Linguistic Phenomena in the Kanembu Language: A Comparative Phonological Analysis

Abstract

       This study seeks to analyze phonological phenomena and conduct a comparative examination of the Kanembu language and Arabic, with the aim of highlighting areas of convergence, divergence, and similarity. It also explores the influence of linguistic phenomena on language structure and their significance in social and cultural contexts.

Many speakers of Kanembu claim that their origins are from the Arabian Peninsula and argue that their language was originally Arabic, based on their belief in an Arab lineage. This assumption is not inconsistent with the foundations of scientific research, as there is no definitive scientific evidence linking between ethnicities in African or Asian and Arab race. This notion, which has long occupied human thought, still requires meticulous and rigorous research to be substantiated.

Ethnic groups that embraced Islam early, accepted its teachings, and received them directly from the Prophet’s companions or their followers, often view themselves as more closely connected to the prophetic lineage. They believe their ancestors were descendants of the Prophet’s household, and, by extension, believe that their language is one of the dialects inherited from this noble ancestry. In this study, we examine the linguistic interference present in their version of Arabic, treating it as a phenomenon worthy of detailed linguistic investigation.