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Present paper is a theoretical research in the field of semantics based on componential analysis of meaning with a diachronic approach. Lexical forms and semantic roles of “ba” have been cited and analyzed from historical sources and books of grammar and also from Sokhan Persian dictionary to be analyzed diachronically within the frame work of structural semantics.
One of the problems investigated in this research is proving polysemy of “ba” with regard to diachronic and synchronic semantic clues. The other investigated problem is justification of the mentioned preposition’s grammaticalization on the basis of its polysemy. The preposition “ba” is the remainder of upāka- from old Persian. upāka- has meant “near, beside” in Sanskrit and has had the semantic component [accompany]. In middle Persian this word has turned into abāg which had prepositional function and with addition of a suffix it had become a noun; abāgīh meant “accompaniment”. Through suffixation it also became verb, meant “to accompany”. In this article polysemy of “ba” has been studied based on its main meaning found via historical view over its semantic behavior and conceptual transmission model.
Questions which the authors have intended to answer are: 1. What was the primary meaning of “ba”? 2.  How and in how many steps has this word been grammaticalized? 3. Which meanings of this word have been derived from its primary meaning? and 4. Which semantic component relates different meanings of “ba” together?  
Investigations have showed in the process of Persian change, this preposition has passed through two processes of grammaticalization: first, a noun has become a preposition with the meaning of “accompaniment” and second, in the next step it has found other semantic functions; namely “source” and other related meanings. So, in the first step, the preposition has undergone primary grammaticalization and in the next step it has undergone secondary grammaticalization. The authors have recognized sixteen meanings for “ba” and have put these meanings into two groups. The first group contain meanings derived from “accompaniment” which show “person” conceptualization on Heine’s scalar about categorization metaphors. The second group of meanings are those which are the result of secondary grammaticalization of “ba” which are help, instrument, substance, manner, agency, comparison, opposition, and exchange. These show “thing”, “activity” and “process” conceptualized metaphors on Heine’s scalar have been made by Persian speakers.
 

 

Keywords: Polysemy, Grammaticalization, The preposition “ba” and Persian Language

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