Phonological, Morphological and Lexical Variation in Ghazaouet Speech

This work sheds light on language variation in Ghazoauet speech, an urban coastal area in the extreme northwest of Algeria. Such speech community is known for its speech heterogeneity. It is a context in which two Arabic dialectal forms coexist. Using empirical data collected in spontaneous everyday language interactions, we could show the degree to which some phonological, morphological, and lexical features which distinguish this speech community are increasingly being avoided by native speakers. We also could identify the reasons why men are much more influenced by rural Arabic forms, and why female speakers tend to be largely conservative.