From Lexical Meaning To Contextual Interpretation: Gradable Adjectives in Ramthawi Arabic A Qualitative and Descriptive Study of Word Meaning and Context

Abstract

This paper examines the meaning of gradable adjectives and degree modification in Ramthawi Arabic. It focuses on adjectives such as ṭawīl ‘tall’, kabīr ‘big’, ġāli ‘expensive’, ḥāmi ‘hot’, and zuʔug ‘overly salty’, and layig ‘beautiful/nice’whose interpretation can change depending on context. The study argues that these meanings cannot be understood through basic word meaning alone. Speakers also rely on comparison groups, shared expectations, and information from the situation. The paper examines positive comparatives, and superlative meanings, as well as degree modifiers such as kthīr ‘very/a lot’ and gattoma/šway ‘little’. It uses a qualitative and descriptive semantic approach based on representative Ramthawi Arabic examples. The theoretical framework combines lexical meaning, gradability, comparison, degree modification, and contextual interpretation. The analysis shows that the interpretation of gradable adjectives results from an interaction between word meaning and context. The paper therefore highlights the importance of Ramthawi Arabic for studying how speakers understand degrees, comparison, and meaning in everyday communication.