The Judeo-Arabic Dialect of Yefren (Libya): Phonological and Morphological Notes

The present paper offers a preliminary description of the Judeo-Arabic variety spoken in Yefren (Libya), based on interviews collected from three old female informants. The paper analyzes the phonology and morphology of the dialect, attempting some sociolinguistic considerations on issues of dialect contact between Muslim and Jewish variety of Libyan Arabic. In conclusion, the paper discusses the position of Yefreni Judeo-Arabic within the context of Libyan and North African Judeo-Arabic as a whole. While belonging to the Eqa:l group of North-African Judeo-Arabic, a sufficient number of isoglosses allows us to posit the existence of two separate subgroups within Libyan Judeo-Arabic, here indicated as the Tripoli and Yefreni type.