Khuzestani Arabic: Complement clauses

© Maryam Shabibi

Kh. Arabic complement clauses also display change under the influence of Persian. The Persian pronoun /ke/ is also used in complement clauses in Kh. Arabic.

Note that this pronoun also marks the relative clauses in Persian but it is not used in relative clauses in Kh. Arabic. Examples (8 & 9) show the use of /ke/ in complement clauses in Kh. Arabic.

Example 8 [Listen to example]

kəl-humšāf-awkeš-saww-aww-yāč
All-3PL.Msaw-3PL.MCOMPwhat-did-3PL.Mwith-2SG.F
'All of them saw what they did to you.'

Example 9 [Listen to example]

b-ət-torātyāykelohāðaīyy-a
in-DEF-Torahcame.PART.3SGCOMPifthis.Mcame-3SG.M
l-bābyəftak
DEF-dooropens.3SG
'It has appeared (come) in the Torah that if this (person) came the door would open.'

The Arabic relative pronouns /alli/, /al-laðī/ are still very much in use both in Kh. Arabic complement clauses and relative clauses.