The Suffix that Makes Persian Nouns Unique Masoud Jasbi Leila - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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The Suffix that Makes Persian Nouns Unique Masoud Jasbi Leila Habibi Stanford University University of Western Ontario 1 Snapshot The nominal suffix -e in Farsi is a uniqueness marker. It makes bare nominals definitely definite! It

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The Suffix that Makes Persian Nouns Unique

Masoud Jasbi Leila Habibi Stanford University University of Western Ontario

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Snapshot

  • The nominal suffix -e in Farsi is a uniqueness marker.
  • It makes bare nominals definitely definite!
  • It makes indefinites scopally specific.

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Definiteness in Persian

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Definiteness in Persian

  • No article or marker of definiteness like the in English.

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Definiteness in Persian

  • No article or marker of definiteness like the in English.
  • Two indefinite markers:
  • i. The indefinite determiner ye.
  • ii. The indefinite clitic -i.

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Definiteness in Persian

  • No article or marker of definiteness like the in English.
  • Two indefinite markers:
  • i. The indefinite determiner ye.
  • ii. The indefinite clitic -i.
  • Two markers that cut across the definite/indefinite classification:
  • i. The object marker -r¯

a.

  • ii. The suffix -e.

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Roadmap

N Definite, Generic, Indefinite N-e Definite ye-N Simple Indefinite ye-N-e Singleton (Specific) Indefinite

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Roadmap

N Definite, Generic, Indefinite N-e Definite ye-N Simple Indefinite ye-N-e Singleton (Specific) Indefinite

  • What does -e do?

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Roadmap

N Definite, Generic, Indefinite N-e Definite ye-N Simple Indefinite ye-N-e Singleton (Specific) Indefinite

  • What does -e do?

1. N vs. N-e → The suffix makes the noun definitely definite!

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Roadmap

N Definite, Generic, Indefinite N-e Definite ye-N Simple Indefinite ye-N-e Singleton (Specific) Indefinite

  • What does -e do?

1. N vs. N-e → The suffix makes the noun definitely definite! 2. ye-N vs. ye-N-e → The suffix makes the noun scopally specific.

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Roadmap

N Definite, Generic, Indefinite N-e Definite ye-N Simple Indefinite ye-N-e Singleton (Specific) Indefinite

  • What does -e do?

1. N vs. N-e → The suffix makes the noun definitely definite! 2. ye-N vs. ye-N-e → The suffix makes the noun scopally specific.

  • 3. 1 & 2 → -e marks uniqueness.

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Empirical Observations

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Nominal Constructions

N Definite, Generic, Indefinite N-e Definite ye-N Simple Indefinite ye-N-e Singleton Indefinite

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Bare Nominals

Generic Example

CGen: Amir is discussing cars and their problems. He says:

(1) m¯ ashin car hav¯ a-ro air-OM ¯ alude polluted mi-kon-e

MI-do-3.SG

“Cars pollute the air.”

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Bare Nominals

Generic Example

CGen: Amir is discussing cars and their problems. He says:

(1) m¯ ashin car hav¯ a-ro air-OM ¯ alude polluted mi-kon-e

MI-do-3.SG

“Cars pollute the air.” Indefinite Example

Cindef : Amir is crossing the street without checking the traffic. Leila stops him and says:

(2) m¯ ashin car mi-zan-e

MI-hit-3.SG

be-het to--2.SG “Some car is gonna hit you.”

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Bare Nominals

Definite Example

Cdef1: Amir and Leila have one car only. One day Amir comes home and says:

(3) m¯ ashin car xar¯ ab broken shod-e become.PST-3.SG “The car’s broken.”

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Bare Nominals

Bare Nominals in Tehrani Farsi can be definite, indefinite, or generic.

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Nominal Constructions

N Definite, Generic, Indefinite N-e Definite ye-N Simple Indefinite ye-N-e Singleton Indefinite

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N-e

N

CGen: Amir is discussing cars and their problems. He says:

(4) m¯ ashin car hav¯ a-ro air--OM ¯ alude polluted mi-kon-e

MI-do-3.SG

“Cars pollute the air.”

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N-e

N

CGen: Amir is discussing cars and their problems. He says:

(4) m¯ ashin car hav¯ a-ro air--OM ¯ alude polluted mi-kon-e

MI-do-3.SG

“Cars pollute the air.” N-e

#CGen Cdef3: Amir shows the video of an old car with a smokey exhaust. He says:

(5) m¯ ashin-e car-UM hav¯ a-ro air--OM ¯ alude polluted mi-kon-e

MI-do-3.SG

“The/that car pollutes the air.”

