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Part of
Advances in Iranian Linguistics II
Edited by Simin Karimi, Narges Nematollahi, Roya Kabiri and Jian Gang Ngui
[Current Issues in Linguistic Theory 361] 2023
► pp. 231–262

Chapter 9
A null stem analysis of Persian copular verbs

| Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
| Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Traditional grammars of Persian recognize two copular series for the affirmative indicative present tense, which we call the independent copulas and dependent copulas. The former has been considered as a full verb whereas the latter has been described as an enclitic. This paper explores the syntactic and phonological properties of the two copular series by looking into cases in which only one form is grammatical. We propose that the dependent copulas are not enclitics but have the same internal structure as the independent copulas, consisting of a null verbal stem and a person inflectional suffix. Through examinations of the syntactic operations of A-bar movement via association with an enclitic focus particle and ellipsis of the complement, as well as stress assignment in copular constructions, we demonstrate that nonparallel grammatical judgments arise from unsuccessful stress assignment, which results from the absence of overt material in the complement. This work contributes a new look at the copular system in Persian and beyond, which has not been extensively investigated in the literature.
Keywords: copula, zero copula, syntax-phonology interface, focus particle, Persian
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Contrast between the two copular forms
    • 2.1Copular constructions
    • 2.2Focus
    • 2.3Ellipsis
    • 2.4Stress Assignment
  • 3.Copular paradigm
    • 3.1Descriptions of copular verbs
    • 3.2Dependent copula = null stem + person suffix
  • 4.Analysis
    • 4.1Syntactic structure
    • 4.2Syntax-phonology interface
  • 5.Additional supporting evidence
    • 5.1Agreement morphemes for the third person singular
    • 5.2Historical perspective
    • 5.3Cross-linguistic perspective
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 14 April 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/cilt.361.09oku
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