Arabic dialectology and the influence of Coptic on Egyptian Arabic

The Arabic language includes many dialects that differ considerably from one another. In fact, they differ in almost every linguistic category: syntax, morphology, phonology, style and the lexicon. Written and spoken varieties also differ greatly, which is why Arabic is a prime example of diglossia within a single language. The dialects of Arabic were influenced by languages spoken previously in those regions. In addition, written Arabic has remained syntactically, morphologically and phonologically essentially unchanged for over a millennium. The spoken varieties, however, have evolved freely. This thesis will describe some of the differences that exist between these dialects and it will demonstrate that some of these differences are a result of the influence of substratum languages on Arabic. In particular, it will focus on the influence of Coptic on Egyptian Arabic.