Language Research

Discourse marker is a functional-pragmatic category, not affecting truth conditions of the sentence. These linguistic elements encode procedural rather than representative or propositional ... Read More Discourse marker is a functional-pragmatic category, not affecting truth conditions of the sentence. These linguistic elements encode procedural rather than representative or propositional meanings. Discourse markers have been the subject of increasing attention in recent years, and have been investigated in different theoretical frameworks. Among the vast variety of approaches toward interpreting the role of discourse markers, one major approach is rooted in Grice's suggestion. By elaborating the concept of conventional implicature along the previously well-known concept of conversational implicature, Grice (1989) treats some discourse markers as being instances of the former. He also conceptualized the concept of non-central or higher-level speech acts to account for the contribution of these discourse markers to the meaning of their host sentence. In this article, we will initially describe the characteristics of the discourse marker "magar" (‘unless’/’but’) in terms of prototypical characteristics of discourse markers proposed by Brinton (1996) and Heine (2013). We then present a diachronic exposition of its semantic development from having a propositional meaning to a word with a textual and expressive function in contemporary Persian. This explanation is in accordance with Traugott’s (1986) analysis of semantic change toward more subjectification. Ultimately, we have applied a Gricean interpretation to this Persian discourse marker, as a higher-level speech act. It is argued that "magar" (‘unless’/’but), in addition to its function as a connective element (which connects two textual units or encrypts the connection between the propositional content of an utterance and its previous context), can help with the performance of a non-central speech act with the illocutionary force of indicating opposition. Given the fact that speech acts, in Searl's terms, are the subject of the quadruple felicity conditions, namely Preparatory, Sincerity, Propositional content and Essential conditions we have shown how these conditions can be actualized (or applied) when it comes to higher-level speech acts.

The Evolution of the Verbal prefix / Ba- / Dibaji in Comparison with Persian

Havva Hhajaidi; Gholamreza Dinmohammadi; Ali Afkhami; Gholamhossein Karimidostan

Volume 13, Issue 1 , November 2022, , Pages 57-87

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2022.344500.666787

Abstract

Dibaji dialect is one of the linguistic types along the Caspian Sea, which has a morphological and syntactic similarity with the Mazandaran language, which is one of the northwestern ... Read More

Grammaticalization Process of engâr / engâri

Fahimeh Tasalli Bakhsh; Ehsan Changizi

Volume 11, Issue 2 , February 2021, , Pages 49-72

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2020.295879.666571

Abstract

In Modern New Persian, two adverbs “engâr” and “engâri” are used to represent irrealis modality when the speaker introduces a simile or a parable ... Read More In Modern New Persian, two adverbs “engâr” and “engâri” are used to represent irrealis modality when the speaker introduces a simile or a parable or expresses doubt and uncertainty about what he/she says. Some grammarians consider “engâri” as two other adverbs “guyi” and “pendâri”. They believe that these adverbs are originated in second-person singular verbs which have acquired adverbial function. In this article, we will discuss the process of grammaticalization of the two adverbs “engâr” and “engâri” using evidence from ancient texts written in Persian (either verse or prose post-Islamic texts) and Middle Persian, focusing on semantic changes the verb “hangār- / hangārd” has gone through: In Middle Persian, “hangār- / hangārd” is a lexical verb meaning “to consider”. After going through certain semantic changes, the verb obtains the meanings “to count” and “to assume”. Later on, the second-person singular imperative form of the verb shifts to the beginning of the clause which leads the noun phrase object to be replaced by a subordinate clause. Such changes speed up the progress of grammaticalization and make it easier for “engâr” to be reanalyzed as an adverb. After being decategorized, “engâr” is used as a modal adverb to indicate hypothetical actions and irrealis modality. On the other hand, there is a grammatical rule in Middle Persian according to which, the morpheme “ē” can be added to present stem of the verbs to construct the optative mood mainly functioning as a device to imply irrealis modality. This applies to “engâri” which is reanalyzed as an adverb indicating simile, allegory, doubt and uncertainty since in New Persian, modality is more expressed by linguistic devices such as modal verbs and adverbs than the verb moods. Phonological changes lead speakers to reanalyze “engâri” and consider it to be originated from second-person singular verb due to resemblance in orthography and pronunciation.

