Volume 16, Issue 2 (2025)
LRR 2025, 16(2): 279-304 |
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Zohrabi F, Rafiei A. The Study of the Persian Compound Words Ending in the Verb Stem "bast" from the Viewpoint of Construction Morphology. LRR 2025; 16 (2) :279-304
URL: http://lrr.modares.ac.ir/article-14-60315-en.html
URL: http://lrr.modares.ac.ir/article-14-60315-en.html
1- PhD. in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan.
2- Associate Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan ,a.rafiei@fgn.ui.ac.ir
2- Associate Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan ,
Abstract: (3071 Views)
Employing Construction Morphology (CM), the present study aims to examine the Persian compound words, ending in the verb stem “bast”. The data is comprised of 51 compound words and 1791 attested sentences. The latter body of data comes from various reliable sources, including the diachronic corpus of Farhangyar-e Zaban-e Farsi, the synchronic corpus of Persian Language Database, Bijankhan Corpus, Iranian Geographical Dictionary, Zansou Dictionary (1372), Dehkhoda Dictionary (1377), Persian Wikipedia webpage, and Google webpages. The findings suggest that semantic variations of these compounds figure in the concepts of Action, Location, and Instrument. Accordingly, the dominating schema and sub-schemas of theses words, and their relations are described. The study also suggests that approximation- along with metaphoric and metonymic extensions- has a role in the expansion of the schema.
1. Introduction
Compounding is recognized as one of the most productive word formation processes in many languages (Haspelmath, 2002). Likewise, in Persian, compounding refers to a predominant morphological process. This study analyzes the compounding structure represented through the underlying conceptual construction [X-past stem of the verb]. In this construction, a nonverbal element is combined with an adjective, a verb, or a noun, producing compound words such as 'darbast,' 'pishkharid,' 'salkhord,' 'adamizad,' 'dastpokht,' and 'rahavard.' In Persian morphology, the schematic construction [x-bast] has appeared to be one of the most productive constructions. This construction allows for the categorical distinctions and semantic variations of the compound words based on [x-bast] structure.
Research Question(s)
The present study addresses the following research questions:
1. What semantic variations can be observed in the Persian compound words ending in past verbal stem [bast]?
2. What schematic construction underlies the [x-bast] structure?
2. Literature Review
There is a vast body of scholarly work in the literature addressing word formation processes in Persian. What is more, a massive body of literature that is concerned with the formation of the structure of compound words in Persian, including Kalbasi (1992), Asii (1992), Maghrebi (1993), Dabir Moghadam (1997), Mahoutian (1999), Sadeghi (2004), Tabatabai (2002, 2003, 2006, 2007), Khabaz (2007), and Shaghaghi (2007). However, only scant attention has been directed toward the study of semantic variations and schema of compound words in Persian including, Imani et al. (2017), Imani and Rafiei (2018), Azimdokht et al. (2017), Azimdokht and Rafiei, (2018), and Azimdokht (2018).
3. Methodology
This research is designed based on a descriptive-analytical approach. The analyses are carried out using both diachronic and synchronic corpora. Following the collection and categorization of data, we examined the semantic variations and the cognitive mechanisms underlying these variations. Ultimately, we presented the schematic structure [X-past stem of the verb “bast”] In so doing, we utilized Constructional Morphology (Booij, 2010) and the variation continuum (Heine et.al., 1991), as our theoretical and analytical frameworks to analyze the data and examine the semantic structures along with their variations. The dataset for this study is comprised of compound words ending in the past stem “bast”. We collected the data from various resources including the Farhangyar Persian language corpus, the Persian language database, the Bijan-Khan corpus, the Iranian Geographical Dictionary, the Zansou Dictionary (1993), the Dehkhoda Dictionary (1998), and the Persian Wikipedia webpage. Additionally, the Google search engine was employed to identify neologisms resulting from the [x-stem “bast”] construction."
