Language Research

The Vocative construction is one of the earliest conceptions acquired by children. So it must be a universal phenomenon. It is surprising that it had been rarely studied. While the ... Read More The Vocative construction is one of the earliest conceptions acquired by children. So it must be a universal phenomenon. It is surprising that it had been rarely studied. While the vocative is a building block of sentences, although non-obligatory, it has often been approached from a non-linguistics perspective. This paper aims to investigate both the internal/syntactic structure of the vocative phrase and its syntactic position in Persian within the framework of Minimalist Theory. To do this, the data are collected addressee, which is identified by the vocative phrase (VocP), is a functional projection derived by a bundle of morpho-syntactic and semantic features. In the one hand, the projection is located above the functional projections of the nominal domain and the determiner phrase (DP). On the other hand, it is located in the left periphery of the sentence. The vocative phrase located between the topicalized and focused phrases as a result of topic and focus movement in the language. The phrase may or may not be co-indexed with a constituent in the main clause. Although vocative phrases are not morphologically marked in Modern Persian, there are elements such as “Ey”, “Âhây” and “hey” which are sign of vocative in Persian, named vocative particles. These particles are optional, however, located in the vocative phrase. The particles, also, are different stylistically. The fisrt one is used in literary style and the second two particles are used in colloquial style. Moreover, the vocative head is shown to take a DP complement. The DP merges with the head of the phrase, as its complement Vocative particles are proposed to bear an uninterpretable D-feature along with the some other morpho-syntactic features. Checking these features make the DP complement to be interpreted as vocative in the LF, namely the vocative DP. The distribution of vocative particles indicates that the “EY” particle is a bound morpheme but “Âhây” and “Hey” are free morphemes. The projection is prosodically marked by pause and linearly followed by a comma.Key Words: Vocative, Addressee, Vocative Phrase, Particle, Left Periphery, Functional head

View Article

Investigating the Process of Postverbal Appearance of Restrictive Relative Clauses in Persian

Ali َAmoushahi; َAli Darzi

Volume 14, Issue 1 , September 2023, , Pages 135-153

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2022.334309.666761

Abstract

The present article mainly aims to investigate the process through which relative clauses appear postverbally and distant from the noun they modify. To do so, relative clauses are first ... Read More

Different Structures of Floating and Non-Floating Quantifier Constructions in Persian

Safa Sadeghi Ashrafi; َAli Darzi

Volume 13, Issue 2 , May 2023, , Pages 83-104

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2021.320488.666704

Abstract

Quantifiers basically occur adjacent to a nominal phrase. However, sometimes the quantifier and the nominal phrase appear apart in sentences. This phenomenon is referred to as quantifier ... Read More Quantifiers basically occur adjacent to a nominal phrase. However, sometimes the quantifier and the nominal phrase appear apart in sentences. This phenomenon is referred to as quantifier floating (Q-floating). The most prominent approach to Q-floating is stranding analysis, according to which the quantifier and the adjacent nominal phrase together make up a single constituent, and in the course of derivation, the nominal phrase moves from this constituent to a higher position, stranding the quantifier in situ; in other words, stranding analysis considers the floating quantifier construction as the result of a transformation from non-floating quantifier construction. This paper addresses the structure of floating and non-floating quantifier constructions, provides evidence from Persian to indicate the independence of their structures, and argues for the oblige toriness of each structure. The floating quantifier is shown to be a late adjunct to a copy of its associated DP: in the derivation leading to quantifier floating, a DP moves from its θ-position and then receives a QP as an adjunct, and then it moves again to a higher position and strands the quantifier in situ. According to Chomsky’s (2013) Labeling Algorithm, when QP is an adjunct to DP, the movement of DP and it’s leaving the QP behind is obligatory; to put it another way, floating quantifier construction is obligatory. As opposed to floating quantifier construction, in non-floating quantifier construction, QP is not an adjunct. In this construction, the DP is the complement of the quantifier head. Given Labeling Algorithm, this construction is obligatorily motivated, too. In addition, since quantifier phrase is the topmost nominal phrase in such constructions, it is a phase; and in order for the DP to move out of this phase, it needs to move first to the specifier position of the QP, but this movement is considered too short. For this reason, DP cannot move off the QP in non-floating quantifier constructions

