Persian Complex Predicates
Date
2011
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
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Thesis (B.A.)
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en_US
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Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
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Abstract
Persian complex predicates are two-part verbal constructions comprised ofa
non-verbal element and a semantically bleached light verb. A heavy verb such as Persian xordcen
means 'to ingest' (as in food or drink), whereas its light verb counterpart has abstract or bleached
semantics; in this case, light verb xordcen denotes collision, negative encounters, and other
involuntary reception or involvement of an object to a subject. In this paper, we discuss some of
the major issues in the field of Persian complex predicates: (1) their compositionality, (2) their
idiomaticity, and (3) the hybrid structure or double analyzability of the nominal nonverbal
element. We come to these issues with the aim of showing how an approach that focuses on
language as a practical tool based on human perspective and experience can yield more accurate
interpretations of the various and innumerable linguistic phenomena available for study.