Language Research

Polysemy in the Compound Construction Formed as [X be-VPRES]: An Analysis in Construction Morphology

Sahar Bahrami-Khorshid; Rouzbahan Yazdani Moghaddam

Volume 12, Issue 1 , July 2021, , Pages 27-47

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study the compound construction [X be-Vpres] in Persian within the framework of Construction Morphology. In this study a construction-based approach ... Read More The purpose of this paper is to study the compound construction [X be-Vpres] in Persian within the framework of Construction Morphology. In this study a construction-based approach has been used to determine the different possible meanings drawn from the [X be-Vpres] construction, its schemas, subschemas and the hierarchical structure of this construction in Persian lexicon. The proper data for this study were collected from farhang-e bozorg-e sokhan [The Great Sokhan Dictionary] (Anvari, 2002) and in some cases they have been checked in loqat-nāme-ye dehkhodā [The Dehkhoda Dictionary] (2012). Whenever the meaning of words were unclear, riše-šenāsi-ye tārixi-ye estelāhāt-e fārsi [Etymology of Persian Idioms) (Partovi Amoli, 2013) was used. Accordingly, thirty-nine words were extracted and studied. This study followed a usage-based, construction-based approach. The data in this study have been analyzed within the framework of Construction Morphology (CM). In order to analyze the data, the meaning of each word was studied in a real sentence found in our corpus. In addition, we paid attention to the thematic relation of the non-verbal and verbal parts of each data. Accordingly, our data were categorized in five different semantic categories illustrating agent, benefactory, patient, property and theme. In other words, one single form was corresponded to five different semantic roles. The findings of this study revealed that the [X be-Vpres] construction is polysemous in Persian, that is, the polysemy can be seen at the level of construction. In fact, the polysemy found in this research is constructional. Analysis of the different meanings revealed that they all related to the thematic relationships between two parts of the compound. In line with this finding, we showed that the most abstract meaning of [X be-Vpres] is "an entity with relation (R) to XV". It was the most schematic meaning whose characteristics were inherited by five other subschemas which determined each semantic category.

The Study of Derived Words Ending in '-ār' Suffix from the Viewpoint of Construction Morphology

Sahar Bahrami-Khorshid; Saeedeh Ghandi

Volume 11, Issue 1 , October 2020, , Pages 25-48

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2020.264867.666402

Abstract

All languages in the world use different mechanisms to create new words. Derivation and compounding are two morphological processes whose main function is the formation of new word-forms. ... Read More All languages in the world use different mechanisms to create new words. Derivation and compounding are two morphological processes whose main function is the formation of new word-forms. In Persian, derivation is one of the dynamic and widely used processes of word formation. In the realm of derivation, Persian language has many prefixes and suffixes that can be attached to existing words in order to create new words. One of these suffixes is "-ār" which is considered as one of the semi-productive suffixes of Persian language; however, the observations reveal that it has become a productive suffix in today's Persian. The main purpose of this research is to study the derivational construction [x-ār] in Persian within the framework of Construction Morphology (CM). It makes use of the notion of ‘construction’, which is defined as a pairing of form and meaning, to describe the properties of complex words. Therefore, on the basis of a construction-based approach and regarding a descriptive-analytic method, the authors try to represent the systematically semantic varieties of "-ār", possible schemas and subschemas and also the hierarchical structures, based on which, [x-ar] construction has been achieved. The data analyzed in this study has been gathered from three sources: Reverse Dictionary (Zansu) (Keshani, 1993), Persian Linguistic Database (PLDB) and FarsNet. Then, the extracted words have been examined in Farhang-e Bozorg-e Sokhan (Anvari, 2002) and obsolete items have been excluded. The findings of the research show that “-ār” has seven different meanings (functions) and thus we can consider it as a polysemous suffix. Its polysemy is not explainable at the level of words, but at the level of abstract schemas; hence, it is called “constructional polysemy”. The results of this study indicate that "entity with relation R to SEM" is the prototypical meaning of [x-ār] which is the most abstract correlation among meaning and form in Persian language.

A Constructional Study of the Compounds of Body Part “Del” (Heart) in Persian

Ava Imani; Adel Rafiei; Mohammad Amouzadeh

Volume 9, Issue 2 , January 2019, , Pages 23-43

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2018.69527

Abstract

This study aims at examining the construction of the word-formation pattern of [del-X] (compounds of “heart”) and investigating its semantic variations, the most general ... Read More

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Keywords = constructional polysemy

Polysemy in the Compound Construction Formed as [X be-VPRES]: An Analysis in Construction Morphology

Abstract

The Study of Derived Words Ending in '-ār' Suffix from the Viewpoint of Construction Morphology

Abstract

A Constructional Study of the Compounds of Body Part “Del” (Heart) in Persian

Abstract