Reduplication in Kalhori Dialect of Kurdish: An Optimality Theory Perspective

Extended abstract
 
1- Introduction
The Kurdish language of today is the converted survivor of the ancient Persian language of Maadi and it is generally believed that the Kurds are the descendants of Maads. According to the historians, the Maads had inhabited  and settled in vast areas which cover wide parts of today's middle east and where the Kurds reside today (Rokhzadi 27:2011 ).
Kalhori is one of the dialects of Kurdish. Its speakers mostly dwell in the provinces of Ilam, Kermanshah, and Hamadan and the Kurd-dwelling districts of Iraq.
Reduplication is a morphological process by which the whole or part of the base of a word is reduplicated on the left or on the right side and sometimes in the center of the base and is used in most languages of the world. The present study aims to study the morphological process of reduplication in Klhori dialect of Kurdish and find suitable replies to the main questions of the research which asks about the types of reduplication used in Kalhori, and how this morphological process can be analyzed within the standard version of the optimality theory, known as the correspondence theory.
 
2- Theoretical framework
Optimality theory was first proposed by Alan prince Paul Smolensky. This theory originally sprang from the heart of generative linguistics to be used in phonology and morphology and then extended to all domains which need constrain-based procedures (Dabir Moghadam. 2012:644).
In Optimality Theory, the relationship between input and output is established by the help of two formal and mathematical instruments called generator =GN and evaluator =EVAL/Eva. Generator competitor choices for its intended input, the number of which, can be infinite and each of which is a possible analysis for that input. Then evaluator exploits the hierarchies of constraints of that language so that from among the produced choices by generator it selects optimal choice or (choices) as output (Dabir Moghadam, 2012:647). 
Constrains in optimality theory are divided into two main groups: markedness constraints and faithfulness constraints. Markedness constraints indicated the tending of general grammar into unmarked structure. Such constraints cause surface structure to execute some of the canonical being grammatical, that is that calculate the being well-formed of output, whereby, unmarked forms are distinguished from marked ones (Kagar,2004:9).
Faithfulness constraint emphasize the necessity of equality and similarity between input and output. According to this definitions, output have to retain the main characteristic of input, which in reality guarantee a kind of similarity between input and output (Kagar, 2004:10).
 
3- Methodology
This study is a kind of descriptive- analytical research. The data of the Kalhori dialect of Kurdish have been collected in two ways to investigate the reduplication process in this study: (1) field methodology, by interviewing some native speakers and recording the everyday conversations of the native speakers of this dialect, and 2) library method, by studying the Kalhori dictionaries such as Khovar halat (Kareempour, 1380) and Bashur (Jalilian, 2006).
 
4- Results & Discussion
Among the word formation processes in Kalhori dialect of Kurdish, reduplication is a process in which the whole or part of a word is reduplicated and a new word is created, which either has a new meaning or shows its intensity. In Kalhori Kurdish, reduplicated words can be divided into the two types of total reduplication and partial reduplication, each of which has different sorts. Total reduplication is divided into two different subcategories. Partial reduplication can also be divided into two other types with their own different forms.
The results show that optimality theory is able to justify the construction of reduplication kinds in Kalhori Kurdish according to the world constraints of markedness and maximality. In sum, it can be said that in Kalhori dialect, that monosyllabic reduplicated words with cvc structure compared to other words, have higher frequency in the construction of reduplicated words and the markedness constraints limitation which in the hierarchy of constraints groping lies at the highest rank and is inviolable is onset constraints. In fact, Kalhori does not allow forming zero onset syllables.
In total reduplication, maximality constraints which are the result of the faithfulness of elements (input-output and base-reduplicated) lie always at a higher rank compared to the markedness constraints to prevent from the insertion or deletion of elements. In other structures, we witness the appearance of an unmarked structure in reduplicated affix. Tendency to unmarkedness in the construction of the affixes of reduplicated by the presence of fixed elements which are inserted in such affixes, and the formation of the structure of more unmarked syllable towards base in these affixes is emanated.
 
5- Conclusions & Suggestions
The results of the study indicate that among the word formation processes of Kalhori Kurdish, reduplication has a lot of applications. Research findings show that in this dialect, the process of reduplication is seen in two total and partial ways. Kalhori total reduplicated words can be divided into the different types of added, unadded and echo duplicated words. Partial reduplication can be divided into prefix and suffix partial kinds. Prefix partial reduplicated words can be created through omitting one or more base phonemes and its reduplication as prefix.
The final conclusion of this study is that we can use the standard version of the optimality theory which is also known as  the correspondence  theory, to analyze the process of word formation in Kalhori Kourdish.