Gulf Arabic in Omani FM stations: Who said anything about having a fake accent?!

Last summer, I was researching the language style of Omani broadcasters in a local Arabic radio station. I wanted to see whether they are as radical as I thought in their linguistic divergence from the speech of the callers. Based on what I hear in local FM stations, I hypothesized that they would be highly divergent by speaking in Gulf Arabic forms all through, while most callers would speak in more 'realistic' varieties of Arabic that we hear more commonly in Oman. I chose phonological variables which I thought are stereotypical of Omani dialects as well as being distinguishing identity markers. However, this post today is not to discuss the findings of my research, but to discuss an example from my data which made me inclined to believe that most broadcasters who speak in Gulf Arabic are probably putting on a voice and may be not speaking in the way they 'normally' do away from the microphone. 

GCC map.

Before I go into what I found, let me just briefly explain the situation in Oman. Oman is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which includes six Arab states: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman. If you check the foundations and objectives of the GCC, you will notice that their  bonding is not only political but also for historical, social and cultural reasons. Of course language is part of this society and culture. They use the term 'homogeneous values and characteristics' in their statement. It is this 'homogeneity' that is constantly being emphasised in the GCC through media and education and other means, which is all to serve the idea that 'Our Gulf is One' (خليجنا واحد). This homogeneity is not only to create regional nationalism and a sense of belonging to the Arabian Gulf as a whole, but over the years it emphasised the similarities between the nationals of these 6 states, including linguistic similarities. When you look at the GCC states, you will notice that indeed they are very similar in culture, except that from the outside Oman is unique. For example, GCC nationals generally all have ghutra and iqal as their headdress, except Omanis who dress in kuma or mssar (turban) instead. 

The different headdresses in Oman and the GCC.

Omani headdresses. Left: man has a kuma on. Right : man has a  msar (turban) on his head.

On a linguistic level, Oman is also unique in the sense that Gulf Arabic is not as widely used in the country as in the other GCC states. Instead, a variety of Omani dialects are generally used. Even the official website of teaching Gulf Arabic, suggests that Gulf Arabic is spoken “to a lesser extent" in Oman. Arabists specializing in linguistics such as Johnstone and Holes also suggest that the dialects spoken in Oman are different from the ones spoken in the other GCC states, and they classify them under a different type. The fact that Oman is politically a member of the GCC yet at the same time most Omanis do not sound like nationals of neighboring GCC countries, together with the fact that they are being constantly reminded of the similarities the people of the GCC share (or 'should' share?) combined with the importance of the GCC homogeneity, emphasizes, in my opinion, the Omani difference and puts a lot of pressure on Omanis to behave linguistically like the dominant GCC dialect which is spoken by the majority in the region. The relevance of what I just explained will be understood better as I now move on to explain what I found in my data.

It happened when I was listening to a conversation between a caller who is a female Omani child with one of the most linguistically divergent broadcasters in my study; which means that he spoke in Gulf Arabic without attempting to speak in Omani dialects, which are the dialects in which most callers spoke. For the sake of anonymity, I will call the girl Noor. From the content of their conversation, I understood that Noor is 6 years old and about to be admitted to grade 1 in school. Noor performed for a few short sound clips for the station which were then used as sound effects for different programs on the station. For example she would say short phrases like yallah goolu waray ('come on, say it with me'). In all her performances, Noor would speak in Gulf Arabic. Not a single performance of Noor is done in a variety of Omani Arabic. So far so unsurprising. Nothing new. I got used to this kind of unrealistic linguistic representation on Omani Fm since I was a kid. But then something happened in the call between Noor and the broadcaster while I was listening attentively to my data, like a child watching a captivating Sherlock Holmes cartoon looking for clues, and I almost shouted: “Aha! I caught that!” when I heard it.

