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

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Research Paper

object-oblique alternation and Aktionsarts

Vali Rezai; Zhaleh Makaremi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 03 June 2023

https://doi.org/10.22059/jolr.2023.354726.666825

Abstract

Object alternations involve different realizations of arguments, which are represented in three forms, including locative alternation, dative shift, and object-oblique alternation. ... Read More Object alternations involve different realizations of arguments, which are represented in three forms, including locative alternation, dative shift, and object-oblique alternation. Object in object-oblique alternation is expressed in two different structures, without fundamental changes in meaning. The second participant, in a transitive predicate, is either stated in a direct object position or in a preposition construction. The present paper investigates object-oblique alternation in Persian Aktionsart, based on Role and Reference Grammar. The objective of this study is twofold; firstly, to determine the im/possibility of object-oblique alternation in different groups of verbs, and secondly to specify various readings of this alternation in the classes of verbs, including state, action, achievement, and accomplishment. The data are extracted from Persian corpus, newspapers, websites, as well as daily conversations. Data analysis denotes that some state verbs, including cognition, emotion, and possession verbs can be represented in object-oblique alternation. The alternate forms in cognition and possession verbs, refer to the kind of the object in question. In action classes of verbs, performance and consumption verbs display partial-total interpretation. The alternative forms of creation verbs in this class, regarding the identity of the second participant, and in the case of being non-resultative, denote the kind of the objects in question. Directed perception verbs, regardless of the parameters of object individuation, are represented in object-oblique alternation. Some achievement verbs may also be used in this alternation. Accomplishment verbs are rarely used in object-oblique alternation, except in cases which, depending on context, partial-total interpretation is intended. Generally speaking, the predicates which undergo object-oblique alternation share some certain characteristics; they are mostly non-state ones, their subjects are mainly agentive, and the objects are low or non-affected. Furthermore, the verbs, which are more prone to object-oblique alternation, are chiefly non-resultative and do not lead to fundamental changes in the object.

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

Abstract

object-oblique alternation and Aktionsarts

Abstract