Graded Finiteness of Persain Complement Clauses Based on Landau's Minimalist view and Givon's Functionalist Approach

Zardashti, Foroozandeh; Modarresi, Bahram; Esmaaili, Mohammad Mehdi

doi:10.22051/jlr.2024.45566.2376

Graded Finiteness of Persain Complement Clauses Based on Landau's Minimalist view and Givon's Functionalist Approach

Document Type : Research

Authors

¹ Department of Linguistics, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Persian language and literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.22051/jlr.2024.45566.2376

Abstract

Introduction: This article examines the relationship between control intensity of main clause in finiteness of complement clauses in Persian. Landau considers high control of main clause on the finite and non-finite complement as the result of action occurrence in complement clause. The semantic interpretation of predicate in main clause determines the aspect and finiteness of the clause through the syntactic characteristic of finiteness and tense. Syntactically characteristic of finiteness refers to the scope of clause, and semantically it indicates the speech event. Givon says control constructions are the result of combining meaning with syntax. Increasing the control intensity of the main clause on occurrence of complementary clause increases its non‌-finiteness degree. Materials and methods:The purpose is to examine finiteness and tense, based on the characteristics of control and non‌-finiteness, and according to Landau's Minimalist view and Givon's Functionalist Approach. Control intensity of main verb has a direct impact on the realization of action occurrence, non-finiteness degree and the realization of subject in complement clause. Our data has been collected in a library method, analysed through a descriptive-analytic method. Results and discussion: In high control verbs, complement clause appears as non-finite subjunctive, which is closer to infinitive in terms of tense. As control intensity decreases, mood of complement clause changes from subjunctive to indicative and the action occurrence in complement clause has less reference to main clause. Conclusion: As control degree decreases, the syntactic feature of ‌finiteness in complement clauses also varies from complete non-finiteness to weak, moderate, and high finite.

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