Why can’t you see my funny side? Standard Arabic as resource in humor

This article examines the use of Standard Arabic as a resource in humor, offering an alternative to the traditional diglossic binary framework of the language that has dominated the field of Arabic sociolinguistics. According to Ferguson's (1959) diglossic description, Standard Arabic holds a high status with a specific set of functions, leading to a static view of its usage. This would suggest that Standard Arabic is not suited for humor due to its formal status. However, Standard Arabic has been used for humor from the distant past to the present day. Using Standard Arabic in humor provides further evidence of the inadequacy of the traditional diglossic approach. In this study, we approached Standard Arabic as an integral component of the linguistic repertoire of Arabic speakers. We advocate therefore for a multi-layered approach to Standard Arabic and for moving away from a binary framework that describes the functions of two codes as fixed and static. This study investigates two sitcoms—one Moroccan and one Egyptian—to reveal how scriptwriters employ Standard Arabic to enhance comedic events and characters.