A semantic account of the Persian /bærɑje/ preposition based on a cognitive linguistics framework

The Persian preposition /bærɑje/ (“for”) can encode many relationships, such as intention, cause, equivalence, and possession. This study aims to show that using this preposition in the different domains has semantic significance, which an analysis within the framework of Cognitive Grammar can help bring out. The data for this study have been gathered from written Persian texts, the Dehkhoda dictionary [Loqatname-y-e Dehkhoda], the great Sokhan dictionary [Farhang-e Bozorg-e Sokhan], and daily Persian conversations. They were analyzed using the polysemy network introduced by Tyler & Evans. The results showed that the /bærɑje/ preposition has multiple senses, creating a radial network. These senses are systematically derived from the “intention” sense, which will be considered the prototypical sense of the preposition. The other senses are: “Cause,” “Possession,” “Equivalence,” “Benefit,” “Recipient,” “Duration,” and “Destination.” This study concludes that applying a semantic description to study prepositions yields clear results. The different senses of /bærɑje/ can be categorized into groups that form a coherent radial network structure, in which a prototypical schema can be identified. All the different schemas are related to one another. Image schemas can capture the meanings of this preposition. Finally, the use of radial networks provides a convenient means of accounting for the phenomenon of polysemy, further demonstrating the usefulness of the Cognitive Linguistics framework.

کلیدواژه ها:

Persian ، Cognitive linguistics ، Semantics ، /bærɑje/ preposition ، Persian ، Cognitive linguistics ، Semantics ، /bærɑje/ preposition