The Phonetic Assimilation in Qur'an

ورقة مؤتمر

2005

 
Abstract:
 
          This paper investigates the phonetic assimilation in the Qur'anic verses.
Assimilation as a universal phenomenon is defined by many phoneticians as Shane,
Roach, Langacker and many others as a phonological process where there is a change of one sound into another because of the neighbouring sounds. Roach defines two kinds of assimilation: regressive and progressive. Phonologically, assimilation is found to have its own peculiarities, thus this process has its own conditions and terms when applicable to the Qur'anic verses. Adopting Roach 's classifications, three kinds of assimilation are dealt with in this paper: Iqlab, Idgham and Ikhfaa. Each of these processes is found to have its own environment of occurrence and conditions of articulations. Idgham ,for example, occurs between two words under specific conditions. Ikhfaa and Iqlab occur either within a word or across word boundaries. But the common feature of the three processes is the presence of the alveolar nasal /n/ of the 'silent n' or ''attanween''. Regressive assimilation is found to be more applicable than progressive one.