Language Research

About Journal

Aims and Scope

Editorial Board

Publication Ethics

Indexing and Abstracting

Related Links

FAQ

Peer Review Process

News

Journal Metrics

Cooperation with the institution or association

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

Conflict of interest form

The original form of the work

English work sample

Publication cost

Persian example

Guide for Authors

How to write references and sources

Registration guide in Pablones

referee

Grammaticalization Process of engâr / engâri

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph. D. Graduate in Ancient Culture and Languages, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Department of linguistics, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

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 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.

Keywords

References
Abolghasemi, M., 1994. Stems of Dari Persian Verbs, Tehran: Ghoghnus, [In Persian].
Abolghasemi, M.,1995. Etymology, Tehran, Ghoghnus, [In Persian].
Abolghasemi, M., 2010. A Historical Grammar of the Persian Language. Tehran, Samt, [In Persian].
Abu Alfotuh Razi, H. A.,1986-1997. Rowz Al-jenan fi Tafsir-e Qor'an, M. J. Yahaqi and M. M. Naseh (Eds.), 20 Vol, Mashhad, The Islamic research foundation of Astan Quds Razavi, [In Persian].
Anklesaria, T. D.,1913. Dânâk-u Mainyô-i Khard, Bombay.
Anvari, H. and Ahmadi Givi, H.,1996. Persian Grammar, Vol 2, Tehran, Fatemi, [In Persian].
Anvari, H. et al.,2002. Sokhan Dictionary, Tehran, Sokhan, [In Persian].
Arrajani, F. Kh., 2017. Samak-e Ayyar, P. Natel Khanlari (Ed.), 6 Vol, Tehran, Agah, [In Persian].
Attar Neishabouri, F.,1960. Divan e Ghasaed, Tarji’at va  Ghazaliyat, ed, by Nafisi, S. Tehran, Sana’i Library, [in Persian].
Attar Neishabouri, F.,2007a. Mokhtarnameh, ed, by Shafi’i Kadkani, M. 2nd edition. Tehran, Sokhan, [in Persian].
Attar Neishabouri, F.,2007b. Mosibatnameh, ed, by Shafi’i Kadkani, M. Tehran: Sokhan, [in Persian].
Attar Neishabouri, F., 2008. Mantegh-ul-Tair, ed, by Shafi’i Kadkani, M. Tehran: Sokhan, [in Persian].
Attar Neishabouri, F., 2019. Tazkirat-al-Awliya, ed, by Shafi’i Kadkani, M. 2 Vol, Tehran, Sokhan, [in Persian].
Bal'mi, M. M.,1994. Târixnâme-ye Tabari, M. Rowshan (Ed.), Vol. 3-4, Tehran, Alborz, [In Persian].
Bal'mi, M. M.,1999. Târixnâme-ye Tabari, M. Rowshan (Ed.), Vol. 3-4, Tehran, Sorush, [In Persian].
Bartholomae, C.,1961 Altiranisches Wörterbuch, Berlin, W. De Gruyter.
Bidel Dehlavi, A. M. A.,1962. Koliyât, 4 Vol, Kanol, Riyâsat, [In Persian].
Brunner, Ch. j.,1977.  A Syntax of Western Middle Iranian, Delmar, New York, Caravan Books.
Boyce, M.,1975.  A Reader in Manichaean Middle Persian and Parthian (Acta Iranica 9), Leiden, E.J. Brill.
Bussmann, H.,2006. Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics, Translated and edited by G. P. Trauth and K. Kazzazi, London and New York, Routledge.
Cereti, C. G.,1995. The Zand Wahman Yasn (A Zoroastrian Apocalyose), Roma, Instituto Italiano per Medio ed Estremo Oriente.
Daqiqi Tusi, A. M. A.,1994. Divân, M. J. Shari'at, Tehran, Asatir, [In Persian].
Dehkhoda, A. A.,1998. Dictionary, Tehran, Tehran University, [In Persian].
Dhabhar, E. B. N.,1927 Zand-I Khūrtak Avistāk, Trustees of the Parsee Panchayet Funds and Properties.
Ebne Sina, H. A.,2004. A Treatise on Logic 'Ala'I's Encyclopedia, M. Mo'in and M. Meshkāt (Eds.), Hamadan, Hamedan University, [In Persian].
Farahvashi, B.,1999. Ardeshir Babakan’s Report Card, Tehran, Tehran University Press, [In Persian].
Farshidvard, K.,2009. Today's Concise Grammar Based on Modern Linguistics, Tehran, Sokhan, [in Persian].
Ferdowsi, A.,1994. Shahnameh, ed, by Jalal Khaleghi Motlagh, California, Iran Heritage Foundation, [in Persian].
Gharib, B., 2000. “The Evolution of Optative Mood into Past Continuous" in Iranian Language”, In Festschrift of Prof. Ahmad Tafazzoli, ed, by Sadeghi, A. Tehran, Sokhan, Pp. 245-278, [in Persian].  
Givi, H.,2001. Historical Grammar of Verb, 2 Vol,Tehran, Ghatreh, [in Persian].
