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This study aims at discussing some phonological processes in Bani Kinanah Dialect of Arabic using the moraic approach and feature geometry. Nine processes are attested in the dialect. Among these, five syllable-based processes are discussed, namely, epenthesis, syncope, germination, vowel shortening, and stress. Three assimilation processes are also addressed, namely, assimilation of -l of the definite article, assimilation of t- of the detransitivizing prefix, and nasal place assimilation. The ninth process which is studied is the deletion of -h of the nominal/genitive third person dependent pronoun. Syllable-based processes apply whenever violations of language universal or specific constraints occur. For example, prepausal epenthesis applies obligatorily to forms with CVCC where the -CC cluster violates the Sonority Sequencing Generalization and the output is CVCVC structures. As for the assimilation processes, the notion of dominance and the obligatory contour principle (OCP) are employed to account for such processes. For instance, in the assimilation of -l of the definite article and -t of the detransitivizing prefix.

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Hesham Aldamen was born on 1st September, 1974 at Irbid, Jordan. He did his BA in English Language and Literature at Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan (1997), his MA in Linguistics at Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan (2007). He currently works as an INSTRUCTOR at the Department of English Language and Literature at Yarmouk University.

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