| A typological study of functional properties of subjects in Persian impersonal constructions |
| Paper ID : 1042-ICIL |
| Authors |
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Niloofar hashemzadeh *1, Pakzad Yusefian2 1Birjand-Avini Avenue-Pooneh St.-Pooneh 2/2-First alley on the left- No. 24- 3rd floor 2linguistics department, Faculty of literature and humanities, University of Sistan and Baluchestan |
| Abstract |
| This study examines the functional properties of subjects in Persian impersonal constructions. Impersonal constructions refer to the structures which lack referential subjects. The theoretical basis of this study is Keenan’s classification of functional properties of subjects. Keenan (1976) and Malchuko and Ogawa (2011) believe that subject loses some of its functional properties such as (definiteness and topical position) in different types of impersonal constructions. Keenan proposed thirty features of subjects which are common to all languages and argues that at least some of these features are essential for being a subjects in different languages of the world. After examining the impersonal constructions in Persian, we found out that subjects in the aforementioned constructions can take non-referential and indefinite functions; but it doesn’t take functional properties of non-topical, inanimate and non-volitional ones. Generally speaking, the formal features of subjects in impersonal constructions depend on the functional properties of the these structures. |
| Keywords |
| impersonal constructions, subject, functional properties, typology |
| Status: Accepted (Oral Presentation) |