Language Research

Abstract This paper analyzes verb-preposing in yes-no questions in Persian within the Minimalist framework (Chomsky, 1995, 2000a-b). Raghibdoust (1993), in line with Karimi (1989), considers these constructions as the result of the extraction of the subject to the post-verbal position. As opposed to Raghibdoust (1993), therefore, in this paper, we employ some pieces of evidence including the impetus for the movement of constituents in grammar, the distinguished nature of the fronted verb compared to other fronted elements in structures with multiple fronted constituents, and the impossibility of fronting the light verb alone in compound verbs, hence leaving the nonverbal element in situ, to show that verb-preposing in yes-no structures in Persian is to be analyzed as the result of fronting of the verb rather than the extraposition of the subject. Following that, evidence is provided against Karimi’s (1994) idea that the head of CP should be taken as the position for the moved verb. Instead, using some evidence, we argue that the head of the FocusP obtains a better landing site for the preposed verbal element. If this analysis is on the right track, we then propose that the [-Q] feature on the head of the CP as the Probe is matched through the Agree mechanism with the [+Q] feature on the preposed verb as the Goal to get checked and valued, hence satisfying the yes-no question interpretation.
 

Abstract Pre-nasal raising is a phonological process in Persian through which the low vowel /A/ changes to the high vowel [u] in the environment before nasals. While this process is obligatory in many words, it fails to occur in some words. Moreover, its occurrence can also be optional as an instance of free variation which is called optionality. This research aimed at analyzing exceptionality and optionality in the occurrence of pre-nasal raising within the framework of Optimality Theory (Prince & Smolensky, 1993/ 2004) and some related approaches. The optionality is analyzed using the free ranking approach which maps a single input onto two outputs. The exceptionality could be due to phonological reasons including the exclusive application of pre-nasal raising on the underlying representation, destruction of its input by a preceding process (bleeding order) or existence of a post- nasal /u/. It could also be due to semantic and non- linguistic reasons, i.e., this process stopped to apply several centuries ago. Instances of exceptionality which are due to phonology- semantics interactions or the non- linguistic reason are analyzed using lexical-access constraints and lexically specific constraints, respectively.

Abstract Goldberg’s Construction Grammar is a cognitive linguistics approach which has considered ‘Constructions’ as the basic units of language. The present study aimed to study Ezafe Constructions in Persian language from Goldberg’s Construction Grammar perspective. Therefore, this approach is regarded as the analysis framework of the study. A corpus of 3000 Ezafe constructions collected from 10 Jam-e-Jam magazines, have been selected to be analyzed. According to the results, Ezafe constructions are classified into three general classes namely possessive (including possession, addition and attribution), descriptive and relative. “Relation” is considered as the basic sense of Ezafe Constructions. Furthermore, it has been shown that the possessive constructions are the most frequent Ezafe constructions, and descriptive and relative constructions are respectively less frequent.

Abstract The process of word formation is an important subject in morphology. Among the word-formation processes, the reduplication process is common in most languages. Different studies in various languages have produced different theories about these processes. Optimality theory seeks to explore similarities among languages. This theory has novel approaches to phonology construction, morphology and syntax, it has, also explained reduplication process, which has always been a challenge for rule base approaches, by applying constraints. In this article, reduplication process in Kurdish language within the framework of Optimality theory will be examined to find out if reduplication process could be analyzed by Optimality theory? In the analysis part, examples of this process will be discussed examined in the framework of optimality theory. Research methodology in this study is library based. Data have been extracted from the Kurdish-Kurdish Persian dictionary of (Hanbana Borina) as well as speakers of Kurdish language. It should also be mentioned that the researcher is native Kurdish speaker. The findings of this study show that different types of reduplication process in Kurdish language has special constraints on its structural patterns. Constraints have special hierarchical level of reduplication process in Kurdish language. Even in specific types of this process, constraints and their rankings vary according to the morphological structure reduplicates, which is due to their structural patterns. By ranking different markedness and faithfulness constraints different constructions of reduplication process in Kurdish language according to their meaning could be explained.

Abstract This paper, based on nanosyntax, studies the semantico-syntactic contribution of Kurdish circumposition [elements (l{ ...(d) a, l{ ...{w{, w{...(d) a, w{ ...{w{) and their movement inside the containing PP. Contrary to minimalist, nanosyntax is non-lexicalsit and the terminal nodes contain elements smaller than morphemes i.e. morphosyntactic features. In this theory derivation begins with merging features and the lexicon is presyntax and syntax generates all items from morpheme to clause. Nanosyntax also follows the rigid universal functional sequence order of  Specifier – Head - Complement that is based on the principle one morphosyntactic property - one feature-one head. For instance, morphemes are, in a binary way, derived from merging morphosyntactic features, and then they are mapped on lexical entries stored in lexicon. If they match with lexical entries that contain , they will spell out. Studying the data in Kurdish shows that -(d)a in l{ ...(d)a represents Place and in w{ ...(d)a  Genitive. -{w{ in l{ ...{w{ shows Ablative including the feature/ head Bound and in w{ ...{w{ spells out Comitative. Stuying the Kurdish data also shows that the complement of the circumposition based nanosyntax movent principles moves lefteward and locates between the elemnts of the circumposition in a way that assymetrically c-commonds its bound part. As a result, according to Kayne’s Linear Correspondence Axiom (LCA) all terminal nodes dominated by DP precede all terminal nodes dominated by the bound element of the circumposition.

Abstract ‌‌‌This study examined the processing of null and overt pronouns by Persian speaking monolinguals. Different theories have been suggested for the interpretation of these pronouns. The “Position of Antecedent” hypothesis predicts that the processor prefers the antecedent in the IP position for the null pronoun; however, the antecedent in the lower positions in the structure is preferred for the overt pronouns. The other theory, “Recency Principle”, predicts that the processor attempts to find the reference for the pronoun as immediately as possible; thus, the parser will select the very first antecedent which matches the pronoun. To examine Persian speaking monolinguals’ processing of these pronouns, 18 sentences including a matrix and a subordinate clause which included an overt or a null pronoun were developed. The overt or the null pronouns either preceded or followed the antecedent or were located between the two antecedents. The participants read each sentence which appeared on the monitor accompanied by three pictures each of which represented a different interpretation of the pronoun. The results showed that, irrespective of the position of the subordinate clause and the type of pronoun, the predictions of the “Position of Antecedent” hypothesis are true unless the sentence has a marked structure.

Abstract “Zaristūn” the princess whose name is mentioned beside the name of her sister “Bēstūn” in the Pahlavi book of Ayādgār ī Zarērān is a daughter of Arjāsp, King of Hyons and of Iranian lineage. The choice of this name for a lady of the royal family calls for an understanding of its signification and position among Iranians and Iranian ancestries. A probe into the meaning of “Zaristūn”, “the (upholding) place of gold/golden (light) (one who shines with golden rays)” suggests a deity whose specifications accord well with the Indo-European Goddess of Dawn: a symbol of prehistoric radiance, heat and fire, pleasantness and sweetness and also the historic supervisor on marriage, fertility, birth and matrimonial and motherhood duties. In Iran she continued to survive as the Avestan Ušah. Similar to many other ancient concepts and later personifications, “Zaristūn” with its multiple manifestations can be expected to survive in different aspects of Iranian culture and this is what this article seeks to recognize.