A Phonological Study of English and Arabic Assimilation : A Contrastive Study

Abstract

        Assimilation is defined ,by many phoneticians like  Schane ,Roach ,and many others, as a phonological process when there is a change of one sound into another because of  neighboring sounds.This study investigates the  phoneme assimilation as a phonological process in English and Arabic  and it is concerned specifically with the differences and similarities in both languages.   Actually ,this study reflects the different terms which are used  in Arabic to refer to this phenomenon and in this way it  shows whether the term 'assimilation ' can have the same meaning of  'idgham' in Arabic or not . Besides, in Arabic , this phenomenon is discussed from  the point of view the modern and classical Arab linguists especially   Sibawayh's indication to this natural  process in classical Arabic and   different views of the tajweed scholars and Qura'an reciters  are involved in the discussion where detailed examples are taken mostly from the Qura'an . However ,it is found that kinds of  assimilation in Arabic are more varied than  in English  and the researcher tries to state the major and  minor ones briefly. It is hoped that this study can contribute to a better understanding of this phenomenon in both languages  .