Word-Based or Root-Based: Diminutives in Najdi Arabic

Lexeme and root are the prominent, competing morphological approaches that account for the building of words. This study presents a sample of diminutive and super-diminutive forms of native Arabic words and loans from English in the Buraydawi dialect of Najdi Arabic (BNA). Nominals were randomly gathered and transcribed. Unlike consonants, the vocalic melodies of diminutives in BNA reveal a high degree of inconsistency. This can be illustrated with the diminution of d e rdʒ “drawer,” which yields ɪ dr aɪjɪ dʒ , ɪ dr eɪ dʒ , and ɪ dr i : r i : dʒ. The consistency of consonants versus the inconsistency of vowels in diminutives supports the traditional, consonantal root-based view of word formation in this dialect of Arabic. Some patterns of partial morphological reduplication are shown to favor the root-based theory as well. For instance, partial reduplication often targets consonantal segments, while vowels vary or shift. Even in borrowed forms from English, the same tendencies emerge, where consonantal elements are consistently retained, indicating that root-based processes extend beyond the native lexicon. The findings shed light on how BNA speakers construct diminutives and reveal the underlying morphological organization. Overall, the data weigh in on the debate of whether the lexeme or the root is more effective in accounting for word formation in Arabic.