Claris Sarkissian; Fatemeh Bahrami; Mazdak Anoushe
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 ...
Read More
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.
Fatemeh Bahrami
Abstract
The structure and use of languages reflect the society and culture in which they are used. The present study sought to delve into the pragmatic characteristics of Persian kinship terms on the basis of McGregor (2012) model, in order to discern the sociocultural elements that has influenced their formation ...
Read More
The structure and use of languages reflect the society and culture in which they are used. The present study sought to delve into the pragmatic characteristics of Persian kinship terms on the basis of McGregor (2012) model, in order to discern the sociocultural elements that has influenced their formation and usage. The data were collected from Great Sokhan Dictionary (2004) and the usage was checked via selected contemporary Persian films, plays, and novels. It was found that the figurative use of Persian kinship terms to refer to closeness is dominated by ideology. For instance, “paternal guardianship” and “privity” has overtly shaped distinctions in the choice of terms referring to mother’s family versus father’s family. The commonality of the use of the term “amu” (referring to one’s uncle; father’s brother) versus “dâyee” (uncle; mother’s brother) while referring to male friends for the purpose of conveying a sense of closeness is a function of “privity”. In other words, a male friend should be associated with the same gender parent (father) and not with the opposite gender parent (mother). Furthermore, there are sets of Arabic kinship terms sometimes parallel to the Persian ones which could be selected and used to convey a sense of religiosity. It can be concluded that closeness and informality versus distance and formality together with age and social status are variables that have expanded the number of Persian kinship terms.
