Language Research

Language Research

Determining the Typological Place of a Language on the Left/Right-Branching Spectrum

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Maedeh Golchin arefi 1
Gholamreza Dinmohammadi 2
1 PHD. Candidate, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant professor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jolr.2024.359837.666844
Abstract
In this article we answer two questions: first, how we can use Dryer (1992) as a tool to determine the typological place of a language in the left/right-branching spectrum. Second, using this method, where is the exact place of Persian on this spectrum? According to the arguments put forward in this article, going through the numerical data presented in Dryer (1992) is not a proper approach to deal with the first question; we rather have to use the result of Dryer’s data which is the list of confirmed correlation pairs. If we use the correlation pairs as two-valued features, for a particular language we can count the features with left-branching value, right-branching value or both values. So we can determine the place of that language in the right/left-branching spectrum. According to this method Persian is left-branching in 40% of the features, right-branching in 47% of the features and double-valued in 13% of the features; which means Persian is on the middle of the spectrum with a slight inclination towards the ideal right-branching type. This result, which is reached upon by using the new method introduced in this paper, is not identical to what we can reach to by using the common Iranian method introduced by Dabir-Moghaddam(2001, 2006, 2014); Although the Persian data for both are the same. Actually we chose Persian as a benchmark, since all the Iranian people are unanimous in the correctness of the Persian data provided. According to Dabir-Moghaddam’s method, Persian is strong verb-final in only about 21% of the features and is strong verb-medial in 37% of the features. And it is double-valued or mixed in as high as 42% of the features. Thus, based on these percentages, Persian is more of a mixed-typed language than a right or left-branching one. And the number of its right-branching features is 1.8 times as big as its left-branching features; which means almost twice as big.
Keywords
word order typology
Dryer
correlation pairs
Branching Direction Theory
linear order
ideal types
Subjects
 
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  • Receive Date 24 May 2023
  • Revise Date 04 February 2024
  • Accept Date 13 February 2024