Gender Differences in the Use of Negation Markers in Qassimi Arabic: A Sociolinguistic Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the use of negation markers in the Qassimi Arabic (QA), a variety of Najdi Arabic, spoken in central-north Saudi Arabia. Employing a qualitative approach, we observed the speech patterns of 28 Qassimi speakers (14 male, 14 female; ages 28–34). The local negators Muhub/Mub were used by 39% of males but only 12.4% of females. Conversely, the supralocal negator Mu was used by all females (35.6%) and a smaller portion of males (12.9%). These findings highlight gender differences in negation marker preference within the Qassim dialect. The study aims to improve communication between genders and encourage broader understanding of linguistic variation in Najdi Arabic.