Phonological development of Kuwaiti Arabic: preliminary data.
An overview of Kuwaiti Arabic is presented, with very preliminary data from two typically developing brothers (ages 2;4 and 5;2) and a 6-year-old with a severe sensorineural hearing impairment. The siblings show early mastery of many aspects of the complex Arabic phonological system, with universally expected later mastery of coronal fricatives and /r/. The 6-year-old shows patterns typical of children with hearing impairments, e.g. hypernasality, a prevalence of 'visible' segments, particularly labials, and simplified syllable structure. Her accurate use of /l/, /r/, and some gutturals, however, raise questions about the enhanced perceptibility and functionality of these segments in Arabic.
Ayyad
Hadeel
H
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. hadeela@interchange.ubc.ca
Bernhardt
B May
BM
D018912:Arabs / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait; D007804:Language Development; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D010700:Phonetics