Khuzestani Arabic: Discourse markers

© Maryam Shabibi

A large number of Persian discourse markers, including coordinating conjunctions (ham 'too, also', ham... ham 'both... and', na tanhā... balke... ham 'not only... but also'), as well as subordinating conjunctions (bā īnke...ammā, agarče...ammā, 'although'), fillers and markers of speech initiations (xob/ xo 'well', hīč 'literally, nothing', albate 'of course'), are used in Kh. Arabic.

Almost all of the borrowed particles have the same form and function in Kh. Arabic as in Persian. The following examples show some of the Persian discourse markers/ connectors in Kh. Arabic.

Example 10

w	hāy	mā-hu	fard	šī
and	this.F	NEG-3SG	one	thing
wājəb	yo	lāzəm	ħatman	trūħ
obligatory	or	necessary	certainly	go.3SG.F
l-əl-madrəsa	xolāse	hīč	mā-rəħ-na	madrasa.
to-DEF-school	DM	DM	NEG-went-1PL	school
hāða	l-xaṭṭāb	ham	xōb	mā-nṭ-o
this.M	DEF-suitor	DM	DM	NEG-give.3PL-3SG.M
w	mā-ṣār-at	baħad.	hīč	rāħ
and	NEG-became-3SG.F	then	DM	went.3SG.M
'... and this is not something obligatory or necessary for her to go to school. [lit. 'in sum'] [lit. 'nothing'] we didn't go to school. We didn't go to school and as to this man (suitor) they didn't accept him either and it didn't happen. [lit. 'nothing'] he went.'

Example 11

xōb	w	hāy	sabab	ham	l-laði	gabal	čan,
DM	and	this	reason	DM	REL	past	was.3SG.F
maθal-an	jāhalīyyat	wāyəd	čān	qalīl,	kaθīr	mašākəl
for example	ignorance	very	was.3SG	little	much	problems
zāyəd	ham	čān-at	w	ʔāna	ham	čənət	čəbīra
much	DM	was-3SG.F	and	I	DM	was.1SG	big.F
'Well and the reason for this is that ignorance (narrow-mindedness) was not much... widespread (a lot) and there were many problems and also I was big.'

Example 12

huwwa	mū	bas	bāhūš	balke	šujāʔ	ham
he	not	only	clever	but also	brave	DM
'He is not only clever but also brave.'

Example 13

bā īnke	wāyəd	ħayzān	ammā	lāzəm	axallas	š-šugul.
although	very	tired	but	necessary	finish.1SG	DEF-job
'Although I am very tired, I have to finish the work.'