The structure of ʔillaa as a response particle in Najdi Arabic: a lexical account

Abstract

This paper examines a specialized use of the particle ʔillaa in Najdi Arabic (NA), where it functions as a clause‑initial response particle whose use is restricted only to negative contexts. By comparing it with its counterpart particle balaa in Classical Arabic, the paper identifies the structural patterns in which ʔillaa occurs and shows that its primary linguistic role is to deny or negate a negative assumption. In addition to describing and classifying the constructions of ʔillaa, the paper attempts to offer a theoretical lexical account of ʔillaa using the framework of Head‑driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG). It argues that ʔillaa in NA has shifted via the process of grammaticalization from an exceptional marker to this specific use. It also proposes that ʔillaa here can be analyzed as a clausal particle that can occur alone as a complete independent clause (i.e., it does not have any categorial or semantic selectional properties).