Abstract

Sociolinguistics, by studying the reciprocal influence between language and society, seeks to analyze the role of language in human interactions. The novel, as a linguistic discourse encompassing a wide range of literary styles, serves as a window through which the reader can perceive social realities from a linguistic perspective.
Hybridization is defined as the blending of language with various literary styles within a single literary work, allowing for an analysis that integrates diverse voices and perspectives. It also enables the study of a broad spectrum of individual and social voices. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi vividly embodies different forms of hybridization.
This study aims to examine and analyze the manifestations of hybridization in this novel using a descriptive-analytical method. The findings indicate that hybridization appears in two main dimensions: unintentional and intentional. In the unintentional dimension, the author unconsciously incorporates borrowed vocabulary from Classical Arabic. In the intentional hybridization, Alharthi elevates the integration of her narrative language with various literary styles by employing intertextual references to the Quran and Hadith, incorporating proverbs and Omani colloquial dialect, and utilizing typographical hybridization.
The author employs elements of hybridization to reflect class disparities in society, reinforce religious guidance and moral lessons, and affirm the cultural foundations of her community. This contributes to engaging the reader and enriching the novel, significantly influencing the representation of different societal voices and enabling the reader to grasp the contradictions embedded within its structure.
 
Keywords: Sociolinguistics, Hybridization, Celestial Bodies, Omani Novel.
 
Extended summary
 

Introduction

The language constitutes the fundamental material of the novel. Language serves as a primary and prominent tool in embodying narrative and novelistic concepts, as it enables the writer to convey descriptions, emotions, concerns, thoughts, and critiques to the reader. Moreover, the novel functions as an effective medium for reflecting linguistic and literary issues and is capable of portraying social realities through language.
Sociolinguistics examines the influences of society on language and vice versa, aiming to analyze the social and cultural roles of language in human interactions, individual and collective identity, social and political changes, and manifestations of power. Studying the impact of society on language, or vice versa, allows for a deeper understanding of characters, narrative realities, and the writer’s intent. It also reveals various aspects of the novel, such as social transformations and cultural exchanges.
The study of novels that interlink language with social, cultural, and psychological issues holds significant importance. Research that delves deeply into linguistic interactions gains further value, as it allows for the exploration of a broad spectrum of individual and social voices.
The study of the novel Celestial Bodies is of great significance, as it incorporates various forms of linguistic and literary blending. This analysis can provide insights into the author’s motivations and her purpose in utilizing these forms to reflect diverse social and cultural concepts. Examining this novel from a sociolinguistic critical perspective and investigating the relationship between language and different literary forms is crucial and highly valuable due to the importance of language and society as well as the role of language in reflecting social realities and individual and collective voices.

Materials & Methods

This study aims to apply the sociolinguistic approach to analyze the process of blending and hybridization between different linguistic and literary forms in Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi. The goal is to highlight social and cultural diversity, reflect conflicts and differences within society, and convey valuable social messages to the audience.
This research examines Celestial Bodies by Omani author Jokha Alharthi from the perspective of sociolinguistics and hybridization, employing a descriptive-analytical method. The study seeks to identify, present, and scientifically analyze the hybrid elements present in this novel.
This research examines the novel Celestial Bodies by the Omani author Jokha Alharthi from the perspective of sociolinguistics and hybridization, using a descriptive-analytical approach. The study aims to identify, present, and scientifically analyze the elements of hybridization present in this novel.

Research findings

The author of Celestial Bodies, Jokha Alharthi, blends her narrative language with diverse literary techniques. This usage manifests in two dimensions: intentional and unintentional. In the unintentional dimension, the author utilizes borrowed words that have entered the Arabic language unconsciously. She also innovates her narrative language by unconsciously incorporating words from English or other languages. The use of these words enables her to convey her concepts and themes to the reader, enriching her narrative style.
In the intentional dimension, the author employs various literary techniques to communicate the ideas she wants to express, such as Quranic and Hadith intertextuality, hybridization (in its various forms, including linguistic nesting), and the use of colloquial language, proverbs, and poetry. The author's deliberate use of hybridization elements, particularly her use of colloquial language, is evident.
The use of multiple hybridization techniques in Alharthi's work and their integration with the narrative language demonstrates the author's intentionality and awareness. Through her more deliberate and conscious use of intentional hybridization, as opposed to unintentional hybridization, Alharthi sought to convey specific concepts and ideologies to her audience.

Discussion & Conclusion

Alharthi created a variety of main and secondary characters in her novel within the framework of linguistic division to showcase class differences through language, blending it with the languages of all social classes. In fact, hybridization in this novel appears in the relationships between the characters and their life experiences, with the author reflecting her use of different forms of literature and the language of the novel through the characters' interactions with the challenges they face. The multiple voices in the novel contribute to building a comprehensive picture of the social reality, revealing tensions and internal conflicts within the community.
In fact, the author used various forms of literature within her language in this novel, successfully maintaining the narrative identity while presenting different aspects of society, such as social transformations, class distinctions, cultural exchanges, and strengthening the cultural foundations of her society. This element addresses deep social issues like poverty and exploitation, aiming to provoke the reader into critically contemplating these phenomena.
It is clear that the author used colloquial Arabic to depict the village space in her novel, the linguistic division to present class differences within society, proverbs to deliver moral advice, and religious intertextuality with the Quran and Hadith to enhance religious teachings, combat ignorance and superstition, and strengthen the cultural foundations of her society. Overall, Alharthi connected various linguistic and literary tools to the language of her novel, enriching her work through the use of hybridization, such as proverbs, linguistic division, and colloquial language. This not only increased its appeal and diversity but also elevated its maturity and depiction. The author does not just narrate events but integrates literary and linguistic tools to create a text that reflects a complex social reality, highlighting contradictions, injustice, and discrimination within society, allowing the reader to reflect upon and engage with these phenomena.