A conceptual blending theory perspective to exocentric and endocentric compounds in Persian: a dichotomy or a continuum

Background and Aim: Compounding, the creation of new words out of combining two or more existing lexemes, is the most productive word-formation process in the majority of languages, including Persian. Owing to the remarkable structural and semantic diversity, classifying compound words has been one of the most significant challenges about compounding. The most traditional and still dominant semantic classification of compounds has been proposed by Bloomfield (۱۹۳۳), who identified two main groups, namely endocentric and exocentric compounds. Nevertheless, however the majority of literature on compounding report the dichotomy of endo- and exocentric compounds, within cognitive linguistics, it is argued that a continuum of compounds is viable (cf. Benczes, ۲۰۰۶; ۲۰۱۳). Methods In order to achieve the aim of the study, all endocentric and exocentric noun-noun nominal compounds were extracted from Sokhan (Anvari ۲۰۰۳), Persian Monolingual Dictionary, which amounted to a total of ۶۲۴ compounds. As a next step, the collected compounds were categorized based on the traditional dichotomy, which leads to ۳۷۲ endocentric and ۲۵۲ exocentric compounds. Then, following the main principles of conceptual blending theory, ۸۵ compounds were analyzed. Results: The current paper aims to provide evidence on why there is a continuum, rather than a dichotomy of endo- and exocentric compounds, based upon the analysis of Persian compounds within conceptual blending theory. Conclusion: The analysis indicates that while simplex networks are triggered only by non-metaphorical and non-metonymical endocentric compounds (such as ab-anbar) and double-scope networks and multiple blends are triggered only by exocentric compounds (metaphorical and/or metonymical compounds, such as zaxm-e zaban, and compounds which are metaphorical or metonymical as a whole, such as guf mahi, respectively), single-scope networks are prompted simultaneously by endocentric compounds which only their modifier is metaphorical or metonymical (such as dam pezejk) and exocentric compounds which only their head is metaphorical or metonymical (such as tfub far). Such relative correspondence between the type of compounds and the kind of prompted network suggests that single-scope network is the crossroads of endo- and exocentric compounds. It is an evidence which supports the non-viability of the strict boundary between endo- and exocentric compounds. It can therefore be assumed that there is a continuum of compounds consistent to the continuum of integration networks on the one hand, and the cline of figuratively, on the other hand.

کلیدواژه ها:

conceptual blending theory ، Persian compounds ، endocentric ، exocentric