Supralocalization of linguistic innovations in Egypt: Evidence from Minya Arabic

Supralocalization in Egypt is facilitated by factors like higher education, urbanization, and domestic migration. The most notable supralocal features in Egypt are those associated with Cairo Arabic, which holds a prominent status throughout the country. One of these distinctive features is the [ɡ] variant of (dʒ), known as “jīm” in Arabic. This study reports results from an investigation into the diffusion of [ɡ] within Minya Governorate, situated approximately 200 kilometers to the south of Cairo and extending for about 130 kilometers along the Nile River, where [dʒ] is the predominant variant. Data collection involved interviews with 62 participants, selected based on gender, age, education, and place of residence, along with a survey completed by 61 participants. The linguistic factors under examination included style and the sounds preceding and following the target variant of (dʒ). Results indicate substantial diffusion of [ɡ] in Minya, particularly among highly educated urbanites and rural migrants, especially in careful style. The study also discusses the implications of these results as related to identity projection among Minya Arabic speakers.