Safaitic

Facts

  • Language: Safaitic
  • Alternate names:
  • Language code: dxnas
  • Language family: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, West Semitic, Central Semitic, Arabian
  • Number of speakers:
  • Script:

More information:

    Introduction

    The linguistic classification of the dialects expressed by the Safaitic script continues to be debated. The distinction between Safaitic and Classical Arabic is based on the definite article ha- in Safaic, in contrast to 'al in Classical Arabic. As more inscriptions have been found, , it is clear that the Safaitic dialects make use of a variety of definite article forms, including 'al, and even a simple 'a-. Based on this fact, it is supposed that the Safaitic script represent a linguistic continuum, on which Classical Arabic and other older forms of the language lie.

    Safaitic Verb

    The verb has six principle parts: a SUFFIX CONJUGATION, PREFIX CONJUGATION, IMPERATIVE, INFINITIVE, ACTIVE PARTICIPLE, and PASSIVE PARTICIPLE. The purely consonantal orthography often makes it unclear as to which of these is encountered in a given inscription and so both syntactic and pragmatic contexts are required to disambiguate the majority offorms.

    Finite forms have

    Verblist

    External Links