Khuzestani Arabic: Word order

© Maryam Shabibi

Word order has also been under the influence of Persian. The order of a sentence in MSA and other dialects of Arabic is Verb (V) + Subject (S) + Object (O), but both SVO and VSO word order types exist in Arabic dialects.

In addition to VSO and SVO, sentences are found in Kh. Arabic that begin with their objects. This order can also be found in other dialects of Arabic. But unlike other dialects of Arabic, Kh. Arabic displays a fourth word order type which is SOV. This is the word order of Persian sentences. This word order type does not exist in any dialect of Arabic except that of Uzbekistani. Uzbekistani Arabic has acquired this order under the influence of Uzbek and Tajik. Both of these languages have the SOV order and Uzbekistani Arabic has been in contact with these languages for a long time.

The following examples (14a & 15a) are Kh. Arabic sentences with SOV word order.

Example 14

	'We had locked the kitchen door, too.'
a.	Kh. Arabic
	bāb	l-āšpazxāne	əḥna	ham	gāfl-īn-a
	door	DEF-kitchen	we	DM	locked-PART.1PL-3SG
b.	MSA
	əḥna	gāfl-īn	bāb	l-maẓbax
	we	locked-PART.1PL	door	DEF-kitchen
c.	Persian
	mā	dar-e	āšpazxūne	ro	χofl	karde	būd-īm
	we	door-EZ	kitchen	OM	lock	did-PART	were-1PL

Example 15

	'The little girl cleaned the room.'
a.	Kh. Arabic
	lə-bnayya	d-dār	naḍḍəf-at-ha
	DEF-little girl	DEF-room	cleaned-3SG.F-3SG.F
b.	MSA
	lə-bnayya	naḍḍəf-at		χurfa
	DEF-little girl	cleaned-3SG.F		DEF-room
c.	Persian
	doxtarak	otāχ	ro	tamīz	kard
	little girl	room	OM	clean	did-3SG

Now compare the above examples from Kh. Arabic with (14c & 15c) from Persian. The order of examples (14a & 15a) is the same as (14c & 15c).