| المستخلص: |
This thesis explores the implementation of definiteness in Algerian Arabic as spoken in Tebessa where it is realized using various surface forms (allomorphs) of a prefixed definite article. The distribution of the allomorphs is dictated by the surrounding phonological environment which is described in terms of the segment following the definite article (coronal vs. non-coronal consonants) and that preceding it, if any, (consonant vs. vowel). At times, definiteness in the inspected dialect is apparent perceptually but not morphologically. As such, this study aims at identifying the allomorphs of the definite article and the general patterns of their distribution, revealing the acoustic cues of definiteness, and describing the underlying phonological motivation for the allomorphs' distribution. To this end, 16 participants took part in a production experiment. They produced definite and indefinite pairs of 55 monosyllabic nouns which cover the occurrence of the coronal and non-coronal consonants as simple onsets and as the first constituents of bi-consonantal onsets. The stimuli were produced in isolation and embedded in the expressions /ʃuft.../ (I saw) and /ʃufnæ../ (We saw). The data were analysed impressionistically and acoustically. The impressionistic analysis revealed that the definite article was realized as one of the following allomorphs: the zero allomorph (Ø), /I/, or /IV/. The acoustic analysis indicated that - with the exception of the centre of gravity - VOT, closure duration, consonant duration, and vowel duration were significant acoustic correlates of definiteness; each parameter was generally longer in the definite production. The phonological motivation for the distribution of the allomorphs was grounded in prefixing the definite article without incurring impermissible sound sequences.
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