Dialect as shibboleth across generations in post-civil war Beirut

Abstract

This article examines the enduring role of dialect in Beirut shaped by the legacies of the Lebanese Civil War. Drawing on interviews with two generational cohorts, 30 participants over 50 who lived through the war and 30 participants aged 18-25 who were born after it, this study investigates how lexical and phonological variation is perceived and experienced across time. Findings demonstrate that dialect remains a salient marker of belonging and difference, but its consequences have shifted from life-or-death stakes to patterns of mockery, adaptation, and negotiation in the post-war era. By integrating Arabic sociolinguistics with theories of indexicality and accommodation, this study reveals how historical trauma and contemporary pressures intersect in shaping language attitudes.