Language Research

Abstract The main goal of this research is to study, through the Minimalist Program, the mechanism of checking phi(φ)-features (person & number) and nominative Case in Persian sentences. Different syntactic structures are examined in this paper. It is shown that verb raising is overt in Persian and that the uninterpretable φ-features of the finite tense head are valued & checked by the interpretable φ-features of the subject noun/pronoun. The subject noun/pronoun is assigned nominative Case by the finite tense head. In other words, checking φ-features and nominative Case in Persian sentences are in line with the universal Checking Theory. Also, it is shown that accusative Case is valued and checked by the transitive head.

Abstract A growing number of recent studies on verbal meaning have demonstrated that positing a direct mapping between (lexical/logical) semantics and syntax with respect to event structure can account for numerous linguistic phenomena. In this article, we demonstrate that certain facts in Persian can only be explained by decomposing verbs into smaller syntactic pieces that reflect subparts of a complex event structure. Contrary to the previous claims, taking the theoretical position that there is only one generative component, we argue that morphological causative predicates are constructed in syntax. By replicating the dobare ‘again’ test, we shall further claim that morphological causatives are not syntactically atomic units, but are decomposable into separate morphemes in the syntactic structure. We show the different pattern in morphological causatives with respect to the modification of manner adverbials in terms of the size of the complement of the v_CAUSE.
 
 

Abstract In this article, conspiracy which has been introduced by Kisseberth (1970) is studied in Azarbaijani Turkish. Sometimes, in a language or some languages, certain rules are used to avoid a special output or they try to reach a specific structure in the output. Although these rules are apparently different processes, they have the same target which is accepting or rejecting a special structure in the output. In other words, when two or more rewrite rules directly or indirectly support some constraint on surface forms, they are involved in a conspiracy. In this article, conspiracy is first explained based on examples from Persian. Then, it is shown that in Turkish, in order to avoid adjacent vowels and to accept obligatory counter principle (ocp), processes of vowel epenthesis and vowel deletion are in conspiracy. Finally, constraints involved in this process and their ranking in this language will be delineated.    

Abstract This study focuses on one particular sound change common in conversational speech, in which coronal nasal consonants undergo place assimilation toward the following syllable- or word-initial labial consonants. F2 and F3 Formant frequency measurements were taken from, and compared between words involving the sequences /Vnb/ and /Vmb/ across syllable boundary as well as word boundary in assimilating sentence context. The same formant frequencies were measured for word final coronal nasals in non-assimilatory context.  The frequency of the second formant at vowel offset and during nasal closure was found to be sufficient to discriminate between underlying forms across the word boundary. The obtained mean formant frequencies were, indeed, intermediate between those of unassimilated alveolar and labial sounds. Across the syllable boundary, however, there was no significant effect for any of the formant frequencies. The acoustic evidence suggests that an alveolar nasal which assimilates to a following labial consonant across the syllable boundary shows complete lack of coronal closure and full labial contact, while an alveolar nasal assimilating a following labial across word boundary often shows evidence of both alveolar place of articulation and labial place of articulation to varying degrees. The result supports an articulation-based theory of assimilation that allows for assimilation to be a gradient process, with a continuum of realizations between unchanged surface forms and complete feature substitutions.    

Abstract This paper presents an investigation of the structure of Persian clauses which display verb phrase ellipsis. To this end, verb phrase ellipsis in Persian will be discussed in the light of the two theoretically significant approaches to ellipsis, namely, structural versus non-structural. Drawing on data from Persian and running the independently devised syntactic tests, we will argue that the ordinary syntactic structure exists in the ellipsis site; however, this structure will not be associated with a phonological make-up in the PF. The conclusion to be drawn is that the structural approach to ellipsis is superior to the rival approach in providing a more satisfactory account of the data.    

Abstract Second Language Acquisition (SLA) always happens when the learners live and have contact with the native speakers of a second language. Although this study investigates learning English by ten native children of Farsi, the authors try to simulate the second language acquisition environment. The research deals with the initial state and further development in the child second language learning of syntax regarding the presence or absence of functional categories, as well as the role and the degree of L1 influence in this regard. Some studies in the field of child L1 acquisition are discussed to determine similarities or differences between child L1 and child L2 acquisition. The competing claims of the two most prominent hypotheses about early L2 grammars, i.e. Vainikka & Young-Scholten’s (1996) Minimal Trees/Structure Building hypothesis and Schwartz & Sprouse’s (1996) Full Transfer/Full Access hypothesis, are tested. The conclusion is reached that functional categories are absent at the initial state and that they emerge without the learners’ reliance on their L1, consistent with Minimal Trees/Structure Building hypothesis.  

Abstract Time, aspect, person, number and active and middle voices are the categories based on which the verbal structure of the ancient Iranian languages are studied. According to the prevailing viewpoint, middle voice is the means by which to change a transitive root to an intransitive. This viewpoint has had its origin in the verbal roots transitive when conjugated in the active voice and intransitive when in the middle, whereas a closer study of the verbal structure of ancient Iranian languages displays features challenging the validity of the current viewpoint. This article analyses the general structure of middle verbs as an introduction to the study and re-categorization of the Younger Avestan middle verbs to be appeared in another article.