caso de hattà en lengua clásica y dialectal

Résumé

The main objectives of this thesis are, on the one hand, to explore the particularities of grammaticalization and language change in Arabic, and on the other hand, to propose a methodology for the study of language change in this Semitic language, involving both the diachronic analysis of Classical Arabic and synchronic data collected from dialects. This work analyzes the processes of evolution and grammaticalization undergone by the particle hattà (‘until’, ‘even’) in Classical Arabic between the 7th and the 20th centuries and in the vernacular languages. 731 examples of hattà spanning 1400 years were analyzed in fuṣhà using one of the most complete historical corpora of the Arabic language, the HADC, still unpublished. The study considered 30 different variables that have been organized in a relational database. The results are presented in a conceptual map showing the semantic bonds of the six values of hattà, as well as the evolutionary trajectories of this particle in Classical Arabic. We were also able through this study to detect some of the specificities of grammaticalization in this Semitic language. To tackle the synchronic analysis of the vernacular languages, we first had to gather the available written sources, such as grammars, dictionaries, text compilations and language learning manuals. These sources were supplemented by field research, including at least one interview for each of the 25 dialects studied. The analysis of these sources produced another conceptual map, similar to the one developed for fuṣhà. These have shown us that the vernacular languages have three times as many values of hattà (18 vs. 6), demonstrating that the evolution of this particle is more extensive and diverse in the dialects. The contrast between both conceptual maps gives us a wider and more significant overview of the linguistic mechanisms of the Arabic language. This is a clear demonstration that both expressions of this language –Classical and dialectal– must be included in order to develop a rigorous study of Arabic. The main conclusions regarding Classical Arabic are that, contrary to a very widespread belief, fuṣhà does in fact undergo language change; its evolution is however constrained by the Quranic norm and its attachment to the written form. Results also reveal some of the particularities of grammaticalization in Classical Arabic, such as the marked stratification, persistence and divergence: these three principles that allow us detecting ongoing grammaticalization, are far more numerous and long-lasting in Classical Arabic, and therefore hold less significance. Regarding the vernacular languages, of note are the great diversity of values attributed to hattà and the many evolutionary paths it has followed. All of these values have been gathered into a conceptual map, based on principles of grammaticalization and Cognitive Linguistics, as well as through a typological contrast with evolutionary trajectories found in other languages. These results form one of the principal claims of this work: that the rigorous study of this Semitic language requires that both Classical Arabic and the dialects be taken into account, as they together form the Arabic language system.