Hypocoristics in the Ammani-Jordanian context: A Construction Morphology perspective

The current study explores the patterns of hypocoristics in Ammani-Jordanian Arabic in view of Construction Morphology. The most common hypocoristic patterns are addressed with reference to the social factors (gender and age) that may contribute to the templates and functions of the hypocoristic structure. This paper argues that Ammani-Jordanian Arabic speakers produce various hypocoristic patterns to signify a variety of functions. A questionnaire is designed to explore the formation of hypocoristic patterns among 51 Ammani Jordanians from three different age groups (children, young and elderly). The study shows that the most common hypocoristic pattern used by all participants includes reduplication, truncation, affixation, and adding ?abu father of and ?um mother of to the male and female names, respectively. The study also reveals how these processes can be used to form hypocoristics of different name types (monosyllabic names, disyllabic names, nonce names, compound names, foreign names, etc.). We also show that the hypocoristic templates may vary according to the gender of the name. The current findings help foreign learners of Arabic to better comprehend the Jordanian culture, including the use of hypocoristics.

Automated summary

This study explores the formation patterns of hypocoristics in Ammani-Jordanian Arabic from the perspective of Construction Morphology. The most common patterns of hypocoristics are investigated, with a focus on the social factors of gender and age that contribute to the structure and functions of hypocoristic forms. Through a questionnaire survey, it is found that the most frequently used hypocoristic patterns among 51 Ammani Jordanians from three age groups include reduplication, truncation, affixation, and the addition of "abu" (father of) and "um" (mother of) to male and female names, respectively. The study also reveals the variation of hypocoristic templates according to the gender of the name. These findings contribute to a better understanding of Jordanian culture and the use of hypocoristics for foreign learners of Arabic.