Diminutive formation in a Libyan dialect with some phonological implications

Abstract Detailed studies of diminutives in Arabic dialects are uncommon. In this article, after discussing the diminutive in Classical Arabic, Coastal Dhofari Arabic, and Moroccan Arabic, we present a detailed description of diminutives in Asābʽā Arabic, a rural Libyan dialect. We note two diminutive templates in Asābʽā Arabic: CCeeC and CCayX . Further, we document a subtype of the CCeeX template applicable to base words that begin with a labial consonant followed by a long vowel, e.g. [faar] ‘mouse’, which has the diminutive [ʔuf.feer] rather than [fweer]. We suggest that this is an OCP effect influencing (non-identical) adjacent labials. We also discuss other implications of the diminutive in Asābʽā Arabic, including the nature of its diachronic relationship with the Classical Arabic diminutive.