We asked a series of questions below to all three consultants. Each of the consultants’ answers were recorded and translated below in the order of Levantine, Morocco, and Tunisia. Following this is the Swadesh list for all three varieties and their recorded asnwers.
Interview Questions:
- Where were you born? What language did you first start speaking?
- What languages were taught in school?
- How would you greet someone? (say how are you)
- Do you ever switch dialects? could you comfortably hold a conversation with someone?
- What language(s) do you dream in? think in?
- Would you be able to use your dialect in any Arabic speaking countries? which countries and why?
Levantine Answers
Interviewer: Jeanine Nassar
Interviewee: Eman Yaghnam
Answer #1
Translation:
Palestine, and the Arabic Language
Answer #2
Translation:
Arabic
Answer #3
Translation:
May Peace be upon you, how are you?
Answer #4
Translation:
Yes, so when I talk Arabic I am able to switch dialects depending on who I am trying to speak to. If there is someone Madanee (city in Palestine) I will speak in that specific dialect but I usually speak Falahee (the smaller village dialects). If I come across someone who is Egyptian, I will speak in that dialect or same thing for Lebanese.
Answer #5
Translation:
I dream in Arabic and English and I think in both as well. And sometimes it depends on someone like if it is about my mom or my sisters I will think about things in Arabic but if its someone at work then it will be in English. It all depends on who I am talking with or thinking about.
Answer #6
Translation:
I would be able to speak in Jordan, somewhat Lebanon, and for sure Egypt and Syria.
Translation:
I think its because our dialects are close to each other and becasue of television I watch Egyptian TV and pick it up. If sometimes I don’t know an exact word I will try a different way to reach to that word as close as I can.
Moroccan Answers
Interviewer: Aya Chafik
Interviewee: Madiha Benelkour
Answer #1
Translation: I was born in Morocco and i speak Moroccan Darija.
Answer #2
Translation: Standard language Arabic and French.
Answer #3
Translation: Peace be upon you, how are you.
Answer #4
Translation: Yes, when i’m speaking with anyone from an Arabic speaking country, I am able to speak in their language and able to converse with them.
Answer #5
Translation: I think in Moroccan Darija
Answer #6
Translation: I wouldn’t be able to speak my dialect (Moroccan Darija) in any Arab speaking country because they wouldn’t understand it, with the exception of Algeria because we speak similar dialects.
Tunisian Answers
Interviewer: Nerdine Ben Amor
Interviewee: Rihab Abid
Answer #1
Translation: Tunisia, and the Arabic language
Answer #2
Translation: Arabic and French
Answer #3
Translation: Hello, how are you?
Answer #4
Translation: Yes I can change my dialect with someone else who speaks another dialect. But I’ve realized that Tunisian words or even some French words will slip out when I am speaking a different dialect.
Answer #5
Translation: When I am sleeping I speak in the Tunisian dialect/Arabic and I also think in the Tunisian dialect/Arabic. I cant imagine that I would think in another language like English. No no, just Tunisian dialect.
Answer #6
Translation: No I don’t think I’d be able to use the Tunisian dialect to communicate in other Arab speaking country because the Tunisian dialect is hard for others to understand. They don’t understand it. So with this situation I would just try to simplify my dialect as much as I can so others would be able to understand and I could get by.
Swadesh Lists
Swadesh list: Arabic (MSA), Levantine, Tunisian, and Moroccan
| English | Arabic (MSA) | Levantine | Tunisian | Moroccan |
| Clothes | malaabis | hawayij | Dbach | Hwaayj |
| Strawberry | farawla | farawla | fraise | fraise |
| Shirt | qamiis | qamiis | Maryoul | Qamija |
| Right (correct) | ṣəħīħ, mɑð̣būt | mɑẓbūt, tamēm, sɑħ(ī)ħ | ṣħīħ | ṣħiħ, hadak (m), hadik (f) |
| Good | jayyid | mnīħ, ṭɑyyɪb, kwayis | bēhi | mɘzyan, ḍrif |
| Rain | mɑṭɑr | mɑṭɑr | mɑṭɑr | štɑ |
| You (singular) | ʔanta (m), ʔant(f) | entɑ (m), ente (f) | Inti (m and f) | ntɑ, ntayɑ (m), nti, ntiyɑ (f) |
| Many | kaθiːr | ktīr | barša | bəzzaf |
| Sugar | sukkar | sukkar | Sukar | skkar |
| Black | ʔaswad | ʔɑswɑd | akħil | kħɘl |
| Swim | sabaħa | sebeħa | ʕām | ʕām |
| To Sleep | nāma, raqɑda | nām | rqad | nʕas |
| Hand | Yadd | ʔīd | yid | yədd |
| Foot | qɑdam, rijl | rijl | sēq | ržəl |
| Nose | ʔanf | ʔanfmanxɑr | xšam | nif |
| We | naħnu, ʔinnā | ħnɑ | (n)aħnā | ħnɑ, ħnayɑ |
| He | huwa | huwa | huwwā | huwwa |
| Bathroom | al-ḥammām | hammam | twaleet | toilette |
| Fish | samaka, ħūt (any large fish, more whale), | semek | ħūta | ħutɑ |
| Egg | bayḍɑ | bɑyḍɑ | ʕað̣ma | biḍɑ |
