A query on LINGUIST List the other day asked for examples of other languages which, like English, have a verb “exist” distinct from the general-purpose existential “there is”. In Algerian Arabic, such a verb has emerged in recent years through borrowing from French, explains [1] Algerian linguist and blogger Lameen Souag.
Algeria: To Exist or Not to Exist
· Written by Amira Al Hussaini
Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Algeria, France, Language