A Minimalist Analysis of Persian Restrictive Relative Clause Derivation

Within the Minimalist Program (MP), Relative clauses (RCs) are considered complementizer clauses (CPs) containing a C with an edge feature [EF] in the form of [wh] and [EPP] but no tense feature. This study investigates Persian RC derivation based on MP. By proposing two approaches, namely: (1) ‘ke-movement’ and (2) ‘null wh-operator (OP) movement’, we will consistently argue and show that the null wh-OP approach provides an appropriate generalization for Persian restrictive RCs. Adopting the latter, the results display Persian RCs can be analyzed as CPs with a null wh-OP assuming to undertake wh-movement as copying and deletion from different syntactic positions, i.e., subject, direct object, object of preposition, etc. This operator allows a small pro in the subject position, leaving an optional null copy, either allowing an optional resumptive pronoun (RP) behind in direct object position or attaching to the verb; and obligatorily in indirect object and object of preposition positions as well as Ezafe-construction. Also, the edge feature of the probe, the complementizer ke, attracts the null wh-OP to Spec-C, for checking and valuing the unvalued [wh] and [EPP] features. The long relative clause derivations can, correspondingly, work as expected by the successive cyclic movement of OP through intermediate Spec-C positions as well

Markers of Prominence in Persian General Practitioners’ Books and Online Medical Journals

Giving certain elements more significance than others in the same context is called prominence. This study aims at identifying and comparing markers of focal and thematic prominence in Persian general       practitioners’ books (GPBs) and Persian online medical journals (OMJs) based on Levinsohn’s model. The data were gathered from 100 texts from two written Persian GPBs and 100 texts from two Persian OMJs. SPSS software version 24 was used to evaluate the data. Results demonstrated “emphatic   markers” such as fæqæt ‘just’ were used for focal prominence much more frequently in OMJs than in GPBs. In addition, significant differences were observed between GPBs and OMJs with regard to the markers of focal prominence and prominence in general, but not with regard to markers of thematic prominence. This may be related to the twofold effect of the different discourse types and different addressees of these texts

Typology of Case-marking and Agreement Systems in Bashāgardi

Based on linguistic typology approach and after analyzing the case-marking and agreement systems in (North and South) Bashāgardi according to Comrie (1978) and precise evaluation of findings according to the new theory of Zwart and Lindenbergh (2021), the present study aims to achieve a deeper explanation for those two systems’ function as well as the general alignment pattern of this dialect. In this regard, the research data has been gathered by interviewing ten native speakers, and then has been analyzed. According to the first findings, (North and South) Bashāgardi case-marking and agreement in non-past tense belong identically to the dominant and major pattern of (complete) accusative pattern, and in the past obey the dominant and shifting pattern of split-ergative or (complete) ergative pattern. Explanation of findings reveals that (North and South) Bashāgardi’s general alignment system uses the reverse and identical patterns in non-past and past tenses, respectively. Moreover, conditioned by the two categories of transitivity and tense, as the mirrors of inter-domain interrelations, these two language varieties exploit identical recessive and shifting alignment patterns in those two tenses as well, for which the appropriate explanations has been presented

Relationship between phonological and geographical distance: Persian, Sarawani Balochi and Sistani dialect

This article focuses on the study of geographical variations among the phonological systems of Standard Persian (SP) language, Central Sarawani Balochi (CSB), a dialect of Balochi language and the Sistani dialect (SD) of Persian, based on Optimality Theory (OT) and van Oostendorp‟s (2008) approach. SP and SD are linguistically closely related, but SP and CSB are very farther apart. While these language varieties share some similarities in their phonological system, they also have some peculiarities and are spoken in different geographical locations in Iran. Following OT and van Oostendorp‟s (2008) approach, the study of syllable structure of SP, CSB and SD supports the fact that the linguistic distance between two dialects is the minimal number of minimal reranking needed to get from one grammar to another. The findings of the present research show the fact that reranking DEP-IO and *COMPLEXONS constraints supports how the initial clusters are realized in the syllable structure of CSB and SD, but not in SP. In addition, the analysis of the status of [] in the onset position of the syllable structure of SP and SD based on the constraints: DEP-IO, ONSET and MAX-IO indicates that all these language varieties are among languages which typologically do not permit onset-less syllables. Moreover, the data suggests that the linguistic distance between two languages or dialects equals to the geographical distance between them. Further, as to syllable structure, historical considerations should be taken into account. Accordingly, the syllable structure of SD corresponds to the syllable structure of CSB rather than SP, although linguistically SD is closer to SP not CSB

Online Text Processing: A Study of Iranian EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Knowledge

