Volume 12, Issue 4 (2021)
LRR 2021, 12(4): 305-344 |
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Lotfi Y, Karimi Doostan G, Gowhari H. Lexical Aspect in Laki Dialect. LRR 2021; 12 (4) :305-344
URL: http://lrr.modares.ac.ir/article-14-41451-en.html
URL: http://lrr.modares.ac.ir/article-14-41451-en.html
1- PhD Candidate, Department of Linguistics, Ilam branch, Islamic Azad University, Ilam, Iran
2- Professor of Linguistics, Faculty of Literature and Humanisties, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran ,gh5karimi@ut.ac.ir
3- Assistant Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Ilam branch, Islamic Azad University, Ilam, Iran
2- Professor of Linguistics, Faculty of Literature and Humanisties, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran ,
3- Assistant Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Ilam branch, Islamic Azad University, Ilam, Iran
Abstract: (4122 Views)
One essential semantic category, along with other categories formulated in the verb (such as mood and tense), is aspect. Aspect can be considered as the way of looking at the events in terms of their inception, realization, unfolding or completion. While grammatical aspect is usually expressed with a definite inflectional or periphrastic element in VP, aspectual verbs, inherently without any specific grammatical sign, unfold the intrinsic aspectual properties indicating the beginning, continuation or completion of the events. Reviewing the current approaches to lexical aspect, the present research attempts to study and classify the aspectual verbs in Laki (one of the Northwestern Iranian languages) to show that based on Croft’s model (2012), the Laki dialect has four major lexical aspectual types (including static, activity, accomplishment and achievement) and 10 subcategories including transitory states, acquired permanent states, inherent permanent states, directed activities, undirected (cyclic) activities, directed accomplishments, undirected accomplishments, reversible achievements, irreversible achievements, cyclic achievements.
1. Introduction
Laki is one of the northwestern languages of Iran with about 1,200,000 speakers in 2017 (Shahsavari, 1394; Dabir-e-Moghaddam, 1392). the present study introduces the current frameworks and models of aspectual classification, and enumerates the strengths and weaknesses of each model. Then, by accepting the theoretical framework of Croft (2012) as a relatively comprehensive model which includes four major class and 10 subclasses, it describes and explains aspectual verb system (both simple and compound) in Laki dialect.
2. Literature Review
In recent decades, several studies have attempted to classify different types of lexical aspect in Persian (e.g. Abolhassani Chimeh, 2011). Cheraghi and Karimi Doostan (2013), based on the approach of Rothstein (2004) and Croft (2010, 2012), have studied a corpora of 60 Persian verbs and classified the aspectual verbs in Persian. The researches of Soleimani and Haqhbin (2016) and Zia-Majidi and Haqbin (2015) have also studied the manifestation of the different types of aspect in Lori dialect (one of the Iranian languages), and tried to study the similarities and differences of the dialect with that of Persian. Daneshpajooh et al. (2013), based on Vendler and Croft’s views, have investigated the nature of lexical aspect and the singular form of the -rā/rē non-active morpheme in Sorani Kurdish. Based on the approach of Reichenbach, Comrie (1976) and Smith (1997), Weiss-Hesar (2015) studies and analyses tense and aspect in Mukriani Kurdish; he also have introduced a relatively complete situational aspectual system in this dialect (2017).
3. Methodology
The present study is a qualitative, descriptive-analytical research based on observation and interviews with Lak speakers, and review of existing (especially oral) texts. The verbs were randomly selected from a wide range of different situations. It attempted to classify, describe and explain these aspectual verbs in the given dialect of Laki based on the mentioned theoretical framework. The statistical population of this study included Lak speakers of Darhshahr region, Ilam, Iran. In order to make the research comprehensive, in a purposeful sampling, speakers were selected from different range of speakers of both genders. The data collection method was mainly done through participatory observation and sometimes semi-structured interviews. Using a thematic analysis, different types of situational (lexical) aspect in Laki dialect were studied. Then, according to Croft model (2012), a comprehensive aspectual system in explaining aspectual verbs were introduced.
