Quranic Phonology and Generative Phonology: Formulating Generative Phonological Rules to Non-Syllabic Nuun’s Rules

Abstract

Purpose: To generate generative phonological rules for the Quranic phonological rules of the Arabic mainly non-syllabic Nuun’s rules. Method: Chomsky’s and Halle’s generative rules have been taken as models where principles of this theory when formulating the generative phonological rules for the non-syllabic Nunn’s rules were followed. The data of this study were mainly a number of the examples quoted form the Holy Quran, as this study is completely related to the phonological system of the Holy Quran. Results: Results indicated that the process of formulating the generative rules started by stating the main Quranic phonological rule and then translating it into a generative phonological one with the use of distinctive features which have been used originally by Chomsky and Halle. Conclusion: It is concluded that Generative Phonology theory does apply to the Quranic Phonology rules but in one level it fails to show the representation of the rules of concealment that is, it seemed easy to order the rules and they have captured the changes required but it was first difficult to make distinctive features which can state that the non-syllabic Nuun in the case of concealment is neither assimilated nor pronounced clearly so it was dealt sometimes as assimilation and sometimes as clear pronunciation. As a result, we would have either additional rules of assimilation or clear pronunciation which is actually not true. Has it been true, then why our ancient Arab phonologists and linguists had mentioned it as a different rule (hukm) of the non-syllabic Nuun?