The Role of Dialect in Shaping Palestinian National Identity

Abstract

This study examines the important role of the Palestinian Arabic dialect in the development and maintenance of Palestinian national identity. The research, situated within a qualitative, interpretive framework, analyzes linguistic characteristics, cultural expressions, and media products to comprehend how dialect serves as a symbol of resistance, unity, and historical continuity. The study illustrates, through thematic and contextual investigations of literary texts, musical lyrics, oral traditions, and cinematic works, that the Palestinian dialect functions as both a medium of communication and a carrier for collective memory, as well as a mechanism for cultural and political assertion. The results indicate that dialect contributes to the formation of identity across various geographic and geopolitical settings, particularly within displaced and diasporic people. The study examines critical research inquiries on the uniqueness of Palestinian Arabic, its significance in cultural production, and its impact on intergenerational identity transmission. Limitations due to the current war in Gaza and related displacement have impacted primary data collection, particularly the ability to conduct interviews. The research finishes by highlighting the dialect's significant value in preserving Palestinian identity and offers recommendations for future studies that combine ethnographic approaches and comparative analysis.