4. Results & Discussion
Based on the findings of this study, in Laki, verbs such as zena_st«n "to know", du_s daSt«n "to love", vasta bi«n "being closed", xuwaSa_l bi«n "being happy", era_ rezyaIn "being worn out" which have the characteristics of [+static, +durative and -telic] were classified as static verbs. Due to their internal integration and lack of change, such verbs also do not take a continuous form. Also, these verbs cannot be represented as imperative.
Verbs such as vel gIrdin "to wander", xanien "to laugh", hUward«n "to eat", hUwyat«n "to sleep" and gerivyaIn "to cry", which has the characteristics of [-static, +durative, and -telic], were placed in the category of activity verbs. These verbs can stop, but have no end. Due to their [+durative] and [-static] properties, they can easily be used with simple durative or volational constraints. Also, due to their [+ dynamic] feature, these verbs can be used in imperative or progressive forms. Directed activity verbs such as hU«nek bien "to become cool" refers to durative and unrestricted processes in which the initial state already existed before the initiation of the activity.
In this study, verbs such as a_wSt«n "to build", nisUn«n "to write", gisUn«n "to light on", hwa_rd«n "to eat" and swezUn«n "to burn" -which have the characteristics of [+dynamic, +durative and +telic] - were placed in the category of the accomplishment aspect. This verbs in Laki have semantic and syntactic properties that are as follows: They are incompatible with indefinite time constraints; they cane easily be combined with spatial and temporal constraints. They can also be combined with constraints that convey the meaning of initiating and ending. Also, due to the dynamic nature of these verbs, they can be used with volational or voluntary adverbs, or wih indirect durative adverbs, in imperative and progressive structures, in the latter case, verb appears with the prefix (ma).
Of achievement verbs in the Laki which have the characteristics of [+dynamics, -durative and +completeness], merd«n "to die", peSmyaIn "to sneeze", rasiy«n "to reach", qutyaIn "to cough" and vast«n "to close" can be mentioned. Although these verbs are dynamic and finite, but they are not continuous, so they are separated from the accomplishment verbs, and are placed in a category called achievement aspect. In this study, it was shown that the resulting verbs in Laki are not used with indefinite tense constraints, but are used adaptively with moment constraints.
6. Conclusion
Going through different lexical aspectual models, it was found that due to some reasons such as being comprehensive and including 10 aspectual subcategories, taking into account all the capacities and characteristics of previous models such as [± dynamics], [± telicity], [± duritivity], [± Stages], Croft’s model (2012) of situational classification can appropriately encompass all aspectual Laki verbs. Also, considering the third dimension of changes (q), Croft model revealed to be more efficient than other existing models who considered only two dimentions in analyzing and explaining the situational aspect classes.
1. Introduction
Laki is one of the northwestern languages of Iran with about 1,200,000 speakers in 2017 (Shahsavari, 1394; Dabir-e-Moghaddam, 1392). the present study introduces the current frameworks and models of aspectual classification, and enumerates the strengths and weaknesses of each model. Then, by accepting the theoretical framework of Croft (2012) as a relatively comprehensive model which includes four major class and 10 subclasses, it describes and explains aspectual verb system (both simple and compound) in Laki dialect.
2. Literature Review
In recent decades, several studies have attempted to classify different types of lexical aspect in Persian (e.g. Abolhassani Chimeh, 2011). Cheraghi and Karimi Doostan (2013), based on the approach of Rothstein (2004) and Croft (2010, 2012), have studied a corpora of 60 Persian verbs and classified the aspectual verbs in Persian. The researches of Soleimani and Haqhbin (2016) and Zia-Majidi and Haqbin (2015) have also studied the manifestation of the different types of aspect in Lori dialect (one of the Iranian languages), and tried to study the similarities and differences of the dialect with that of Persian. Daneshpajooh et al. (2013), based on Vendler and Croft’s views, have investigated the nature of lexical aspect and the singular form of the -rā/rē non-active morpheme in Sorani Kurdish. Based on the approach of Reichenbach, Comrie (1976) and Smith (1997), Weiss-Hesar (2015) studies and analyses tense and aspect in Mukriani Kurdish; he also have introduced a relatively complete situational aspectual system in this dialect (2017).
