In this monograph, Roberta Morano re-examines one of the foundational works of the Omani Arabic dialectology field, Carl Reinhardt’s Ein arabischer Dialekt gesprochen in ‘Oman und Zanzibar (1894). This German-authored work was prolific in shaping our knowledge of Omani Arabic during the twentieth century, until the 1980s when more recent linguistic studies on the Arabic varieties spoken in Oman began to appear. Motivated by an urgent need to expand and reinforce our understanding of Omani Arabic, the book provides a linguistic analysis of the Omani vernacular spoken in the al-ʿAwābī district (northern Oman), based on the speech of fifteen informants recruited throughout the area. It also provides a comparative analysis of the new data with that collected by Carl Reinhardt in 1894. This comparison enables the reader to appreciate the extent of diachronic linguistic variation in the region, and also sheds light on the threats that such variation poses to Omani-specific linguistic features. Organised in four chapters, the book presents a sociolinguistic analysis of the Omani linguistic landscape followed by an examination of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of the al-ʿAwābī vernacular. Each chapter contains primary data collected by the author in situ compared, when applicable, with Carl Reinhardt’s materials. The appendix includes two sample texts extrapolated from the recordings, fourteen proverbs and one traditional song. This study will be of interest to those working in the fields of Omani Arabic, historical and comparative linguistics, translation and interpretation, or those with an interest in how languages develop over time.

In this monograph, Roberta Morano re-examines one of the foundational works of the Omani Arabic dialectology field, Carl Reinhardt's Ein arabischer Dialekt gesprochen in 'Oman und Zanzibar (1894). This German-authored work was prolific in shaping our knowledge of Omani Arabic during the twentieth century, until the 1980s when more recent linguistic studies on the Arabic varieties spoken in Oman began to appear. Motivated by an urgent need to expand and reinforce our understanding of Omani Arabic, the book provides a linguistic analysis of the Omani vernacular spoken in the al-ʿAwābī district (northern Oman), based on the speech of fifteen informants recruited throughout the area. It also provides a comparative analysis of the new data with that collected by Carl Reinhardt in 1894. This comparison enables the reader to appreciate the extent of diachronic linguistic variation in the region, and also sheds light on the threats that such variation poses to Omani-specific linguistic features. Organised in four chapters, the book presents a sociolinguistic analysis of the Omani linguistic landscape followed by an examination of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of the al-ʿAwābī vernacular. Each chapter contains primary data collected by the author in situ compared, when applicable, with Carl Reinhardt's materials. The appendix includes two sample texts extrapolated from the recordings, fourteen proverbs and one traditional song. This study will be of interest to those working in the fields of Omani Arabic, historical and comparative linguistics, translation and interpretation, or those with an interest in how languages develop over time.

In Coastal Dhofari Arabic: A Sketch Grammar, Richard Davey provides a detailed account of the Phonology, Morphology and Syntax of a hitherto neglected Arabic dialect found in southern Oman. It is a timely account of a dialect that is endangered due to development, modernisation, and the resulting social changes in Dhofar.

This book is a study of the traditional relationships that exist in Oman between land and social organization, and how they have evolved. The author starts with the theme of aridity and, using the extensive literature of the 1200 year old Ibadi community to supplement his field work, shows how the techniques of water exploitation have influenced the country’s social organization and its political ideology. He describes how the settlement organization has evolved in two stages; the first in the years before Islam when the Persians irrigated the land using aflaj or horizontal water channels; the second after the Arabs had overthrown the Persians and, influenced by Ibadism, established a more democratic society dominated by a strong tribal structure in the villages. The tribal structure is then examined in detail and the author shows how close the links are between the Islamic ideology, land use, and social organization. As a contribution to the human geography of Oman as well as to general knowledge of the Middle East the book will interest Arabists, Islamic historians and social anthropologists, as well as hydrologists and geographers.

Language and Identity in the Arab World explores the inextricable link between language and identity, referring particularly to the Arab world. Spanning Indonesia to the United States, the Arab world is here imagined as a continually changing one, with the Arab diaspora asserting its linguistic identity across the world. Crucial questions on transforming linguistic landscapes, the role and implications of migration, and the impact of technology on language use are explored by established and emerging scholars in the field of applied and socio-linguistics. The book asks such crucial questions as how language contact affects or transforms identity, how language reflects changing identities among migrant communities, and how language choices contribute to identity construction in social media. As well as appreciating the breadth and scope of the Arab world, this anthology focuses on the transformative role of language within indigenous and migrant communities as they negotiate between their heritage languages and those spoken by the wider society. Investigating the ways in which identity continues to be imagined and re-constructed in and among Arab communities, this book is indispensable to students, teachers, and anyone who is interested in language contact, linguistic landscapes, and minority language retention as well as the intersections of language and technology.