Chapter 1. Anaphoric potential of pseudo-incorporated bare objects in Persian
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Fereshteh Modarresi
Abstract
This paper investigates the syntax, semantics and discourse effects of bare nominal objects in Persian, analysed as an instance of pseudo-incorporation, in contrast to objects marked by the indefinite article yek and to objects marked by the object marker -rā. The main experimental result is that bare objects readily allow for anaphoric uptake, in contrast to claims in previous literature about Persian and pseudo-incorporated objects in other languages. However, anaphoric uptake is less readily available than with yek-marked objects. We account for this difference, elaborating on Krifka & Modarresi (2016), where we argue for existential closure over the vP (Diesing 1992) as analyzed in Modarresi (2014) and an interpretation of bare objects as definites dependent on this existential closure. We give an implementation in Discourse Representation Theory (Kamp & Reyle 1993) which provides a model for our experimental findings. We consider -rā as marking constituents that moved out of the existential closure. Thus BNs if marked with -rā are definite and if not are definites dependent on existential closure similar, leading to weak definite effects. This also explains semantic features like the number-neutrality of bare objects, the specific/definite interpretation of rā-marked objects, and the similarity of bare objects to weak definites in languages like English.
Abstract
This paper investigates the syntax, semantics and discourse effects of bare nominal objects in Persian, analysed as an instance of pseudo-incorporation, in contrast to objects marked by the indefinite article yek and to objects marked by the object marker -rā. The main experimental result is that bare objects readily allow for anaphoric uptake, in contrast to claims in previous literature about Persian and pseudo-incorporated objects in other languages. However, anaphoric uptake is less readily available than with yek-marked objects. We account for this difference, elaborating on Krifka & Modarresi (2016), where we argue for existential closure over the vP (Diesing 1992) as analyzed in Modarresi (2014) and an interpretation of bare objects as definites dependent on this existential closure. We give an implementation in Discourse Representation Theory (Kamp & Reyle 1993) which provides a model for our experimental findings. We consider -rā as marking constituents that moved out of the existential closure. Thus BNs if marked with -rā are definite and if not are definites dependent on existential closure similar, leading to weak definite effects. This also explains semantic features like the number-neutrality of bare objects, the specific/definite interpretation of rā-marked objects, and the similarity of bare objects to weak definites in languages like English.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Chapter 1. Anaphoric potential of pseudo-incorporated bare objects in Persian 12
- Chapter 2. Persian quantifiers and their scope 44
- Chapter 3. Why-stripping in Persian 81
- Chapter 4. Middle Persian Ezafe 100
- Chapter 5. Ezafe and the article 130
- Chapter 6. Ezafe as a linking feature within DP 154
- Chapter 7. Mood selection in complement clauses in Persian 180
- Chapter 8. Three types of verb stem levelling in Tat 210
- Chapter 9. A null stem analysis of Persian copular verbs 231
- Chapter 10. Semi-anticausatives 263
- Chapter 11. The nature and licensing of hi:tʃ elements in Persian 282
- Language index 307
- Name index 309
- Subject index 313
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
- Chapter 1. Anaphoric potential of pseudo-incorporated bare objects in Persian 12
- Chapter 2. Persian quantifiers and their scope 44
- Chapter 3. Why-stripping in Persian 81
- Chapter 4. Middle Persian Ezafe 100
- Chapter 5. Ezafe and the article 130
- Chapter 6. Ezafe as a linking feature within DP 154
- Chapter 7. Mood selection in complement clauses in Persian 180
- Chapter 8. Three types of verb stem levelling in Tat 210
- Chapter 9. A null stem analysis of Persian copular verbs 231
- Chapter 10. Semi-anticausatives 263
- Chapter 11. The nature and licensing of hi:tʃ elements in Persian 282
- Language index 307
- Name index 309
- Subject index 313
