Graded Finiteness of Persian Complement Clauses Based on Landau's Minimalist view and Givon's Functionalist Approach
IntroductionThe finiteness of complement clauses in Persian has been a controversial topic among linguists. Some linguists have examined finiteness under the classification of finite and nonfinite (or infinitive) clauses. Regarding Persian complement clauses, a group of Iranian linguists, including...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | fas |
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Alzahra University
2025-02-01
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| Series: | زبان پژوهی |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://zabanpazhuhi.alzahra.ac.ir/article_7955_45cff29d3ed164c8ad2d62e7d222c7eb.pdf |
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| Summary: | IntroductionThe finiteness of complement clauses in Persian has been a controversial topic among linguists. Some linguists have examined finiteness under the classification of finite and nonfinite (or infinitive) clauses. Regarding Persian complement clauses, a group of Iranian linguists, including Darzi (1993), Sedighi (2001), Ghomeshi (2001), and Motavalian (2011) have argued against the existence of finite complement clauses in Persian, claiming that Persian lacks finite clauses altogether. Additionally, other scholars, such as Meshkatodini (2000), Moeinzadeh & Mosafa Jahromi (2009), and Alikhouei & Modaresi (2018), have provided implicit evidence supporting the non-finiteness of Persian complement clauses.Cross-linguistic evidence suggests that the varied structures of complement clauses and the diverse theoretical approaches to their analysis have led to contradictory opinions among linguists. This divergence requires a comprehensive review and further research. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct the present research for two reasons. First, previous research, largely based on early generative grammar frameworks, has not accounted for recent theoretical developments, such as minimalism, and secondly, none of these studies have examined the finiteness of complement clauses as a graded grammatical concept, especially from the viewpoints of the Minimalist Program and functionalism in Persian.This study investigates the concept of finiteness and tense within Landau’s (2006) and Givón’s (1980) frameworks. The selection of Givón's continuum provides a basis for analyzing control verbs in Persian, illustrating how they interact with formal finiteness and tense features in Landau's formalism model, finally leading to the formation of complement clauses. In fact, this study aims to assess the degree of finiteness in Persian complement clauses through the concept of finiteness and tense in relation to the control intensity of the main clause verb, as framed within Landau's agreement theory and Givón's control continuum.By proposing a continuum of control verbs, this research examines the formation of control constructions through an integrated approach that bridges meaning and syntax. Additionally, it considers factors such as semantic interpretation and the intensity of control exerted by the main verb, the realization of the event, and the type of the subject of the complement clause to analyze the gradation of finiteness in Persian complement clauses.Therefore, it is assumed that Persian complement clauses exhibit graded tense based on the control intensity of the main verbs. Specifically, the main clause verbs with a higher degree of control are expected to take finite complement clauses. Unlike previous studies, this study proposes that finiteness in Persian is not a strict dichotomy imposed by the main predicate. Instead, it allows for intermediate forms between the two extremes of finiteness and non-finiteness.Given that prior research has primarily adopted traditional and formalist approaches, this study aims to explore the contributions of minimalism and offer a more comprehensive and nuanced account of this challenging linguistic phenomenon in Persian. Materials and methodsIn this research, the data were collected through library research and analyzed using a descriptive-analytical approach within the framework of Landau's minimalism and Givón's functionalism. Results and discussionIn high-control verbs, the complement clause appears as a non-finite subjunctive, which is closer to infinitives in terms of tense. As control intensity decreases, the mood of the complement clause shifts from subjunctive to indicative, and the occurrence of the action in the complement clause becomes less dependent on the main clause. ConclusionAs the degree of control decreases, the finiteness in complement clauses transitions from completely non-finite to varying degrees of weak, moderate, and high finiteness. |
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| ISSN: | 2008-8833 2538-1989 |