Semantic Shifts in Contemporary Arabic Dialects: The Dhofari Dialect as a Case Study in Language, Culture, and Identity

This study investigates how selected vocabulary items in the Dhofari Arabic dialect reveal broader patterns of semantic change in contemporary Arabic and what these shifts disclose about cultural and social transformations. Focusing on three examples of colloquial vocabulary with classical (fuṣḥā) origins, the research traces trajectories of meaning change while examining how pronunciation and usage preserve evidence of dialectal specificity and deep continuity with classical Arabic. By situating Dhofari within a wider linguistic and cultural landscape, the study highlights how contemporary dialects function as key archives for reconstructing the history of Arabic and the lived experiences of its speakers. The analysis also demonstrates how engaging seriously with so‑called “sub‑identities” encoded in local dialects can, paradoxically, reinforce the overarching classical identity, contributing to debates in the applied humanities on language policy, cultural heritage, and identity formation in the Arab world.