Dialect Contact and the Emergence of an Algerian Arabic Koiné in Tlemcen Speech Community

Abstract

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the outcomes of dialect contact in Tlemcen speech community. Through a variety of research methods and instruments, research has brought up fascinating results particularly at the linguistic and social levels. Three linguistic parameters as phonology, morphology and lexicon are touched by koineization processes especially when related to social variables namely formality, gender and ethnicity as well as participants’ attitudes towards a dialectal lingua franca use. The study has ended up by a proposition of a model, compared to other worldwide models, for regional koiné formation that might be emerging in Tlemcen community.