Acoustic Differences in the Production of Plain and Emphatic Consonants in Speakers of Ruwaili Arabic

<p dir="ltr">Numerous studies have investigated Arabic dialects, including Syrian, Jordanian, Egyptian, and Iraqi Arabic. While some research has focused on dialects within Saudi Arabia, such as Najdi and Hijazi Arabic, certain regional varieties remain understudied. Among these is Ruwaili Arabic, which has received little scholarly attention. One of the primary objectives of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive phonetic and phonological analysis of this dialect.</p><p dir="ltr">A central issue in Arabic phonetics and phonology is emphasis spread, a phenomenon that has been debated among scholars. Therefore, another major objective of this thesis is to investigate emphasis spread in Ruwaili Arabic, with a particular focus on reliable acoustic cues, the extent and directionality of emphasis spread, and the role of gender in its realization. To address these questions, the thesis comprises four Chapters (Chapters 3-6), each focusing on a specific aspect of emphasis.</p>