Differential Adpositional Case Marking in Vafsi within Optimality Theory

Authors
M. Mirdehghan 1
S. Yusofi 2
1 Associate Professor of Linguistics, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
2 M.A. in linguistics, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to analyze Differential Adpositional Case Marking (DACM) in Vafsi within OT framework by using the generalization of Aissen’s (2003) Differential Object Marking (DOM) model. While Bossong (1985) has traced DOM in more than 300 languages, DACM has not been investigated typologically, yet. DACM, as a branch of Differential Case Marking (DCM), questions the effect of semantic and/or pragmatic features on case marking of object of adposition. Evidence from Vafsi (Stilo, 2004) suggest that animacy in object of adposition (OA), affects its case marking; i. e. human and animate OAs in Vafsi will be oblique case-marked, while inanimate OAs are direct (nominative) case-marked. DACM OT model is developed using Prince and Smolensky (1993), Smolensky (1995) and the generalization of Aissen’s (2003) DOM OT model. The constraints hierarchies are extracted using formal devices of harmonic alignment and local conjunction.

Keywords

  • دبیرمقدم، محمد (1383). زبان‌شناسی نظری: پیدایش و تکوین دستور زایشی. ویراست 2. تهران: سمت.

  • لکوک، پیر (1382). گویش‌های مرکزی ایران. ترجمه آرمان بختیاری و دیگران. تهران: ققنوس. (در رودیگر اشمیت (ویراستار). راهنمای زبان‌های ایرانی. صص 517-539).

  • مقدم، محمد (1318). گویش­های وفس و آشتیان و تفرش. تهران: انجمن ایرانویج.

  • میردهقان، مهین‌ناز (1387). حالت‌نمایی افتراقی در زبان­های هندی/ اردو، پشتو و بلوچی، در چهارچوب بهینگی واژ- نقشی. تهران: مرکز چاپ و انتشارات دانشگاه شهید بهشتی.

  • میردهقان، مهین‌ناز و شیرین مهمانچیان ساروی (1390). «بررسی ساختار جملات پرسشی آتنی در چهارچوب بهینگی». جستارهای زبانی. د 2، ش 3. صص 53-83.

  • میردهقان، مهین‌ناز و سعید‌رضا یوسفی (1391). «حالت و حالت‌نمایی در وفسی». زبان‌شناخت (نشریه پژوهشگاه علوم انسانی و مطالعات فرهنگی). س 3. ش 1. صص 85- 105.

  • یوسفی، سعید‌رضا (1391). بررسی و تحلیل نظام حالت در گویش وفسی در چهارچوب نظریه بهینگی.پایان‌نامه کارشناسی ارشد. تهران: دانشگاه شهید بهشتی.

  • Aissen, J. (2003). “Differential object marking: Iconicity vs. Economy”. Natural Language and Linguistic Theory. No.21. Pp. 435- 483.

    • Battistella, E. (1990). Markedness: The Evaluative Superstructure of Language. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

    • Bossong, G. (1985). “Animacy and markedness in universal grammar”. (Retrieved from: http://www.rose.uzh.ch/seminar/personen/bossong/Bossong_39.pdf).

    • Comrie, B. (1979). “Definite and animate direct objects: A natural class”. Linguistica Silesiana. No. 3. pp. 13-21.

    • Comrie, B. (1989). Language universals and linguistic typology. (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

    • Croft, W. (1998). “Agreement vs. case marking and direct objects”. In M. Barlow & C. Ferguson (Eds.). Agreement in Natural Language, Approaches, Theories, Descriptions. Stanford, CA: CSLI.

    • Croft, W. (1990). Typology and Universals. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

    • Grunow-Harsta, K. (2004). “Direction and differential dative case marking in Magar”. In A. Saxena. Himalayan Languages: Past and Present. Pp. 77-100. (The Hague, Holland: Mouton de Gruyter).

    • Kager, R. (1999). Optimality Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    • Keenan, E. (1976). “Towards a universal definition of “subject”. In C. Li (Ed.). Subject and Topic. Pp. 303-333. (New York, NY: Academic Press).

    • Legendre, Geraldine, Jane Grimshaw, and Sten Vikner (ed.). (2001). Optimality-Theoretic Syntax. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

    • Lestrade, S. A. M. (2006). Adpositional Case. MA Thesis, Radboud UniversityNijmegen.(Retrievedfrom: http://www.ru.nl/publish/pages/518697 /sander_ lestrade _ adpositionalcasema.pdf).

    • Lewis, G. (2000). Turkish Grammar. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    • Libert, A. R. (2002). “On the range and variety of cases assigned by adpositions”. In M. Amberber & P. Collins (Eds.). Language Universals and Variation. Pp. 131-154. (Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers).

    • Libert, A. R. (2008). “Case marking of Turkic adpositional objects”. In D. Kurzon & S. Adler (Eds.). Adpositions: Pragmatic, Semantic and Syntactic Perspectives. Pp. 229-256. (Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing Company).

    • McCarthy, J. J. (2008). “Doing Optimality Theory: Applying Theory to Data”. In S. Hellmuth. Journal of Linguistics. Pp. 480-485. (Oxford: Blackwell).

    • Prince, A. & Smolensky, P. (1993). Optimality Theory: Constraint Interaction in Generative Grammar. (Retrieved from: http://roa.rutgers.edu/files/537-0802/537-0802-PRINCE-0-0.PDF).

    • Smolensky, P. (1995). “On the internal structure of the constraint component of UG”. Handout of Talk Presented at UCLA. April 7, 1995. (Retrieved from : http://roa.rutgers . edu /files /86-0000/86-0000-SMOLENSKY-0-0.PDF).

    • Stilo, D. L. (1981). “The Tati language group in the sociolinguistic context of Northwestern Iran and Transcaucasia”. Iranian Studies. 14 (3-4). Pp. 137-187.

    • Stilo, D. L. (1987). “Ambipositions as an areal response: The case study of the Iranian zone”. In Selected papers from SALA-7: South Asian languages analysis roundtable conference. Pp. 308-336. (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press).

    • Stilo, D. L. (2004). Vafsi Folk Tales. Weisbaden, Germany: Ludwig Reichert Verlag.

    • Stilo, D. L. (2005). “Iranian as buffer zone between the universal typologies of Turkic and semitic”. In É. Á. Csató, B. Isaksson, C. Jahani (Eds.). Linguistic Convergence and Areal Diffusion: Case Studies from Iranian, Semitic and Turkic. Pp. 35-63. (London, UK: Routledge Courzon).

    • Stilo, D. L. (2006). “Ditransitive constructions in Vafsi”. (Retrieved from : http://www. eva. mpg.de  /lingua/conference/07_DitransitiveConstructions /pdf/handouts /Handout_Stilo.pdf).

    • Stilo, D. L. (2009). “Circumpositions as an areal response: The case study of the Iranian zone. Turkic languages”. No. 13. Pp. 3-33. Wiesbaden, Germany: Harrassowitz Verlag. (Retrieved from: http://www.digizeitschriften.de/dms /img/?PPN=PPN666048797_ 0013&DMDID=DMDLOG_0007).



Language Related Research
Volume 7, Issue 3
July and August 2016
Pages 197-222