Noor, the girl who performs in Gulf Arabic all the time revealed to be a speaker of a completely different dialect when she spoke to the broadcaster in a relaxed setting. Note that apparently, she knows many of the station's crew, including the broadcaster himself (I knew this because she calls them 'uncle', a polite form of address when addressing someone who's older than you in Arab culture, also because of their mentioning of previous events in which they have met in person). Noor actually speaks in a very Interior- Omani dialect, which is not close to Gulf Arabic at all. Ha! Why does she speak in an Omani variety when she is speaking casually and not performing, while she speaks utter Gulf Arabic when she performs? Why doesn't she say for instance, the more common Omani version of yallah goolu waray which is yallah qoolu waray? Is the [q]  sound (uvular plosive) so hideous to the ear when spoken in non-Standard Arabic? Or is it just embarrassing to admit that we speak in a different way compared to the GCC? Are we peer pressured at all to speak like our Gulf neighbors? Obviously, the 6-year-old did not decide to speak Gulf Arabic because she understands the social meanings associated with it. Obviously she was instructed to do so by someone who works in the channel. Instructed. Unfortunately, they do not realize that she's being taught from a tender age to grow with linguistic insecurity because her dialect isn't favored; hence build a negative attitude towards the norms of her own speech. Even worse, she's taught from as early as 6 years old to fake an accent and to associate Gulf Arabic with media. It's more like an unwritten rule (actually I'm starting to think it's written) “Gulf Arabic speaks for Omani media”; especially for entertainment shows. I think Omani broadcasters working in FM stations who depend mainly on their voice to represent an Omani identity, should understand that it's okay to be different. There should be no urge to speak in Gulf Arabic and run away from reality while distancing themselves from the callers, just to sound like Arabian Gulf nationals. Why can't we be members of the GCC while still be unique? Do we have to be copies of each other to 'unite'?!  

Before I drop my pen for today, I'd like to make it clear that I am not a prescriptive linguist who highly values one variety over others. In fact, in this activity specifically, I am very descriptive. I am just an observer of a phenomenon that for many years has led us Omanis, linguists and non linguists, to wonder why on earth is there a huge linguistic gap between what is really heard in Oman and what is heard in the Omani media?

We are the world, we are the linguists! Linguists of the world stand united...

If you think linguists are simply nerds living in the world of academia digging up books because they're mad about language, check this out; they have singing talents too! Not very catchy, but the lyrics are humorous and indeed speak the truth (although I'm not sure about the grammar part).

Thank you professors and students of linguistics in Budapest for coming up with this creative way to appreciate linguistics and linguists. Great performance! 

This is dedicated to all linguists in the world :)

There comes a time
When we heed a certain call,
When linguists must come together as one. 
There are people speaking,
They bind and c-command;
It's grammar, the greatest gift of all.

We can't go on 
Pretending day by day
That we know our language works in the brain.
We are all a part of 
God's linguist family,
And the truth, you know, grammar's all we need.

We are the world,
We are the linguists,
We are the ones who make a brighter day 
By making theories.
There's a choice we're making
By forming hypotheses 
And we'll describe a language 
Just you and me. 

Send them a research group
So they'll know that someone cares 
And their data will be thoroughly explored.
God has shown us 
By turning stone to bread 
That even a linguist must be fed.

We are the world,
We are the linguists,
We are the ones who make a brighter day 
By making theories.
There's a choice we're making
By forming hypotheses 
And we'll describe a language 
Just you and me. 

When you're criticized 
There seems no hope at all,
But if you just believe 
There's a usage-based approach.
Well, well, well, well, let us realize 
That debates will always come 
Even though we stand together as one.

We are the world,
We are the linguists,
We are the ones who make a brighter day 
By making theories.
There's a choice we're making
By forming hypotheses 
And we'll describe a language 
Just you and me.

Andaman Islands linguistic treasures, documented just before extinction

The BBC recently reported that Professor Anvita Abbi at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, managed to compile a dictionary of 4 endangered languages spoken in the Andaman Islands. Most parts of Andaman Islands politically belong to India, while a small part belongs to Myanmar. Although it only captures a small angle of language, dictionaries are a good way to document the lexis (vocabulary) of an endangered language. Apparently, Andaman Islands are one of the most linguistically diverse spots in the world although many of these languages are critically endangered according to the UNESCO website. 

