Fokelien Kootstra

Guest researcher

Name: Dr. F. Kootstra MA
Telephone: +31 71 527 2727
E-mail: f.kootstra@hum.leidenuniv.nl
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1883-1542

Fokelien is an epigraphist and historical linguist. As part of Petra Sijpesteijn’s ERC project ‘Embedding Conquests’ she works on the early Arabic papyri, with a special focus on socio-historical linguistics.

More information about Fokelien Kootstra

Research

I am a historian of language, with a keen interest in historical sociolinguistics and the development of written Arabic in everyday written documents in the early Islamic period. I received my PhD in 2019 from Leiden University on the social context of writing in Ancient Arabia.

My research at Leiden University focuses on variation in written Arabic in the documentary papyri from the 7^th-9^th centuries AD. Besides my work on the papyri, I collaborate with the Dadān Archaeological Project at al-ʿUlā (Northwest Saudi Arabia), where I am responsible for the study of the epigraphic material in the local Dadanitic script.

Curriculum Vitae

2022 – present	Postdoc Leiden University, LIAS Project: Linguistic variation and historical sociolinguistics in the Arabic papyri (7^th–9^th centuries AD)
2020 – present	Junior Postdoctoral Fellow Ghent University, Department of linguistics Project: Scribal practice and variation in the Arabic papyri (7^th– 9^th centuries AD)
2019 – 2020	Research Fellow Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University Project: Scribal practice and variation in the Arabic papyri (7^th– 9^th centuries AD)

2014 – 2019	PhD Linguistics and Middle Eastern Studies Leiden University Dissertation: The writing culture of ancient Dadān: a description and quantitative analysis of linguistic variation Supervisors: Prof. Petra Sijpesteijn and Prof. Ahmad Al-Jallad
2011 – 2014	ResMA Linguistics Leiden University Thesis: Taymanitic: a linguistic assessment Supervisor: Prof. Ahmad Al-Jallad
2008 – 2011	BA Middle Eastern Studies Leiden University Thesis: Arabizi? The use of English words in two Egyptian movies Original title: Arabizi? Het gebruik van Engelse woorden in twee Egyptische films Supervisor: Dr. Rudolf de Jong

Grants and Awards

FWO junior postdoctoral mandate

NWO humanities PhD, grant no.: PGW-14-43

Guest researcher

Faculty of Humanities
Leiden Institute for Area Studies
SMES APT

Contact

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