Cypriot Maronite Arabic: a problem for the universal adjective order?

In this paper I propose that in the nominal domain of Cypriot Maronite Arabic there are two separate Functional Sequences that are inserted one inside the other. One functional sequence, which I label ‘Arabic Fseq’, accommodates the adjective classes of Quality, Size and native Arabic Colour. The other functional sequence, the ‘Greek Fseq’, is where the classes of Shape, Nationality and borrowed Greek Colour adjectives are merged. The two Fseqs differ morphologically, but also syntactically. In the first one we find adjectives with nonconcatenative morphology and obligatory NP-movement, while in the second Fseq we encounter concatenative morphology and optional NP-movement. Cypriot Maronite Arabic adjectives appear, at first blush, to violate what is considered to be the universal adjective order, however, I will show that each of the two Fseqs adheres to the universal order and that that the apparent violation is the result of embedding the Greek Fseq inside the Arabic Fseq