Unrevealing the Mesopotamian Jewish Arabic Dialect Continuum

• Applicant: Assaf Bar-Moshe, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Islamic Studies, Arabian Studies, Semitic Studies
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 491477923

In the past millennium, Jews residing in the river basins of the Tigris and the Euphrates conversed in a diverse array of Judeo-Arabic dialects. Classified within the qǝltu group of Mesopotamian Arabic, these dialects exhibit notable distinctions among them. Through a comparative analysis, the project aims to identify these differences and determine whether they signify a dialect continuum. Furthermore, the research endeavors to explore potential common ancestry or contact between Jewish dialects in Mesopotamia and in the northern Levant, despite their geographical dispersion.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Shabo Talay, Ph.D.