Volume 3 - Issue 9 (2025-12-20)

Syntactic Variation in Jordanian Arabic: Sociolinguistic Patterns, Regional Influences, and Implications for Language Technology

Researcher: Musab Yassir Al Matarneh

PhD Student at Mysore University

Head of the Department of Private Educational Institutions Structures

Private Education Directorate

Ministry of Education

This study investigates syntactic variation in Jordanian Arabic, drawing on a corpus of 2,847 clauses from 180 speakers across northern, central, and southern regions. Employing quantitative variationist methods and insights from Construction Grammar, we analyze word order (VSO vs. SVO), object placement, and clitic doubling, revealing systematic correlations with age, region, education, and discourse context. Findings indicate a shift toward SVO dominance (62% overall), influenced by urbanization and contact with Palestinian and Syrian dialects. Sociolinguistic implications highlight syntactic choices as markers of identity and formality. We discuss applications for Arabic language technology, including adaptive parsers and dialect-aware NLP systems. This research advances understanding of Levantine dialectal dynamics and supports inclusive language policies.