It took Professor Abbi 6 years to compile the dictionary of the 4 endangered languages in the Island which are the Bo, Khora, Jeru and Sare languages. While working on her research, Bo and Khora became extinct. Bo, an ancient language of a culture that is more than 65,000 years old died with its last speaker early in 2010. The rapid rate at which languages are dying is compelling enough to try and avoid such a loss in some of the minority languages spoken in Oman. 

Professor Abbi with Boa Sr, the last speaker of the Bo language.

Professor Abbi’s words, "This was my way of documenting ancient and traditional knowledge as words are cultural, archaeological, and environmental signatures of a community” should be indeed a motivation so save the left signatures of the endangered languages in Oman. 

The original article about Professor Abbi's great achievement can be accessed here.

An innovative way to save an endangered language: Possible in Oman?

Lakota is an endangered language spoken in the United States and some parts of Canada by Native Americans who descend from the Sioux tribes. Lakota’s situation is not very different from Jabbali, since the former has around 6000 speakers left while the latter has around 5000. It is mostly the older generation who can speak Lakota fluently.

A Lakota chief 1885 (from Wikipedia) 

However, the good news is that in an effort to save Lakota from dying, the animated cartoon The Berenstain Bears, which for decades has been aired in various languages including Arabic, is now going to be aired in Lakota.  That's right, The Berenstain Bears are going to be speaking Lakota as part of a project that attempts to spread the language to the younger Sioux generation in order to preserve the language. 

The Berenstain Bears was created in 1962

I think this approach to save a language is innovative. Instead of accepting the fact that the language is dying hence document it, record it, and observe it from the older generation while it’s at the verge of extinction, this project attempts to preserve the language not by saving it on paper, but by teaching it to little children, and therefore the possibility of having another generation that speaks the language. In other words, this project foresees the possibility of saving a language by giving children access to another source of input of the language, which is probably more interesting and captivating to them than a conversation with an old person in their family. Consequently, this can increase their chances of acquiring the language.

This brilliant idea makes me wonder if such a project is possible to adopt in Oman. Knowing that a language which is more or less in a similar condition to Jabbali is getting a lot of attention and effort is a motivation. What makes it impossible in Oman?

I leave you now with the Lokata Berenstain Bears trailer:

Jabbali, an endangered language in Oman: is it worth a look before it’s gone?

The fact that the Jabbali language in the south of Oman is in danger of extinction cannot be denied. The younger generation do not have the same mastery of the language as their parents, who have even less command of it compared to their own parents. The UNESCO website lists Jabbali (which has a different spelling variation, ‘Jibbali’) as a 'severely endangered' language; and only about 5000 speakers are left.

I’m not sure what is being done about the situation of Jabbali, but it certainly needs a more serious stand and a stronger push. If the critical situation of Jabbali continues to be ignored and overlooked, the language will actually extinct. Some might argue that language change is unavoidable in situations where there is another language dominating a society (in this case Arabic), however while this might be true, it does not mean that an endangered language should be left to die without documenting and recording it.

Jabbali, just like any language is a treasure on its own. It gives you insights to the culture of its speakers, how they think and see things, how they do things and how they live their lives in general. It is a culture on its own and losing it would be a real cultural loss in Oman. The Jabbalis for instance, have a wide plant vocabulary due to their wide use of these products of nature in their daily lives. This suggests that they have a wide knowledge of herbal healing or medicating by plants. Documenting the language can save this knowledge which can lead to the development of plant science or botany.

Let’s make the most of Jabbali while it struggles to survive.

Do Omani broadcasters suffer from linguistic insecurity?

Every time I tune in the radio to a local Arabic FM channel and a music program is on, I stop to ask myself, are these broadcasters directing their speech to an Omani audience? Or are they directing it to a Gulf audience in general? As a listener of such programs (and away from being an objective linguist for a second) I would say that I find the use of ‘Khaleeji’ Arabic features in their speech radical, unrealistic and sometimes unfriendly. There is hardly any consideration for the language of the caller who is usually an Omani speaking a more ‘realistic’ variety of local Arabic that is more common in the country. It surprises me that it doesn’t seem to occur to the broadcaster that speaking in such a divergent way emphasises the distance between him/her and the caller; especially in music programs where the context is meant to be relaxed and informal. 