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N-e

N

Cindef : Amir is crossing the street without checking the traffic. Leila stops him and says:

(6) m¯ ashin car mi-zan-e

MI-hit-3.SG

be-het to--2.SG “A car is gonna hit you.”

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N-e

N

Cindef : Amir is crossing the street without checking the traffic. Leila stops him and says:

(6) m¯ ashin car mi-zan-e

MI-hit-3.SG

be-het to--2.SG “A car is gonna hit you.” N-e

#Cindef Cdef4: Amir is walking in a parking lot. A car is backing out. Leila stops him and says:

(7) m¯ ashin-e car-UM mi-zan-e

MI-hit-3.SG

be-het to--2.SG “The/that car is gonna hit you.”

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N-e

N

Cdef1: Amir and Leila have one car only. One day Amir comes home and says:

(8) m¯ ashin car xar¯ ab broken shod-e become.PST-3.SG “The car’s broken.”

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N-e

N

Cdef1: Amir and Leila have one car only. One day Amir comes home and says:

(8) m¯ ashin car xar¯ ab broken shod-e become.PST-3.SG “The car’s broken.” N-e

Cdef1

(9) m¯ ashin-e car-UM xar¯ ab broken shod-e become.PST-3.SG “The/that car’s broken.”

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Summary

Adding -e to a bare nominal makes it (definitely) definite.

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Nominal Constructions

N Definite, Generic, Indefinite N-e Definite ye-N Simple Indefinite ye-N-e Singleton Indefinite

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ye N-e

ye N

Cindef : Leila looks out the window. She says:

(10) ye

Indef.D

zan woman dam-e close-EZ dar-e door-3.SG “A woman is at the door.”

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ye N-e

ye N

Cindef : Leila looks out the window. She says:

(10) ye

Indef.D

zan woman dam-e close-EZ dar-e door-3.SG “A woman is at the door.” ye N-e

Cindef : Leila looks out the window. She says:

(11) ye

Indef.D

zan-e woman-UM dam-e close-EZ dar-e door-3.SG “A woman is at the door.”

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Nominal Constructions

What is the difference between ye-N and ye-N-e?

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Nominal Constructions

What is the difference between ye-N and ye-N-e? Answer: Scope! ye-N-e always takes wide scope!

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De-re De-dicto

ye N (12) Amir Amir mi-x¯ a-d

MI-want-3.SG

b¯ a with ye

In.D

doxtar girl ezdev¯ aj marry kon-e do-3.SG “Amir wants to marry a girl.”

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De-re De-dicto

ye N (12) Amir Amir mi-x¯ a-d

MI-want-3.SG

b¯ a with ye

In.D

doxtar girl ezdev¯ aj marry kon-e do-3.SG “Amir wants to marry a girl.”

  • 1. ∃ > want
  • 2. want > ∃

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De-re De-dicto

ye N (12) Amir Amir mi-x¯ a-d

MI-want-3.SG

b¯ a with ye

In.D

doxtar girl ezdev¯ aj marry kon-e do-3.SG “Amir wants to marry a girl.”

  • 1. ∃ > want
  • 2. want > ∃

ye N-e (13) Amir Amir mi-x¯ a-d

MI-want-3.SG

b¯ a with ye

In.D

doxtar-e girl-UM ezdev¯ aj marry kon-e do-3.SG “Amir wants to marry a girl.”

  • 1. ∃ > want

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Scope with the Universal Quantifier

ye N (14) emruz today hame everyone be to ye

Indef.D

  • st¯

ad professor sal¯ am hello kard-im do-1.PL “Today everyone said hello to a professor.”

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Scope with the Universal Quantifier

ye N (14) emruz today hame everyone be to ye

Indef.D

  • st¯

ad professor sal¯ am hello kard-im do-1.PL “Today everyone said hello to a professor.”

  • 1. ∃ > ∀
  • 2. ∀ > ∃

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Scope with the Universal Quantifier

ye N (14) emruz today hame everyone be to ye

Indef.D

  • st¯

ad professor sal¯ am hello kard-im do-1.PL “Today everyone said hello to a professor.”

  • 1. ∃ > ∀
  • 2. ∀ > ∃

ye N-e (15) emruz today hame everyone be to ye

Indef.D

  • st¯

ad-e professor-UM sal¯ am hello kard-im do-1.PL “Today everyone said hello to a specific professor.”