The internet has developed into an important source of knowledge in recent times. It is used not just for engaging and entertaining users, but also for promoting language learning, especially for English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL and EFL) learners spending long hours using internet, 85% of all web pages are in English. This experimental research investigated EFL learners’ experiences of vocabulary learning while surfing and text processing. In this small-scale study, two homogeneous groups of EFL learners (N=19), after taking a vocabulary test to ensure that their vocabulary knowledge differences were not significant, were randomly assigned to attend Interchange 3 class in two different groups – one as the Experimental and the other as the Control Group. Each session, there was a free discussion on special topics; while the Experimental Group surfed the internet, processed the online texts, shared and discussed their findings and beliefs on the internet, the Control Group did not use the internet and simply shared their opinions and discussed their personal beliefs. The results of the vocabulary pre- and post-tests indicated that the “internet users” significantly outperformed the “non-internet users”, that is, the Control Group. Based on the findings, internet creates a stimulating environment which helps learners effectively boost their vocabulary knowledge

Identity: a cohesive device in some Persian live sport radio and TV talks

Identity is a cohesive device that helps to have a better understanding of speech. This article analyzes the identity device and its sub-sets in some Persian live sport radio and TV programs. The theoretical framework of this research is Dooley and Levinsohn (2001). A data-driven approach based on the access to the detailed discourse context was used to have a reliable sample for the research. So, around 200 minutes of 20 different live sport radio and TV programs were transcribed. The authors present the identity extent of functionality via comparing its degree of frequency employing the SPSS software while evaluating the meaningfulness of differences in application of each of its sub-categories. This evidence-oriented research supports that the subcategories of identity can also be studied in Persian in the same way as Dooley and Levinsohn’s (2001) view among which pronouns receive the most frequency whereas pro-forms do the least. Pronouns and ellipsis contain a meaningful difference between their application in radio and TV data. In addition, there is not any significant difference between the applications of repetition, substitution and other pro-forms. Finally, identity is reported as having a significant relation in its application in the research corpora.

The Study of Perception of Lexical Synonymy by Educable Children with Intellectual Disability Compared to Typically Developing Children

Introduction: Synonymy occurs when two words have a similar meaning. Language perception is superior to language production. Moreover, considering that, due to some mental problems and low IQ, intellectually disabled children suffer from some difficulties in language comprehension, conducting a research on the perception of synonymy can help these children in their language communication. Thus, the purpose of the present research was to examine and compare the perception of synonymy in educable children with intellectual disability and typically developing children. Materials and Methods: The present study was a casual-comparative research. The data used in this research were gathered using the researcher-made Perception of Synonymy Questionnaire. To this end, 15 educable children with intellectual disability from exceptional schools and 15 typically developing children from ordinary schools of Jiroft, Iran, were asked to complete this questionnaire. The independent t-test was used to investigate and analyze the hypothesis of the present research and MANOVA was used to compare the perception of different kinds of synonymy. Results: The result of independent t-test showed that there was a significant difference between the mean of synonymy perception in educable children with intellectual disability and typically developing children (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Educable children with intellectual disability had difficulty in the perception of synonymy compared to typically developing children. However, the results of the present study showed no difference between educable children with intellectual disability and typically developing children in the understanding of two synonymous words belonging to different dialects and two synonymous words belonging to different languages

Las geminadas en dialecto sarawani balochi central

This article attempts to identify and analysis two different types of geminate, namely, single vowel-adjacent geminate and intervocalic geminate in Central Sarawani Balochi dialect. In addition, analyses of these geminate processes are given in the framework of Optimality theory (OT). We also represent the moraic model of syllable structure in this dialect to support the idea that geminate in Central Sarawani Balochi (CSB) is underlyingly moraic. The data have been extracted from the linguistic corpus collected through fieldwork in Sarawan city in Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran. The research findings show that both single vowe-adjacent geminates and intervocalic geminates are common in CSB, whereas no initial geminates have been observed in the data under investigation. Moreover, almost all consonants can occur as geminate consonants in word-final position, while no glide and glottal consonants appear as geminate consonants in this position. Likewise, geminate in CSB supports the idea that there is no super-heavy syllable in this dialect, since gemination only occurs after short vowels.Este articulo intenta identificar y analizar dos tipos diferentes de geminada, es decir, la geminada vocal adyacente unica y la geminada intervocálica en el dialecto Sarawani balochi central. Adicionalmente, se analizan los procesos de geminacion en el marco de la Teoria de la Optimidad (OT). Se representa tambien el modelo moraico de estructura silábica en este dialecto para apoyar la idea de que las geminadas en el Sarawani Balochi Central (SBC) son subyacentemente moraicas. Los datos se han extraido de un corpus lingüístico recogido a través de trabajo de campo en la ciudad de Sarawan en Sistan y en la provincia Baluchistan en Irán. Los resultados de la investigación muestran que la geminada vocal adyacente unica y la geminada intervocalica son comunes en el dialecto SBC, mientras que no se han encontrado geminadas iniciales en los datos investigados. Por otra parte, casi todas las consonantes pueden ocurrir como consonantes geminadas en posicion final de palabra, mientras que no aparecen glides ni consonantes glotales como geminadas en esta posicion. Del mismo modo, las geminadas en dialecto SBC confirma la idea de que no hay ninguna sílaba super pesada en este dialecto, ya que la geminación se produce solo despues de vocales breves