4. Results
The analysis of 51 compound words ending in the stem 'bast' and 1,791 attested sentences reveals that the semantic variations of words within this morphological pattern reveal in terms of action nouns, locative nouns, and instrumental nouns. Interestingly, the formation of these semantic variations is mainly triggered through metaphorical extensions. Furthermore, employing Booij's (2010) polysemy framework alongside the variation continuum (Heine et.al., 1991), the study suggested that ‘ACTION’ serves as the primary underlying meaning associated with this construction, encompassing both spatial and instrumental dimensions. Subsequently, this conceptual meaning facilitates the emergence of other branches of the construction. The schemas and sub-schemas related to this construction indicate that the process of approximation in forming sub-schemas and the extension of this construction have been effective in the use of new compound words
1. Introduction
Compounding is recognized as one of the most productive word formation processes in many languages (Haspelmath, 2002). Likewise, in Persian, compounding refers to a predominant morphological process. This study analyzes the compounding structure represented through the underlying conceptual construction [X-past stem of the verb]. In this construction, a nonverbal element is combined with an adjective, a verb, or a noun, producing compound words such as 'darbast,' 'pishkharid,' 'salkhord,' 'adamizad,' 'dastpokht,' and 'rahavard.' In Persian morphology, the schematic construction [x-bast] has appeared to be one of the most productive constructions. This construction allows for the categorical distinctions and semantic variations of the compound words based on [x-bast] structure.
Research Question(s)
The present study addresses the following research questions:
1. What semantic variations can be observed in the Persian compound words ending in past verbal stem [bast]?
2. What schematic construction underlies the [x-bast] structure?
2. Literature Review
There is a vast body of scholarly work in the literature addressing word formation processes in Persian. What is more, a massive body of literature that is concerned with the formation of the structure of compound words in Persian, including Kalbasi (1992), Asii (1992), Maghrebi (1993), Dabir Moghadam (1997), Mahoutian (1999), Sadeghi (2004), Tabatabai (2002, 2003, 2006, 2007), Khabaz (2007), and Shaghaghi (2007). However, only scant attention has been directed toward the study of semantic variations and schema of compound words in Persian including, Imani et al. (2017), Imani and Rafiei (2018), Azimdokht et al. (2017), Azimdokht and Rafiei, (2018), and Azimdokht (2018).
3. Methodology
This research is designed based on a descriptive-analytical approach. The analyses are carried out using both diachronic and synchronic corpora. Following the collection and categorization of data, we examined the semantic variations and the cognitive mechanisms underlying these variations. Ultimately, we presented the schematic structure [X-past stem of the verb “bast”] In so doing, we utilized Constructional Morphology (Booij, 2010) and the variation continuum (Heine et.al., 1991), as our theoretical and analytical frameworks to analyze the data and examine the semantic structures along with their variations. The dataset for this study is comprised of compound words ending in the past stem “bast”. We collected the data from various resources including the Farhangyar Persian language corpus, the Persian language database, the Bijan-Khan corpus, the Iranian Geographical Dictionary, the Zansou Dictionary (1993), the Dehkhoda Dictionary (1998), and the Persian Wikipedia webpage. Additionally, the Google search engine was employed to identify neologisms resulting from the [x-stem “bast”] construction."
4. Results
The analysis of 51 compound words ending in the stem 'bast' and 1,791 attested sentences reveals that the semantic variations of words within this morphological pattern reveal in terms of action nouns, locative nouns, and instrumental nouns. Interestingly, the formation of these semantic variations is mainly triggered through metaphorical extensions. Furthermore, employing Booij's (2010) polysemy framework alongside the variation continuum (Heine et.al., 1991), the study suggested that ‘ACTION’ serves as the primary underlying meaning associated with this construction, encompassing both spatial and instrumental dimensions. Subsequently, this conceptual meaning facilitates the emergence of other branches of the construction. The schemas and sub-schemas related to this construction indicate that the process of approximation in forming sub-schemas and the extension of this construction have been effective in the use of new compound words
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