The use of question tags in Jordanian Arabic by Facebook users

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the use of question tags among Jordanian female and male Facebook users and identify some commonly used words for question tags in colloquial Arabic. To this end, a focus group was formed, comprising individuals who possessed an advanced command of the Arabic language and an understanding of sociolinguistic concepts. In addition, a corpus of 515 comments on controversial topics was compiled. Data were analyzed by semi-automatically retrieving it from computerized sources and then analyzing it within its context. The analysis revealed that question tags in Jordanian Arabic serve various functions, including mitigation, confirmation, doubt, hedging, inviting response or interaction, and convincing. The study also found that the use of question tags differs between males and females and can be influenced by linguistic and social factors. Females tend to use question tags more frequently than males, which could be attributed to social norms, cultural expectations, and gender stereotypes in language use. As for linguistic factors, they include various elements, including intonation patterns and word choice. Females typically employ rising intonation patterns, which can give a statement the quality of a question, whereas males more commonly use falling intonation patterns. Furthermore, females tend to employ more polite and indirect language, whereas males often opt for a more direct and assertive communication style. The implications of this linguistic variation highlight the need for awareness and sensitivity to gender differences in communication styles.