Phonological adaptation of perso-arabic origin words in mappila malayalam

Abstract

This thesis investigates the phonological adaptation of PAO words in Mappila Malayalam through the lens of Optimality Theory. Mappila Malayalam, a dialect of Malayalam, the south Dravidian language, demonstrates significant variation from standard Malayalam, primarily due to the extensive integration of PAO vocabulary. This study fills a substantial research gap by exploring how PAO words are adapted to the phonological system of MM, focusing on vowel raising, contraction, phonological alternation, gemination, palatalisation, alveolarisation, deaspiration, spirantisation, deletion and the application of new phonemes. The research aims to enhance understanding of the inherent phonological structure of MM by analysing its phonemic inventory and syllable structure, particularly the segmental, co-occurrence and intervocalic constraints that govern the integration of PAO words. This study adopts a qualitative methodology, utilizing secondary data sources such as books, dictionaries, and newspapers, alongside primary fieldwork data collected from native Mappila Malayalam speakers in northern Malabar. The research addresses several key objectives: examining the phonological characteristics and repair strategies of PAO words, conducting an OTbased analysis of these adaptations, identifying the segmental and phonotactic constraints that govern the nativization process, and detailing the peculiar phonological features of PAO phonemes. The analysis focuses on the phonological modifications PAO words undergo, the OT constraints at play during these adaptations, and the differences between indigenous and borrowed phonological systems. The thesis is organized into six detailed chapters, each contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the phonological adaptation of Perso-Arabic origin words in Mappila Malayalam. Chapter 1 outlines the research's importance, objectives, questions, hypotheses, and methodology. It provides an essential overview of language contact, lexical borrowing, and the core-periphery structure within the Optimality Theory framework. Chapter 2 reviews existing literature, placing the study in its historical and scholarly context. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 form the main analytical body: Chapter 3 delves into co-occurrence constraints involving palatal vowels and their resolutions, exposing complex phonological interactions within MM; Chapter 4 investigates gemination as a significant strategy in the nativisation process; and Chapter 5 examines other strategies such as deaspiration, spirantisation, and the introduction of new phonemes, highlighting the dynamic nature of loanword adaptation. Each chapter utilizes OT to analyse these phenomena, providing insights into constraint hierarchies and phonotactic adjustments. Finally, Chapter 6 consolidates the key findings, addresses the study's limitations, and proposes avenues for future research, thereby contributing to the broader discussion on phonological adaptation in multilingual contexts. The findings reveal that the adaptation of PAO words in MM involves systematic phonological processes influenced by the interaction of markedness and faithfulness constraints. Notable phonological phenomena include vowel raising, contraction, gemination, spirantisation, and the preference for certain consonant clusters. The study identifies a hierarchy of constraints that prioritize markedness over faithfulness, highlighting a tendency to avoid marked structures while preserving essential phonological features such as voice, place, and manner. This research also explores the presence of a non-native stratum within the mental lexicon of Malayalam, as evidenced by the distinct adaptation patterns of PAO words. The findings suggest that MM speakers modify and integrate foreign phonological patterns, resulting in a layered mental lexicon that accommodates both nativized and non-native elements. The study emphasizes the dynamic interplay between native and non-native phonological systems, contributing to a broader understanding of loanword phonology and language contact phenomena. The thesis concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for the theoretical framework of OT and the core-periphery structure of the lexicon. It underscores the need for future research to delve deeper into suprasegmental features, the performative literary variety of Arabi-Malayalam, and the development of an etymological dictionary of loanwords in Malayalam. This research provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the phonological adaptation of PAO loanwords in MM, offering significant insights into the phonological processes that shape this unique dialect.