The phonological and morphological Word-Adaptation of French Loan Words in Algerian Colloquial Arabic

Abstract

The present research work aims at exploring French words loaned into the Algerian colloquial Arabic, taking Tiaretian speech community as a case study. It also concentrates on the study of the morphological and phonological changes during the process of borrowing from French. To reach a reliable data about this linguistic phenomenon, two research instruments are used: a questionnaire administered to 100 participants divided into 50 members of Tiaretian speech community, and 50 students from the English section. The second method of investigation is a word list addressed to a sample of 20 people selected randomly, to know the main reasons that make people borrow words from French, and to observe what kind of adaptation people use in borrowing. The findings come out with the conclusion that Algerian Arabic speakers unconsciously use French borrowing to fill lexical gaps; hence this borrowing has become one of the aspects in the formation of Algerian Arabic variety.