The Sociolinguistic Connotations of /p/ and /v/ in Cairo Arabic

The present paper is a preliminary study of the sociolinguistic implications of the pronunciation of the variants /p/ and /v/ in loan-words by males and females in Cairo. ¹ These variants are realised in two variant forms in Cairo Arabic which, for lack of better terms, we will call the ‘foreign’ and ‘native’ forms. In their foreign form these variants are articulated as in English or French. In their native form, these variants are rendered as /b/ and /f/ respectively. For the purposes of this study, loan-words are regarded as lexical items of foreign origin which appear in the speech of monolinguals in Cairo, for example Paris, pantaloon, pullover, video, villa and veranda. In investigating the sociolinguistic significance of the above variants in their foreign form, the present study will draw on the speech of four groups, each with a different socio-economic profile.