Egyptian Arabic: مافيش غير هو بس الي في البيت بالليل

[ausermilar]

Hello!

the sentence مافيش غير هو بس الي في البيت بالليل, if I'm not wrong, can be translated as "there is only him at home at night".

But I don't see why I need the relative clause بس الي (we have already said that "there is only him"): what else am I saying about him?

Thanks.

 

[Mahaodeh]

بس is used for emphasis,
الي has a little more significant effect on the overall sentence.

I would translate it as:
It was him only that was at home at night.

The emphasis is on him in the overall sentence, with بس used to emphasize the only part.

 

[elroy]

A more or less literal gloss:

There's no one other than just (بس) him who (اللي) is at home at night.

 

[ausermilar]

A more or less literal gloss:

There's no one other than just (بس) him who (اللي) is at home at night.

OK, I see the emphasis now! Thanks.

 

[cherine]

I don’t see emphasis. بس is (only): there is only him in the house.
The elli replaces اللي بيكون موجود ir اللي بيبقى so it’s not an unnecessary element.

 

[elroy]

To me مافيش غير هو بس اللي في البيت بالليل does sound more emphatic than مافيش غير هو اللي في البيت بالليل. You don't think so?

In Palestinian Arabic the اللي could be omitted. Would it be ungrammatical to omit it in Egyptian Arabic (i.e. مافيش غير هو (بس) في البيت بالليل)?

 

[cherine]

To me مافيش غير هو بس اللي في البيت بالليل does sound more emphatic than مافيش غير هو اللي في البيت بالليل. You don't think so?

Yes, I think you’re right.

In Palestinian Arabic the اللي could be omitted. Would it be ungrammatical to omit it in Egyptian Arabic (i.e. مافيش غير هو (بس) في البيت بالليل)?

Yes, we can drop it, but I would also drop the howwa and say: mafish ghero fel bet مفيش غيره في البيت