Heine, B.,2003. “Grammaticalization”. In B.D. Joseph & R.D. Janda (eds). The Handbook of Historical Linguistics, Oxford Blackwell, 575-601.
Hopper, P.,1991. “On Some Principles of Grammaticalization”, In E. Traugott & B. Heine (eds.), Approaches to Grammaticalization Vol.1, Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Hopper, P. & Traugott, E., 2003. Grammaticalization, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press.
Jamalzadeh, M. A.,1960. Yeki Bud Yeki Nabud, Tehran, Ma'refat, [In Persian].
Jamasp-Asana, J.M. (ed).,1987. Pahlavi Texts, Bombay, Fort Printing Press.
Jâmi, N. A.,1991. Nafahât Alons Men Hazarât Alqods, M. Abedi (Ed.), Tehran, Etela'at, [In Persian].
Khâqâni Shervâni, B. A., 2003. Divân, Z. Sajadi, Tehran, Zavvar, [In Persian].
Khayyam, H. O., 1993. Robâ'iyyat, M. A. Foruqi and Q. Qani, Tehran, Aref,  [In Persian].
Khayyampur, R., 2010. Persian Grammar, Tabriz, Sotude, [In Persian].
Lazard, G., 2005. A Grammar of Contemporary Persian. Translated by Bahreini, M, Tehran, Hermes, [in Persian].
Lehmann, Ch.,1992. "Word order change by grammaticalization", In M. Gerritsen & D. Stein (eds), Internal and external factors in syntactic change, Berlin-New York, Mouton de Gruyter, 395-416.
MacKenzie, D. N.,1971. A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary, Routledge Curzon. Madan, D. M.,1911. The Complete Text of Pahlavi Dinkard, 2 parts, Bombay.
Mahootian, Sh.,2008. Persian Language Grammar from a Typological Perspective, Translated by Sama’i, M. Tehran, Markaz, [in Persian].
Meybodi, A.,1992. Kashf-ul-Asrar va Oddat-ul-Abrar. ed. by Hekmat, A. 10. Vol, Tehran, Amirkabir, [in Persian].
Monshi, N.,1982. Kelileh va Demneh, ed, by Minavi, M, Tehran, University of Tehran Press, [in Persian].
Naghzguy Kohan, M.,2016. Persian Language Through Time, Tehran, Ketab-e Bahar, [in Persian].
Najafi, A.,2008. Folklore Persian Dictionary. Vol. 2. Tehran: Sokhan. [In Persian].
Naser Khosrow.,1978. Divan e Ash’ar e Hakim Naser Khosrow Ghobadiani, ed, by Minavi, M. & Mohaghegh, M. Mcgill University, Institute of Islamic Studies, in collaboration with University of Tehran, [in Persian].
Naser Khosrow.,1984. Jami' al-Hikmatayn, ed, by Corbin, H. & Moein, M, Tehran, Tahouri, [in Persian].
Natel Khanlari, P.,1998. A History of the Persian Language, Vol. 2, Tehran: Ferdows, [In Persian].
Nezami Ganje’i, E.,2001. Haft Peykar. ed. by Zanjani, B., 2nd edition, Tehran, University of Tehra press, [in Persian].
Nezami Ganje’i, E.,2005. Khosrow va Shirin, ed, by Vahid Dastgerdi, Hamidian, S. Tehran, Ghatreh, [in Persian].
Palmer, F. R.,2001. Mood and Modality, Second Edition, Cambridge, University Press.
Rezai, V., & Neisani, M., 2016. “Differentiating Evidentiality and Epistemic Modality Based on the Behavior of Persian Adverbials”, In Journal of Language Research, Vol 7, Issue 1, p 37-56, [in Persian]. 
Rashed-Mohassel, M. T.,1991. Zand-e Bahman Yasn, Tehran, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, [In Persian].
Sa'di, M.,1385. Koliyât, M. A. Foruqi, Tehran, Hermes, [In Persian].
Shafai, A.,1984. Scientific Basics of Persian Grammar, Tehran, Novin, [in Persian].
Shaked, Sh., 1979. The Wisdom of Sasanian Sages (Dēnkard VI), Boulder, Colorado.
Shari’at, M.,2005. Persian Grammar, Tehran, Asatir, [in Persian].
Skjærvø, P. O.,2010. "Middle West Iranian", In G. Windfuhr(ed). The Iranian Languages, London and New York, Routledge, 196-278.
Tafazzoli, A.,2019. “Andarz-e Behzad Farox Piruz”, In The Articles of Ahmmad Tafazzoli. Zh. Amuzgar (Ed). Tehran, Tus, p 341-346, [In Persian].
Williams, A. V., 1990. The Pahlavi Rivāyat Accompanying the" Dādestān Ī Dēnīg, The Royal Danish Academy of sciences and letters.
Yasemi, R., et al.,1992. Grammar of Persian Language (Five-Masters), Tehran, Negah va elm, [in Persian].
Language Research
Volume 11, Issue 2
February 2021
Pages 49-72
Files
History
  • Receive Date: 15 January 2020
  • Revise Date: 24 October 2020
  • Accept Date: 30 October 2020
Share
How to cite
Statistics