Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 14. Number 1 March 2023 Pp.486-501
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol14no1.31
Phonological Features of Saudi Arabian Anthroponyms
Yasser A. S. Al Tamimi
English Department
College of Science and General Studies
Alfaisal University, Riyadh- Saudi Arabi
Corresponding Author yaltamimi@alfaisal.edu
Michael Smith
English Department
College of Science and General Studies
Alfaisal University, Riyadh- Saudi Arabia
Received:12/02/2022 Accepted: 03/15/2023 Published: 03/24/2023
Abstract:
Beyond its traditional function, phonology has been demonstrated to play a significant role in the gender marking of given names in some Germanic languages. However, this significance has not been investigated for Semitic languages, including Arabic. Therefore, irrespective of the classical gender-identification approaches (i.e., familiarity, morphology, semantics, and pragmatics), the present study examines whether the phonological structures of Saudi first names may solely reveal the gender of that name. The first names of Saudi males (N= 237) and Saudi females (N=419) drawn from the registrar of a Saudi university in Riyadh were analyzed according to various phonological variables, including the number of phonemes, the number of syllables, the distinction between open vs closed syllables, the manner of articulation of name-initial and name-final sounds, stress position, in addition to the state of the glottis. The quantitative study finds that compared to male names, female names have fewer phonemes, tend to begin with an open syllable, are more likely to be stressed in the second position, are more likely to end with a vowel or a voiceless consonant, are more likely, to begin with, a glottal stop and a trill, and are more likely to end with a vowel or a glottal fricative.
Keywords: manner of articulation, phonemes and syllables, phonological features, Saudi Arabian
Anthroponyms, stress position
Cite as: Al Tamimi, Y.A.S., & Smith, M. (2023). Phonological Features of Saudi Arabian Anthroponyms
Arab World English Journal, 14 (1)486-501.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol14no1.31
References
Ackermann, T. & Zimmer, CH. (2021). The sound of gender – correlations of name phonology and gender across
languages. Linguistics. 59 (4),1143–1177
Alford, R. D. (1988). Naming and identity: A cross-cultural study of personal naming practices. New Haven: HRAF Press.
Aloufi, A (2022). Phonetic Symbolism in First Names. Linguistics and Literature Studies. 10(6), 107-112
Al-Zomur, A. (2009). A socio-cultural and linguistic analysis of Yemeni first
names. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 2, 15-27.
Anderson, J. (1994). The Grammar of Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Barry, H. B., & Harper, A.S. (1995). Increased choice of female phonetic attributes
in first names. Sex Roles, 32, 809-19.
Cassidy, K. W., Kelly, M. H., & Sharoni, L.J. (1999). Inferring gender from
name phonology. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 128, 362-381.
Cooper, W., & Ross, J. (1975). Word order. Chicago Linguistic Society, 11,
63–111.
Cutler, A., McQueen, J., & Robinson, K. (1990). Elizabeth and John: Sound patterns
of men’s and women’s names. Journal of Linguistics, 26, 471-82.
Garnham, A., Oakhill J., & Reynolds, D. (2002). Are inferences from
stereotyped role names to characters’ gender made elaboratively? Memory & Cognition, 30 (3), 439-446.
Mojapelo, M. L. (2009). Morphology and semantics of proper names in Northern
Sotho. South African Journal of African Languages, 2, 185- 94.
Rodina, Y. (2007) Semantics And Morphology: The Acquisition of Grammatical
Gender in Russian, (Unpublished Master’s thesis). University of Tromsø, Norway
Rosenkrantz, L., & Satran, P. R. (2014). The Nameberry Guide to the
Very Best Baby Names. Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Slater, A. S., & Feinman, S. (1985). Gender and the phonology of North American
first names. Sex Roles, 13, 429-40.
Whissell, C. (2001). Cues to referent gender in randomly constructed names.
Perceptual and Motor Skills, 93, 856-58.
Whorf, B. (1956). Language, Thought and Reality. Cambridge, Mass.
Wirezbicak, A. (1992). Semantics, Culture and Cognition. Universal Human Concepts in Culture-Specific
Configurations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Wright, S. K. (2006). Phonological cues influence sex decisions and novel
names. Psychological Report, 99(2), 315-321.
Wright, S., & Hay, J. (2002). Fred and Wilma: A phonological conspiracy. In S.
Benor, M. Rose, D. Sharma, J. Sweetland, & Q. Zhang (eds.), Gender and linguistic practice (pp.175-91).
Stanford, CA: CSLI Publications.
Wright, S., Hay, J., & Bent, T. (2005). Ladies first? Phonology,
frequency, and the naming conspiracy. Linguistics, 43(3), 531-561.