South Mesopotamian Arabic

South Mesopotamian Arabic or Marsh Arabic or commonly known as Basrawai is a variety of Mesopotamian Arabic spoken by Southern Iraqis in Basra, Maysan, Dhi Qar, Wasit and Muthanna. This dialect differs distinctly from other dialects of Iraq and features a strong Aramaic and Sumerian influence. One of the most noticeable features of South Mesopotamian Arabic is the existence of the sounds,, and.

Phonology

The following describes the sounds of the Baṣra dialect:

Consonants

Sounds /, / are only heard from loanwords.
is more commonly heard as the reflex of // in the Baṣra dialect, whereas // more commonly is heard in cultural words or names.
// may also be heard as a fricative in rural areas.

Vowels

// can be heard as in word-final positions. It may be pronounced as when in positions of pharyngeal consonants
// can be heard as in word-final positions. It may be pronounced as when after pharyngealized consonants.
/, / is typically heard as when in palatal consonant environments. It is heard as when in pharyngealized environments.