  • 1. ∃ > ∀

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Scope with the Universal Quantifier

ye N

(16) hame-ye all-EZ doxtar-¯ a girl-PL hame-ye all-EZ eshteb¯ a-h¯ a-ye mistake-PL-EZ ye

Indef.D

pesar boy ro

OM

tasih correct kard-an do-3.PL “All the girls corrected all the mistakes of a boy.”

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Scope with the Universal Quantifier

ye N

(16) hame-ye all-EZ doxtar-¯ a girl-PL hame-ye all-EZ eshteb¯ a-h¯ a-ye mistake-PL-EZ ye

Indef.D

pesar boy ro

OM

tasih correct kard-an do-3.PL “All the girls corrected all the mistakes of a boy.”

  • 1. ∃ > ∀ > ∀
  • 2. ∀ > ∃ > ∀

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Scope with the Universal Quantifier

ye N

(16) hame-ye all-EZ doxtar-¯ a girl-PL hame-ye all-EZ eshteb¯ a-h¯ a-ye mistake-PL-EZ ye

Indef.D

pesar boy ro

OM

tasih correct kard-an do-3.PL “All the girls corrected all the mistakes of a boy.”

  • 1. ∃ > ∀ > ∀
  • 2. ∀ > ∃ > ∀

ye N-e

(17) hame-ye all-EZ doxtar-¯ a girl-PL hame-ye all-EZ eshteb¯ a-h¯ a-ye mistake-PL-EZ ye

Indef.D

pesar-e boy-UM ro

OM

tasih correct kard-an do-3.PL “There is a boy that every girl corrected all his mistakes.”

  • 1. ∃ > ∀ > ∀

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Scope with Temporal Adverbials

ye N

(18) S¯ ar¯ a Sara hamishe always b¯ a with ye

Indef.D

pesar boy dav¯ a-sh quarrel-3.SG mi-sh-e

MI-become-3.SG

“Sara always gets into a fight with some boy.”

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Scope with Temporal Adverbials

ye N

(18) S¯ ar¯ a Sara hamishe always b¯ a with ye

Indef.D

pesar boy dav¯ a-sh quarrel-3.SG mi-sh-e

MI-become-3.SG

“Sara always gets into a fight with some boy.”

  • 1. ∃ > always
  • 2. always > ∃

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Scope with Temporal Adverbials

ye N

(18) S¯ ar¯ a Sara hamishe always b¯ a with ye

Indef.D

pesar boy dav¯ a-sh quarrel-3.SG mi-sh-e

MI-become-3.SG

“Sara always gets into a fight with some boy.”

  • 1. ∃ > always
  • 2. always > ∃

ye N-e

(19) S¯ ar¯ a Sara hamishe always b¯ a with ye

Indef.D

pesar-e boy(-UM) dav¯ a-sh quarrel-3.SG mi-sh-e

MI-become-3.SG

“Sara always gets into a fight with some boy.”

  • 1. ∃ > always

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Scope with Belief Verbs

ye N

(20) hame all fekr thought mi-kon-an

MI-do-3.PL

Ali Ali b¯ a with ye

Indef.D

doxtar girl ezdev¯ aj marriage kard-e do-PF.3.SG “Everyone thinks Ali has married a girl.”

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Scope with Belief Verbs

ye N

(20) hame all fekr thought mi-kon-an

MI-do-3.PL

Ali Ali b¯ a with ye

Indef.D

doxtar girl ezdev¯ aj marriage kard-e do-PF.3.SG “Everyone thinks Ali has married a girl.”

  • 1. ∃ > ∀ > B
  • 2. ∀ > B > ∃

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Scope with Belief Verbs

ye N

(20) hame all fekr thought mi-kon-an

MI-do-3.PL

Ali Ali b¯ a with ye

Indef.D

doxtar girl ezdev¯ aj marriage kard-e do-PF.3.SG “Everyone thinks Ali has married a girl.”

  • 1. ∃ > ∀ > B
  • 2. ∀ > B > ∃

ye N-e

(21) hame all fekr thought mi-kon-an

MI-do-3.PL

Ali Ali b¯ a with ye

Indef.D

doxtar-e girl-UM ezdev¯ aj marriage kard-e do-PF.3.SG “Everyone thinks Ali has married a girl.”

  • 1. ∃ > ∀ > B

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Summary

Adding -e to a bare nominal makes it (definitely) definite. Adding -e to an indefinite enforces the widest scope reading.