Merge Position of Floating Quantifier "Hame" in Persian

Safa Sadeghi Ashrafi; Ali Darzi

Volume 12, Issue 2 , December 2022, , Pages 77-100

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2021.291976.666554

Abstract

This paper investigates the External Merge position of the floating quantifier “hame” (all) in Persian. Quantifier floating has received two major analyses: stranding adverbial. ... Read More

Clausal Complements of Noun in Persian

Mona Valipour; َAli Darzi

Volume 11, Issue 2 , February 2021, , Pages 247-269

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2020.304147.666609

Abstract

Clausal dependents of noun in Persian are divided into two groups: relative clauses (restrictive relative clause /RRC and non-restrictive relative clause /NRRC), and clausal complements ... Read More

Split DP in Persian - A Minimalist Approach

Tayebeh Asadimofarah; َAli Darzi

Volume 10, Issue 2 , March 2020, , Pages 21-43

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2020.281064.666505

Abstract

This study is an investigation of multiple–râ constructions as an instance of so-called split DP in Persian in the Minimalist framework. In principle, DP splitting may give ... Read More This study is an investigation of multiple–râ constructions as an instance of so-called split DP in Persian in the Minimalist framework. In principle, DP splitting may give rise to another phenomenon, namely, syntactic doubling. This phenomenon, as its name suggests, involves the occurrence of more than one syntactic marker in a syntactic object. In Persian, this marker is the accusative Case marker –râ. To account for the multiple occurrence of –râ, we follow Kahnemuyipour's (2014) treatment of adjectival Ezafe construction as involving a head final NP. We then analyze split DPs in Persian as a byproduct of topicalization and focalization of inner elements of DPs. So given the Topic and Focus interpretation of syntactic objects in the constructions under investigation and their relative order, we posit TopP and FocP projections in a domain between head D and NumP. It is worth noticing that in linguistics theorizing the Split DP construction corresponds to split CP as proposed by Rizii (1997(. With respect to accusative Case marker then we adopt Darzi’s (2006) treatment of –râ as the morphological realization of dependent Case in the domain of V + I in Persian. Under Baker and Vinokurova's (2010), Preminger's (2014) and Baker's (2015) proposals, the dependent Case marker appears on a DP which is c-commanded by another DP in a certain domain if the latter is not yet valued for Case. In this respect, finally, we employ the mechanism of subextraction from the main DP as a result of which the extracted element altogether carries other Case marker to a higher DP upon extraction. With regard to nominative Case, after adopting Levin and Preminger’s (2014) proposal, namely, unmarked Case, which in turn appears as a result of the interaction between I/T and being in the domain proposed by Bobaljik (2006,2008) and Darzi (2006), we maintain that subextraction is also accounted for constructions with multiple nominative Case.

Free Word Order of Verbs and its Arguments

Ali Darzi Darzi; Hakmat Boroujerdi

Volume 6, Issue 2 , January 2016, , Pages 21-40

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2016.57497

Abstract

This study explores the nature of relatively free word order of verbs and their arguments in Persian. Based on the theory of phases and multiple spell-out which is an instantiation ... Read More

The Study of Morphological Causatives in Persian

ali darzi; fatame karampour

Volume 3, Issue 2 , January 2013, , Pages 23-41

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2013.35359

Abstract

A growing number of recent studies on verbal meaning have demonstrated that positing a direct mapping between (lexical/logical) semantics and syntax with respect to event structure ... Read More

Articles in Press

Current Issue

Volume 14 (2023)

Volume 13 (2022)

Volume 12 (2021)

Volume 11 (2020)

Volume 10 (2019)

Volume 9 (2018)

Volume 8 (2017)

Volume 7 (2017)

Volume 6 (2015)

Volume 5 (2014)

Volume 4 (2013)

Volume 3 (2012)

Volume 2 (2012)

Volume 1 (2010)

Author = Darzi, Ali Darzi

The syntax of Vocative Phrase in Persian A Feature-based Approach

Abstract

Investigating the Process of Postverbal Appearance of Restrictive Relative Clauses in Persian

Abstract

Different Structures of Floating and Non-Floating Quantifier Constructions in Persian

Abstract

Merge Position of Floating Quantifier "Hame" in Persian

Abstract

Clausal Complements of Noun in Persian

Abstract

Split DP in Persian - A Minimalist Approach

Abstract

Free Word Order of Verbs and its Arguments

Abstract

The Study of Morphological Causatives in Persian

Abstract