Document Type : مقالات علمی پژوهشی
Authors
1
PhD Candidate in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Takestan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Takestan, Iran
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, Takestan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Takestan, Iran
Abstract
The present research aims to investigate the place of noun in Persian language based on cognitive approach by relying on the framework of Lanckager’s cognitive grammar (2008). To achieve this goal, authors have selected 150 Persian simple nouns from Sokhan Dictionary (1382) accidentally. The method of the present research is descriptive-analytical and data collecting is based on library studies. After the study of collected data of research, authors concluded that in Persian language, the discussion on being countable or non-countable of noun doesn’t make much sense and unlike cognitive approach mass nouns are the same as countable nouns, which receive plural –s morpheme and together with proper nouns, they constitute a different class of nouns. Also in Persian language as well as cognitive approach, pronouns can replace nouns.
1. Introduction
Background:
One of the most important grammatical categories is noun, which has been considered in most linguistic studies, and due to the frequent presence of this grammatical category in language sentences, it can be given a special position in the field of grammar as well as word structure. In today's advanced world, where scientists and inventors are making new inventions and discoveries every day and selling them to the markets, the centers and authorities responsible for naming these products have faced a huge challenge. Making new domestic products, updating and editing, school and university textbooks based on modern science, updating Persian dictionaries, translating borrowed words in technical, engineering, medical, pharmaceutical and even military fields show the importance of studying the status of nouns in Persian based on an up-to-date and new theoretical framework in the field of linguistics. Although much research has been done on the grammatical category of nouns and distinguishing this category from other grammatical categories inside or outside Iran, the position of nouns in Persian has not been studied in detail from a cognitive point of view.To this end , this study aims to investigate the position of nouns in Persian language based on the theoretical and grammatical framework of Langacker (2008).
Theoretical framework
The theoretical framework of the present study is Langacker’s (2008) grammar. Cognitive linguistics can be divided into two broad areas: cognitive semantics and cognitive approaches to grammar. In grammar, language is considered as a mental and cognitive system, and therefore the issue of language independence from other cognitive powers is not raised, and a comprehensive understanding of the language system is not possible without a complete understanding of the cognitive system. Also, the independence of linguistic domains is rejected, and semantics does not mean literal or linguistic meaning and does not believe in semantic characteristics. Rather, the literal and non-literal meanings are metaphorical, virtual, metaphorical, and context-based. The grammar proposed by Langacker (2008) is the most prominent framework of cognitive linguistics. In describing grammar, Langacker (2008) considers language as a part of cognition and believes that linguistic research should be dedicated to understanding the human mind. In Langacker's grammar (2008), nouns are divided into two main subsets of countable nouns and common or uncountable nouns. Langacker (2008) also divides nouns into two groups of pronouns and specific nouns in terms of semantic usage. Langacker's (2008) cognitive approach has introduced the distinction between countable nouns and uncountable or general nouns in taking the plural marker. Thus, the noun that receives the plural is countable and the noun that does not receive the plural is uncountable.
Research questions:
In this study, the following questions have been raised: 1. To what extent does the pattern of countable and uncountable nouns in Persian correspond to the cognitive pattern? 2. What class of nouns in Persian does the pattern of common nouns which are one of the two main classes that make up nouns in the cognitive approach correspond?
Research method:
The research method of the present study was descriptive-analytical and the method of collecting research data was based on library studies and random sampling. To investigate the status of nouns in Persian from a cognitive perspective under the theoretical framework of Langacker (2008) grammar, the authors randomly selected 150 simple Persian names from Sokhan dictionary (2003).
2. Results
the results showed that in Persian the discussion of countable or non-countable nouns does not make much sense. Contrary to the cognitive view which considers countable nouns and common nouns as the two main classes of nouns, in Persian, common nouns are the same as countable nouns and receive the plural marker, and together with specific nouns, they form a distinct class of nouns. Also, in Persian, as in the cognitive view, the pronoun replaces the noun. Examining the simple nouns from a cognitive point of view showed that Persian grammar has significant differences in the category of countable nouns, uncountable nouns, general nouns, specific nouns and pronouns compared to Langacker (2008) grammatical pattern. In Persian, general, specific, and some personal pronouns do not receive the plural marker (s), which is in stark contrast to Langacker (2008)'s grammar. Also in Persian, some nouns that are inherently uncountable, such as water, also receive the plural marker (s). Here, the language instinct of the Persian speaker is also involved, which is also a case of contradiction between Persian grammar and cognitive grammar.
3. Conclusion
In general, in Persian, countable and uncountable nouns are on one side, and general and specific nouns are also on the other side, which do not correspond in general to Langacker’s (2008) grammatical model.
Keywords
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Language Related Research