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Summary

Adding -e to a bare nominal makes it (definitely) definite. Adding -e to an indefinite enforces a widest scope reading.

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Summary

Adding -e to a bare nominal makes it (definitely) definite. Adding -e to an indefinite enforces a widest scope reading. What meaning for -e can result in both these effects?

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Summary

Adding -e to a bare nominal makes it (definitely) definite. Adding -e to an indefinite enforces a widest scope reading. What meaning for -e can result in both these effects? Uniqueness!

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Epistemic Specificity

Does -e make an indefinite epistemically specific ? Does ye-N-e require the speaker to have a specific referent in mind?

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Epistemic Specificity

Does -e make an indefinite epistemically specific ? Does ye-N-e require the speaker to have a specific referent in mind? Examples (22) dust-am friend-1.SG eshteb¯ ahi mistakenly eskirin-sh¯ at-e screen-shot-EZ chat-esh-o chat-3.SG-OM b¯ a with ye

In.D

doxtar-e girl-UM ferest¯ ad sent.3.SG “My friend mistakenly sent me a screen shot of his chat with a girl.”

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A Proposal

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Proposal

The clitic -e encodes a uniqueness implication.

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Proposal

The clitic -e encodes a uniqueness implication. Adding it to a bare nominal makes it definite.

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Proposal

The clitic -e encodes a uniqueness implication. Adding it to a bare nominal makes it definite. Adding to an indefinite results in a singleton indefinite, making scope relations inert (Schwarzschild 2002).

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Proposal

The clitic -e encodes a uniqueness implication. Adding it to a bare nominal makes it definite. Adding to an indefinite results in a singleton indefinite, making scope relations inert (Schwarzschild 2002).

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Formal Analysis

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Analysis

How can we implement these intuitions formally?

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Bare Nominal

is-broken(ιx[car(x)])

t

λy[is-broken(y)]

et

xar¯ ab-e

ιx[car

e

(x)] car

et

m¯ ashin

iota

The car is broken.

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Simple Indefinte (ye N)

∃x[car(x) ∧ is-broken(x)]

t

is-broken

et

xar¯ ab-e λQ[∃x[car(x) ∧ Q(x)]]

⟨et,t⟩

car

et

m¯ ashin λPλQ[∃x[P(x) ∧ Q(x)]]

⟨et,⟨et,t⟩⟩

ye

A car is broken.

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Singleton Indefinite (ye N-e)

∃x[car(x) ∧ is-broken(x)] ● ∣car∣ = 1

t ● tc

is-broken

et

xar¯ ab-e

λQ[∃x[car(x) ∧ Q(x)]] ● ∣car∣ = 1

⟨et,t⟩ ● tc

car ● ∣car∣ = 1

et ● tc

λP[∣P∣ = 1]

⟨et,tc ⟩

  • e

car

et

m¯ ashin

CI Application

λPλQ[∃x[P(x) ∧ Q(x)]]

⟨et,⟨et,t⟩⟩

ye

A specific car is broken.

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Definite (N-e)

is-broken(ιx[car(x)]) ● ∣car∣ = 1

t● tc

λy[is-broken(y)]

et

xar¯ ab-e

ιx[car(x)] ● ∣car∣ = 1

e ● tc

car ● ∣car∣ = 1

et ● tc

λP[∣P∣ = 1]

⟨et,tc ⟩

  • e

car

et

m¯ ashin

CI Application iota

The/that car is broken

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Conclusion

  • The nominal suffix -e in Farsi is a uniqueness marker.
  • It makes bare nominals definitely definite!
  • It makes indefinites scopally specific.

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Thank You!

  • An indefinite number of thanks to Cleo Condoravdi for continued

help and support with this project.

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References

References

Abbott, B. (1999). Support for a unique theory of definite descriptions. In Proceedings of Semantics and Linguistic Theory 9, pages 1–15. Ithaca, NY: CLC Publications. Ariel, M. (1990). Accessing noun-phrase antecedents. Routledge. Ariel, M. (2001). Accessibility theory: An overview. In Text representation: Linguistic and psycholinguistic aspects, volume 8, pages 29–87. Christophersen, P. (1939). The articles: A study of their theory and use in English. Copenhagen: Munksgaard. Dryer, M. S. (2013). Definite Articles. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig. Dryer, M. S. and Haspelmath, M., editors (2013). WALS Online. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig. Gundel, J. K., Hedberg, N., and Zacharski, R. (1993). Cognitive status and the form of referring expressions in discourse. Language, pages

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