Language Research

Language Research

Semantic Changes of "Var / Bar"

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Ehsan Changizi 1
Elahe Hoseyni Matak 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics Allame Tabataba’i Universiy
2 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Linguistics, Allame Tabataba’i Universiy
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 meaning is not understandable without historical studies. In Persian language, “var / bar” means “side, beside”. “var / bar” has been varah- in Avestan language, and "war" in Middle Persian, which used to mean "chest". In Dari Persian (prose and poetry in  the Islamic era), meaning of "bar" has changed to "embrace, side, beside, in somebody’s presence" and also "front" through broadening and metonymy. Today, “var / bar” is used to construct words such as “barobazu” (shoulders and arm), baroru (face)" and phrases such “dar bar dâštan” (include), and although it is morphologically distinguishable for Persian speakers, it is semantically opaque. These compounds and syntactic structures are in primary stages of lexicalization in Persian. In “vare dele kasi nešastan” (being with someone), “var” is a preposition and its grammaticalization process is in intermediate stage.
Keywords
var
bar
semantic change
grammaticalization
lexicalization
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Language Research
Volume 9, Issue 2
January 2019
Pages 89-107

  • Receive Date 03 March 2018
  • Revise Date 20 May 2018
  • Accept Date 28 July 2018