# Linguistic Uncertainty and Engagement in Arabic-Language X (formerly Twitter) Discourse

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00082 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.00082/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 1 of its 8 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 14 Feb 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Analysing How People Orient to and Spread Rumours in Social Media by Looking at Conversational Threads](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1511.07487/) (2015)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Linguistic uncertainty is a common feature of social media discourse, yet its relationship with user engagement remains underexplored, particularly in non-English contexts. Using a dataset of 16,695 Arabic-language tweets about Lebanon posted over a 35-day period, we examine whether tweets expressing linguistic uncertainty receive different levels and forms of engagement compared to certainty-marked tweets. We develop a lexicon-based, context-sensitive classifier to identify uncertainty markers and classify 29.9% of tweets as uncertain. Descriptive analyses indicate that uncertain tweets exhibit 51.5% higher mean total engagement (likes, retweets, and replies). Regression models controlling for tweet length, URL presence, and account verification status confirm a positive association between uncertainty and engagement (beta = 0.221, SE = 0.044, p < 0.001), corresponding to approximately 25% higher expected engagement. The association is strongest for replies, followed by retweets and likes, suggesting a shift toward more conversational forms of engagement. Results are robust to alternative model specifications and adjustments for within-account correlation. These findings suggest that linguistic uncertainty may function as an interactional cue that encourages participatory engagement in Arabic-language social media discourse. The study contributes computational approaches for modeling linguistic features in large-scale, non-English digital communication.