3. Methodology
The present study is a qualitative, descriptive-analytical research based on observation and interviews with Lak speakers, and review of existing (especially oral) texts. The verbs were randomly selected from a wide range of different situations. It attempted to classify, describe and explain these aspectual verbs in the given dialect of Laki based on the mentioned theoretical framework. The statistical population of this study included Lak speakers of Darhshahr region, Ilam, Iran. In order to make the research comprehensive, in a purposeful sampling, speakers were selected from different range of speakers of both genders. The data collection method was mainly done through participatory observation and sometimes semi-structured interviews. Using a thematic analysis, different types of situational (lexical) aspect in Laki dialect were studied. Then, according to Croft model (2012), a comprehensive aspectual system in explaining aspectual verbs were introduced.
4. Results & Discussion
Based on the findings of this study, in Laki, verbs such as zena_st«n "to know", du_s daSt«n "to love", vasta bi«n "being closed", xuwaSa_l bi«n "being happy", era_ rezyaIn "being worn out" which have the characteristics of [+static, +durative and -telic] were classified as static verbs. Due to their internal integration and lack of change, such verbs also do not take a continuous form. Also, these verbs cannot be represented as imperative.
Verbs such as vel gIrdin "to wander", xanien "to laugh", hUward«n "to eat", hUwyat«n "to sleep" and gerivyaIn "to cry", which has the characteristics of [-static, +durative, and -telic], were placed in the category of activity verbs. These verbs can stop, but have no end. Due to their [+durative] and [-static] properties, they can easily be used with simple durative or volational constraints. Also, due to their [+ dynamic] feature, these verbs can be used in imperative or progressive forms. Directed activity verbs such as hU«nek bien "to become cool" refers to durative and unrestricted processes in which the initial state already existed before the initiation of the activity.
In this study, verbs such as a_wSt«n "to build", nisUn«n "to write", gisUn«n "to light on", hwa_rd«n "to eat" and swezUn«n "to burn" -which have the characteristics of [+dynamic, +durative and +telic] - were placed in the category of the accomplishment aspect. This verbs in Laki have semantic and syntactic properties that are as follows: They are incompatible with indefinite time constraints; they cane easily be combined with spatial and temporal constraints. They can also be combined with constraints that convey the meaning of initiating and ending. Also, due to the dynamic nature of these verbs, they can be used with volational or voluntary adverbs, or wih indirect durative adverbs, in imperative and progressive structures, in the latter case, verb appears with the prefix (ma).
Of achievement verbs in the Laki which have the characteristics of [+dynamics, -durative and +completeness], merd«n "to die", peSmyaIn "to sneeze", rasiy«n "to reach", qutyaIn "to cough" and vast«n "to close" can be mentioned. Although these verbs are dynamic and finite, but they are not continuous, so they are separated from the accomplishment verbs, and are placed in a category called achievement aspect. In this study, it was shown that the resulting verbs in Laki are not used with indefinite tense constraints, but are used adaptively with moment constraints.
6. Conclusion
Going through different lexical aspectual models, it was found that due to some reasons such as being comprehensive and including 10 aspectual subcategories, taking into account all the capacities and characteristics of previous models such as [± dynamics], [± telicity], [± duritivity], [± Stages], Croft’s model (2012) of situational classification can appropriately encompass all aspectual Laki verbs. Also, considering the third dimension of changes (q), Croft model revealed to be more efficient than other existing models who considered only two dimentions in analyzing and explaining the situational aspect classes.
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