The Evolution of Verbal Prefix mi in Persian Language

ّFataneh Yousefi; Mojtaba Monshizade; Farah Zahedi

Volume 11, Issue 2 , February 2021, , Pages 271-285

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2020.310217.666642

Abstract

This paper explores the evolution of the inflectional verbal prefix mi and its diverse roles from the Old Persian through the Middle Persian language, to the New Persian. In the earlier ... Read More This paper explores the evolution of the inflectional verbal prefix mi and its diverse roles from the Old Persian through the Middle Persian language, to the New Persian. In the earlier stages of Persian, verbal prefixes played varied roles, such as the adverbial function. Verbal prefixes could extend or restrict the principal meaning of the verb, or even change it altogether. The majority of verbal prefixes could originally be used both as adverbs and prepositions. However, the middle period of the Persian language witnessed a gradual reduction in the functional roles verbal prefixes played, as the language drifted toward analyticity. For this reason, verbal prefixes were no more able to change the verb meaning as they used to in the earlier stages. In other words, they changed to be fixed prefixes which were not generative anymore in middle Persian and the later stages of the language. In fact, verbal prefixes were grammaticalized and accepted various grammatical roles. This prefix is the contemporary Persian mi that represents the durative or habituative aspect. This inflectional prefix mi originates from old *ham-aiwa through the middle Persian hamē which means “always” in Middle Persian. Hamē also represents continuity and habits, while it does not have a fixed place in the sentence having been attested in a variety of places. In classical Persian literature texts, hamē is attested in the forms of hami and mi. The two classical Persian forms gradually moved closer to the verb, and were finally attached to the verb to be grammaticalized as an inflectional prefix. Contemporary mi represents not only continuity and habit, but also plays a modal role to signify unfulfilled wishes and unrealized assumptions by prefixing a past verb. Thus, the adverbial *ham-aiwa has gone through a long process of grammaticalization, and has become an inflectional prefix to signal continuity and habits aspect and also irreal modality.

Semantic Changes of "Var / Bar"

Ehsan Changizi; Elahe Hoseyni Matak

Volume 9, Issue 2 , January 2019, , Pages 89-107

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2018.69530

Abstract

Some linguistic forms may become polysemous through language changes and lose their core meaning. Sometimes these forms may stay as relics in different constructions and their core ... Read More

Grammaticalization Process of the Preposition “az” in Persian Language

Ehsan Changizi; Sepideh Abdolkarimi

Volume 8, Issue 2 , January 2018, , Pages 21-38

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2018.65513

Abstract

In modern Persian the preposition "az" signifies the concepts instrument, method, cause, nature, possession, part-whole relationship, source, path, separation, comparison and topic. ... Read More

Auxiliation in Persian and Evolution of Passive Structure from Stative to Dynamic Passive

Faezeh Saadat Mostafavi

Volume 6, Issue 1 , September 2015, , Pages 41-60

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2015.56641

Abstract

Auxiliation is a subfield of the more familiar field of grammaticalization in world languages and deals with the way in which complex lexical verb structures develop over time into ... Read More

Grammaticalization and Metaphorical Extension

Mehrdad Naghzguy Kohan; Mohammad Naghzguy Kohan

Volume 3, Issue 1 , October 2013, , Pages 117-134

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2012.30298

Abstract

Grammaticalization provides a framework to study the genesis and development of grammatical forms in language. In this framework, it is argued that new grammatical forms are constantly ... Read More

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Keywords = grammaticalization

Pragmatic Aspects of Mægær (‘unless’/’but’) as a Discourse Marker in Persian

Abstract

The Evolution of the Verbal prefix / Ba- / Dibaji in Comparison with Persian

Abstract

Grammaticalization Process of engâr / engâri

Abstract

The Evolution of Verbal Prefix mi in Persian Language

Abstract

Semantic Changes of "Var / Bar"

Abstract

Grammaticalization Process of the Preposition “az” in Persian Language

Abstract

Auxiliation in Persian and Evolution of Passive Structure from Stative to Dynamic Passive

Abstract

Grammaticalization and Metaphorical Extension

Abstract