Abstract
In this paper, the pragmatic functions served by ḥāshāk and its variants in colloquial Algerian Arabic (CAA) are unravelled. Literally, ḥāshāk means “You’re exalted/exempt from X/I distance you from X,” where X is a bad thing or socially/religiously unacceptable act. Its variants include ḥāsha, ḥāshākem, ḥāshāh/ḥāshāha/ḥāshāhem, maḥashākesh, and the verb ḥāsha/ḥāshi. As far as the author is aware, this is the first study on the pragmatics of ḥāshāk and its variants in colloquial (Algerian) Arabic. Two complementary data sets were collected and analyzed: an online survey administered to native speakers (N= 263) and a corpus of naturally occurring examples gained using an ethnographic method (N= 172). The findings indicated that the core semantic import (exaltative/excepting/exempting meaning) is retained in CAA and further extended to perform other pragmatic functions: apologetic, appreciative, requestive, concessive, critical, defensive, and sarcastic. These intertwined functions are expected in an array of highly conventionalized contexts. These findings were discussed from an eclectic perspective (e.g., pragmatic reversal, pragmatic markers, politeness theory, and rapport management).
About the author
Boudjemaa Dendenne is an associate professor of English language and linguistics in the Department of Foreign Languages at the Ecole Normale Supérieure/Teacher Education College – Messaoud Zeghar, Sétif, Algeria. He is also a member of the Research Laboratory on Language Didactics at the same college, and head of one of its research groups. Boudjemaa’s main research areas include: pragmatics, teaching/researching pragmatics in an EFL context, and English as a lingua franca and its implications for EFL pedagogy. Boudjemaa published in a number of journals like the Journal of Pragmatics, TESL-EJ, Language Related Research, and Migration and Language Education. In addition, he presented at the 17th International Pragmatics Association Conference (IPrA17, 2021), and contributed a chapter to the edited volume entitled: virtual English as a lingua franca (published by Routledge, 2023).
Appendix The survey questions (translation from Arabic)
Will you identify your gender?
Will you identify the age range you belong to?
Will you mention in which Wilaya/District you have been raised?
Will you share your educational level?
How frequent can one use/hear ḥāshāk and its variants in everyday life?
Can you list some of the situations and contexts that require the use of ḥāshāk or one of its variants?
Can you mention some of the sentences or expressions that include ḥāshāk or one of its variants, which you have used/heard recently?
How do you often reply to someone who mentions ḥāshāk or one of its variants, while addressing you/in your presence?
Would you mind kindly sharing some of the observations on ḥāshāk and its variants (which might be relevant to our study)?
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