Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 PhD candidate in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of literature and humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The categorization and syntactic structure of the infinitive have been subjects of debate, with differing views considering it either as a noun or a verb. This research aims to explore the characteristics of Persian infinitives and propose a hierarchy for their projection within the framework of distributed morphology. By taking into account the infinitive's dual nominal-verbal behavior and its potential role as an adjective, this study seeks to provide a comprehensive explanation of the Persian infinitive. In addition to reviewing relevant literature, it is observed that the behavior of the Persian infinitive differs from that of the infinitive in languages such as English. While it shares some similarities with the English gerund, it is important to note that the Persian infinitive has distinct properties. Consequently, the nature of the Persian infinitive and its derivation differ from those of the English infinitive and gerund. The study also highlights the use of wh-words in infinitive structures and the ability of (negative) infinitives to permit the presence of polarity items within their structure. Furthermore, the infinitive can function not only as a noun or a verb but also as an adjective. Based on these observations, a hierarchy of infinitive projection is proposed. Additionally, the research suggests the position of infinitive affix insertion, providing evidence that contradicts initial assumptions regarding the insertion point of the Persian infinitive affix.
Keywords
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