Notes on the Algerian Arabic dialect of Dellys

Abstract

The Arabic dialect of Dellys (Algeria) has been generally neglected in North African linguistics, despite the town's age and its location just kilometers from the Arabic-Kabyle linguistic boundary. It belongs to the little-documented urban north-central Algeria dialect group, and - like most such dialects - it displays traits unusual in pre-Hilalian dialects, notably the retention of interdentals. Berber, Andalusi, and later Bedouin influence are all observable in its lexicon and structure. Lexically, Dellys is particularly noteworthy for its extensive vocabulary relating to marine life, largely replaced by French loanwords in other towns of the region. This paper summarises some points of interest, covering such topics as morphological change, contact phenomena and etymology, toponymy, child language, gender assignment, marine vocabulary, and language/dialect geography.