Diglossia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diglossia - Research Paper Example Keywords: Arabic, diglossia, Classical Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, Iraqi/Syrian dialect Arabic is among the diglossic languages of the world because two formal varieties exist in concurrent use. These varieties are Classical Arabic (CA) and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Both are referred to as al-lugha al-fusha or simply fusha for short, the latter part being pronounced as al-fuS-Ha and meaning ‘pure’ or ‘most eloquent’. Badawi however, distinguishes between al-fusha al-turath for CA and al-fusha al-‘asr for MSA (Ryding, 2005: 4). This distinction reflects the historical and cultural differences as CA pertains to Arab heritage (al-turath) and MSA pertains to the modern era (al-‘asr). Vincent Monteil (1960) thus regarded MSA as a modern development of the old classical form of CA. There are also colloquial forms and various dialects but the main distinction is drawn between the two aforementioned literary forms. Many Arabs and indeed Muslims r egard CA as the pure form, as it is the form used in the Holy Quran and the form used in heaven, and therefore regard all other varieties as inferior. The syntax and morphology of CA have thus remained intact but the lexicon present in MSA is changed. This classical form is the same globally although it has few fluent speakers whereas the other varieties are distinct enough â€Å"so as to impede mutual intelligibility† (Tan, 1999: 264). Nonetheless, the spoken varieties tend to be of greater practical benefit in the present age, as shown in a study by Palmer (2008). On the other hand, MSA, which functions as a global lingua franca, is used by the media and â€Å"stirs pan-Arab nationalistic feelings in the Arab world† (Palmer, 2008: 93). Above all, it also allows for greater intelligibility of the Holy Quran from being closer to CA and is the more respected and educated variety. It functions as educated Arabic speech because it is â€Å"characterized by general intell igibility among great regional and stylistic diversity† (Mitchell, 1986). Essentially therefore, despite a multiplicity of forms and dialects, Arabic is a prime example of diglossia. The term ‘diglossia’ was first used by the Greeks to describe two different varieties of their language, namely Dhimotiki and Katharevousa. Diglossia was more recently examined by Charles Ferguson (1959) in his book ‘Diglossia’ in which three other diglossic languages were identified including Arabic. It â€Å"describes any stable linguistic situation, in which there exists a strict functional differentiation between a (socially) ‘L(ow)-variety’ and a distinct ‘H(igh)-variety’† (Bussmann, 2006: 345). The latter is differentiated from the former by being more grammatically complex, standardised and formal. Gumperz (1964) considered linguistic societies as diglossic if functionally distinct varieties were found, but did not regard them as bi lingual because of their close relationship whereas Fishman (1967) related diglossia closely to bilingualism. Other scholars who have studied diglossia include Kremnitz (1987) and Willemyns & Bister (1989). As far as the various dialects of Arabic are concerned, the present day dialects can be roughly divided according to four geographical regions, which are: (1) Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf, (2) Levantine, (3)

Principles of Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Principles of Economics - Essay Example Practically, it is very hard to model actions since there are so many distinct variables. The problem of alcohol abuse is not easily overcome because alcohol is highly addictive. In this case, if the alcohol abuser is an economist, he or she will consider many things that he or she would use to help him or her overcome the situation. They will look at the opportunity cost whereby they will consider buying those goods that are best for their health other than alcohol (Mantzavinos, 2001). Additionally, they will use cost benefit analysis by viewing the benefits accrued from stopping the habit of alcohol consumption which in this case out weight the disadvantages for example, wastage of money in purchasing alcohol (O'sullivan et al, 2011). More so, they will consider rational behavior by assuming which actions are necessary when they stop consuming alcohol. Lastly, an economist would look at the market forces of demand and supply of alcohol in that they will analyze the level at which a lcohol is supplied to the market and the price that alcohol come with. When the supply is not sufficient, they would prefer to stop drinking alcohol rather than continuing with the habit of looking for a commodity that is scarce and costly. More so, they will consider the level at which alcohol is demanded; therefore, they will analyze the possible outcomes of many people drinking alcohol. The possible way to help alcohol abuser is to assist them to realize that they have alcohol consumption problem. Friends and family members can help make the abuser realize that drinking is affecting them by being specific in their discussion. In this manner, the abuser may be willing to look for assistance when they are faced with the harm their alcohol consumption causes to others. With the help of friends and family members, the abuser is likely to overcome the problem of alcohol drinking. Other groups such as Alcoholic anonymous help the abusers by giving the patients the chance to assist each other to avoid alcohol consumption. 2. Analyze how prescription drugs affect the demand and supply of other products and services in this country. Prescription drugs have direct inclination to the trends of supply and demand of goods and services in a particular state (Porter, 1998). The sectors that are most likely to be affected include; the beneficiaries which in this case are the patients, private insurers and to the extreme public policies. These effects are generally predisposed and become inevitable because of the rise in costs of these prescription drugs. Rise in costs of prescribed drugs connotes that the beneficiaries have to go an extra mile to settle their health bills. This may include outsourcing finances that were initially allocated for a different purpose. Cutting down allocations from a different sector in order to fill the health gap translates to low purchasing power from the deprived sectors. 3. Formulate a reason why the elasticity of demand is an important co nsideration when analyzing the impact of a shift in supply and why the elasticity of supply is an important consideration when analyzing the impact of a shift in demand. Include at least one (1) example in each scenario. Price elasticity of demand attempts to measure how price change affects the quantity demanded by the prevailing market condition. The formulae for determining the price elasticity is as shown below. Price elasticity (PEoD) = (percentage change in Quantity demanded)/ (percentage chang