On the syntax-semantics of passives in Persian
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Fatemeh Nemati
Abstract
This paper investigates passive constructions in Persian, ranging from basic morphological passives to impersonal passives, in comparison with similar constructions with šodæn ‘to become’. The basic passive constructions (Past Participle + šodæn) coexist with a body of Noun/Adjective + šodæn sequences with passive meaning as well as copular sentences in which šodæn appears after the noun or adjective. The different uses and interpretations of šodæn are accounted for based on the assumption that the interaction of the lexical semantic specification of šodæn and the other elements in the sequence determines the final interpretation of šodæn as a passive auxiliary or a copula. If the element preceding šodæn has a [+passive] feature, the construction will be calculated syntactically as passive. Otherwise, šodæn is treated as the copula in the syntactic computation.
Abstract
This paper investigates passive constructions in Persian, ranging from basic morphological passives to impersonal passives, in comparison with similar constructions with šodæn ‘to become’. The basic passive constructions (Past Participle + šodæn) coexist with a body of Noun/Adjective + šodæn sequences with passive meaning as well as copular sentences in which šodæn appears after the noun or adjective. The different uses and interpretations of šodæn are accounted for based on the assumption that the interaction of the lexical semantic specification of šodæn and the other elements in the sequence determines the final interpretation of šodæn as a passive auxiliary or a copula. If the element preceding šodæn has a [+passive] feature, the construction will be calculated syntactically as passive. Otherwise, šodæn is treated as the copula in the syntactic computation.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Non-canonical passives 1
- Adjectival passives and adjectival participles in English 21
- The get -passive at the intersection of get and the passive 43
- Three “competing” auxiliaries of a non-canonical passive 63
- Variations in non-canonical passives 95
- How much bekommen is there in the German bekommen passive? 115
- Haben -statives in German 141
- Another passive that isn’t one 163
- Passives and near-passives in Balto-Slavic 185
- How do things get done 213
- Anticausativizing a causative verb 235
- On the syntax-semantics of passives in Persian 261
- Two indirect passive constructions in Japanese 281
- Få and its passive complement 297
- The Danish reportive passive as a non-canonical passive 315
- (Non-)canonical passives and reflexives 337
- Index 359
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Non-canonical passives 1
- Adjectival passives and adjectival participles in English 21
- The get -passive at the intersection of get and the passive 43
- Three “competing” auxiliaries of a non-canonical passive 63
- Variations in non-canonical passives 95
- How much bekommen is there in the German bekommen passive? 115
- Haben -statives in German 141
- Another passive that isn’t one 163
- Passives and near-passives in Balto-Slavic 185
- How do things get done 213
- Anticausativizing a causative verb 235
- On the syntax-semantics of passives in Persian 261
- Two indirect passive constructions in Japanese 281
- Få and its passive complement 297
- The Danish reportive passive as a non-canonical passive 315
- (Non-)canonical passives and reflexives 337
- Index 359
