Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Literature Faculty, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
10.22084/rjhll.2025.31184.2382
Abstract
Introduction
The verb category is a universal linguistic element found in all languages. Physical, mental, verbal, and behavioral processes are typically represented through verbs. However, in certain cases, lexical categories of nouns and adjectives are used in specific constructions to represent processes. A common example - especially in Indo-European languages - is the predicative structure, where a copular verb combines with an adjective or adjectival phrase. In Murrinh-Patha or Garama language, the verb consists of two components: a lexical part and a classifier, as the finite element (see Melanie Seiss, 2023). Therefore, the verb in this language never appears as a single word. Moreover, in so-called “tenseless” languages such as Burmese, Dyirbal, and many Chinese dialects, grammatical tense is absent. Consequently, verbs in these languages function in many respects similarly to nouns.
Yet, in some languages like Persian, Urdu, German, and Portuguese, nominal groups combined with certain material or physical verbs with the meaning of "doing" are also used to represent processes and fulfill the function of verbs. These constructions are to as "stretched verbs"; they are complex rather than compound (see Sasani, 2024 [1403 SH]: pp. 140 and 264–265). These verb constructions have found different labels including:
verb phrse/ co-verbal construction (Khanlari (1986 [1365 SH]: 171-175)
complex, stretched verb (D.J. Allerton, 2002)
complex predicate (D.J. Allerton, 2002)
verb construction (G. Kempen & K. Harbusch, 2003)
supported verb, expanded predicate, verbo-nominal verb, delexical verb, multi-word verbs
light-verb construction (“light verb”: Jespersen, 1942: 117)
vector verb construction
Additionally, such verb constructions have been examined in detail in various languages, including:
Malayan, Hindi, English, Swahili, Rangi, SiSwati, Basque (Nash & Samvelian, eds., 2016)
Hindi-Urdu (Drocco & Tiwari, 2020)
English (Allerton, 2002)
Thai (Muansuwan, 2002)
Urdu & Hindi (Razia Husain, 2015)
These "stretched verb constructions" in Persian may be older than in other languages, as traces of it can be found in Pārsig (Middle Persian) texts.
Methodology
Employing the transitivity framework of Systemic Functional Grammar, it is demonstrated that the noun phrase accompanying the "co-eventive" verb in stretched constructions, while syntactically an object, serves semantically as the "scope" of the process rather than as a typical goal or patient. This enables it to convey verbal meaning. Therefore, the transitivity of the stretched verb depends on whether the scope-noun requires a complement: if it does not, the construction is intransitive; if it does, it is transitive. Based on my previous approach to the non-lexical nature of such verb constructions (Sasani, 2011, 2015, and 2024 [1403 SH]: pp. 264–265) this paper will introduce five mechanisms for representing the verb in Persian, followed by a definition of the stretched verb construction and an exploration of its features and capabilities.
Discussion
In systemic functional grammar (Halliday, 1985 and 1994; Halliday & Matthiessen, 2004 and 2014), processes are categorized into six types: material, mental, behavioral, verbal, relational, and existential. In Persian, these processes are represented through five lexical and grammatical constructions:
Single-word verb
Directional verb: directional pre-verb + motion verb
Relational construction: attribute + relational verb
Prasal verb: idiomatic clause-like verb constructions
Stretched verb: accompanying domain + light verb
In this framework, syntactic roles are distinguished from semantic roles. The syntactic structure typically includes:
Subject + (Complement 1) + (Complement 2) + (One or more adjuncts) + Verb
The semantic roles of noun phrases vary depending on the associated process type:
· Actor, Goal, and Scope with material processes
· Sensor and Phenomenon with mental processes
· Carrier with relational processes
· Sayer, Verbiage, and Addressee with verbal processes
· Behaver with behavioral processes
· Existent with existential processes
Notably, in some material verbs, the complement does not function as a Goal (Patient) but rather as the Scope of the verb, seemingly expressing the lexical meaning and process type. In such cases, the verb appears to serve merely as an autonomous grammatical element. For example, in the sentence "sālhā piš in harf rā gofteam" (I said this statement years ago), "in harf" (this statement) functions semantically as Verbiage with the verb "gofteam". However, in "va digar hic harfì nazadim" (and we made no more words), "hic harfì" (no more words) serves as the scope. Thus, the stretched verb construction operates simultaneously on two levels: 1- the construction of the complement as scope, and the transitive verb signifying "to do", 2- the construction of the stretched verb, while the scope signifying the lexical meaning of the process. Depending on the processual meaning conveyed by the stretched verb, Scopes may refer to: event or action, perception, speech or behavior.
The stretched verb has a syntactic structure. Therefore, both the scope and the hamkard verb possess relative syntactic and phonological independence. As a result, the scope can be displaced, expanded and modified by dependents. Additionally, recurrent hamkards might be used once in different adjacent stretched verb constructions. Howeve, it should be noted that the hamkard is not necessarily a semantically light verb; rather, it spans a continuum from polysemous verbs to fully lexical action verbs.
Transitivity in stretched verbs is also determined by the scope's need for a complement, not by the verb. That is, if the scope does not require a complement, the stretched verb is intransitive; and if the scope does require a complement, the stretched verb is transitive.
Conculsion
The two constructions discussed - predicative and stretched verb constructions - are syntactic and thus highly productive. Because the stretched verb construction is syntactic, the noun phrase within it can expand with various modifiers, shift positions, and be distanced from the verb. Consequently, it offers far greater semantic potential than single-word verbs. First, due to its syntactic structure, it is highly productive. In other words, the number of Persian verbs that can be expressed through stretched verb constructions is virtually limitless, allowing for the continuous creation of new, even spontaneous single-use verbs. Second, because the scope can be expanded and accept modifiers, a wide variety of structural configurations are possible within stretched verb constructions. This flexibility gives rise to rich semantic possibilities. For instance, in Persian, it is sometimes possible to use an adjective to modify the scope rather than an adverb to modify the verb. Moreover, if the complement of the stretched verb is a pronoun, it often appears as a dependent of the scope.
References
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