Arabic Dialectology: Methodology and Field Research

Obviously, many books and handbooks are used to prepare for linguistic fieldwork. However, these do not describe the specific intricacies of fieldwork within Semitic dialectology and the regions of its concern, especially the Middle East and North Africa. The existing literature on Semitic dialectology, then again, often omits the author's own experiences and difficulties they faced during their fieldwork, which keeps the fieldwork methodology out of discussion. The volume Arabic Dialectology discusses field research and methodology in Semitic dialectology for the first time considering them from different perspectives and angles. It consists of three parts, which have been separated thematically. The first part "Field Research: Practical Experience" contains articles that focus on field research in Arabic-speaking countries. The authors not only talk about methods they use but also quote from memories, sometimes quite vividly of the problems they had to face. The second part of the volume concerns "Tools, Methods and Historical Sources", while the third part contains samples of questionnaires that have already been used in field research.