Many would argue that this is actually the way the broadcaster speaks and that it is far from artificial; or some might argue that it is a personal choice. Indeed both arguments could be true but when you listen to the vast majority of callers speaking in a different way and that they sound very similar to each other linguistically, while the broadcaster sounds very different, one can’t help but ask, what is it that motivates the broadcasters to continue distancing themselves from the language of the local public and choose to speak in Khaleeji Arabic? Is it because Omani dialects lack prestige? Are Omani dialects embarrassing? Is it because they have linguistic insecurity? Or is it because they look up to other Gulf countries and wish to be more similar to them? Should a broadcaster ignore the way most of his callers speak and continue to speak in the way s/he chooses? Is it really a matter of personal choice, or a deeper issue that goes beyond egocentrism?

As I listen to the FM, I'll keep wondering why there is a big gap between the linguistic reality in Oman and the public face of it which is heard through the media.

علم اللغويات للجميع

لقد اختصر علي مقال للكاتب وإخصائي اللغة بيغهام، رئيس تحرير مجلة مختصة بعلم اللغة الكثير مما اريد ان اقوله عن هذا العلم وسوء فهمه وعدم وضوحه لدى الكثيرين. اختصر علي المقال الكثير من الكلمات ، فهو يحكي واقع غاليبة من درسوا علم اللغويات. انه سوء الفهم لهذا العلم وقلة المعرفة به بل وعدم الدراية بوجوده في كثير من الاحيان!  ولا يجب ان يقع اللوم هنا على من لم يسمعوا بهذا العلم، بل على اصحاب الدراسة في رأي الكاتب الذين يجدر بهم نشر ما تعلموه بصورة اكبر وبالطريقة التي يستوعبها القارئ الغير متخصص بهذا العلم. ومما يزيد من حجم الفجوة بين المتخصصين بهذا العلم والغير متخصصين به هو عدم الاهتمام به كعلم في كثير من الدول ومنها (وبشكل كبير) الدول العربية. فلا يزال الكثيرون في هذه الدول يستصغرون العلوم الاجتماعية والانسانية.

يسأل الكاتب في حيرة عن سبب عدم ثقافة المجتمع في علم اللغة ويخشى ان يكون المتخصصين في هذا العلم السبب في ذلك لانهم لم يجتهدوا بالشكل الكافي لايصال محتوى هذا العلم ولو بشكل بسيط الى الفرد العادي في المجتمع. اي ان الكاتب يرى ان المختصون بعلم اللغة لم ينشروا هذا العلم الى القارئ الغير متخصص في اللغة كما ينبغي.

يشير الكاتب الى نقطة مهمة وملهمة جدا في نفس الوقت. يقول انه اذا كان بامكان علماء الفيزياء وعلم النفس من نشر الكثير من مفاهيم علومهم للقراء الغير مختصين في هذه المجالات بحيث تصل افاكرهم وحصيلة بحوثهم الى اي فرد في المجتمع، فلماذا لا يفعلون الاخصائيون اللغويون مثل ذلك؟ كانت هذه الفكرة المحركة للكاتب والتي شجعته على بدء مجلة عن علم اللغة التي تسعى لكاتبة مقالات عن احدث البحوث في هذا العلم وشتى مجالاته الفرعية. اي ان المجلة تكتب لغير المتخصصين في هذا المجال، بحيث تصل المعلومة بشكل مبسط وبعيد عن التعقيد لمن يود ان يتعلم عن هذا العلم بغير هدف الاختصاص.

اسعدني قراءة هذا المقال لانه بالفعل لا يكاد المتخصص بعلم اللغة ان يقول انه كذلك حتى تتبدل الوجوه الى علامات استفام كبيرة او سوء فهم حيث يظن الكثيرون ان علماء اللغة هم بالضرورة مدرسوا لغة انجليزية او مترجمون او قد درسوا الادب الانجليزي.  لقد جاء الاوان لبذل جهد اكبر لاعلام الافراد في المجتمع وتثقيفهم اكثر عن هذا العلم الذي يسهم في فهم ما قد يكون من اقدم الظواهر البشرية، الا وهي اللغة والتي هي في تطور دائم.