Date:  Tue, 29 Nov 1994 19:21:54 -0800

From:  "Alan S. Kaye" <AKAYE[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CCVAX.FULLERTON.EDU>

Subject: Re: 'the' in place names (Kaye)



Re the loss of the definite article in languages:



English names such as 'The Sudan' is a direct calque from Arabic. Lebanon

is via French influence. Cairo is (in Arabic) al-qaahira (I have never

seen 'The Cairo' in English, but cf. 'Le Caire'). What is interesting

about Alexandria is that the Al (Arabic def. art. historically) is dropped

in spoken Arabic, yet is never dropped in writing or in the classical

standard. The answer for this change is simple: there is no functional

yield to the article. It is beginning to be dropped in spoken Arabic in other

cases. The Calif. English case cited re 'the 91' or '91' for freeway

names is a fantastic parallel (universal grammar) or a coincidence

(again universal gm), or both? Does everyone agree?



I would like to ask other linguists for 'the' losses in dialects/

idiolects of the same language and/or different registers (Arabic

diglossia). Do some Spanish dialects delete the el or la on names of

places? Ever?



Alan Kaye

Linguistics

CSU

Fullerton, CA 92634