•  
  •  
 

Dirassat

Abstract

This research paper aims to highlight the most important constraints, especially phonetic ones that govern word formation in Arabic. Therefore, if a word is an outcome of the combination of basic sounds and a morphological form, then the Arabic system considers a set of principles, which are combinatory constraints, in the process of word formation. Herein, it worth mentioning that these constraints are part of a general principle called the lightness and heaviness principle; it is a principle that governs the combination of the basic sounds (consonants) at the root level, as it governs the combination of vowels with one another or with consonants. However, the general rules says that Arabs prefer lightness over heaviness for the seek of cohesiveness and the fulfillment of economy principle in language. Actually, Arab contemporary phonologists reformed the formalization of the constraints based on the modern generative modules. Fruitfully, this paper has shown that the views of the ancient Arab phonologists is not less valuable than those established in modern researches in phonology, which favors the connection between the ancient studies on language and modern linguistics.

Download
COinS