On the relationship between Arabic Foreigner Talk and Pidgin Arabic

Abstract The paper compares morphosyntactic and lexical features of the Arabic Foreigner Talk register to those of four Arabic-lexifier pidgins, Pidgin Madame, Jordanian Pidgin Arabic, Romanian Pidgin Arabic, and Gulf Pidgin Arabic. The comparative overview identifies a relatively significant number of features which Arabic Foreigner Talk shares with all or with at least some of these Arabic-lexifier pidgins. The paper proposes an account in terms of a feedback relationship whereby Arabic Foreigner Talk and Pidgin Arabic reinforce one another in the occurrence of these features.