Object /Oblique Alternation in Persian

Multiple realization of object as an argument of a verb is called "object alternation". The present paper focuses on one kind of object alternation in which the second participant in a construction is selected as the undergoer in one variant while as the oblique core argument in the other.  Many verbs in Persian alternate in this way, among which the most frequent ones are known as consumption verbs, direct perception verbs, verbs of desire, and contact (by impact) verbs. Based upon Role and Reference Grammar, the paper attempts to describe object alternation in aforesaid verbs and to explain the semantic factors influencing it. To this end, the relevant data are gathered from Persian Syntactic Dependency Corpus, daily conversations, lectures, and TV programs in Persian. The data were subsequently analyzed based on RRG theoretical framework. The study shows that object- oblique alternation in Persian is a choice between a macrorole and a non-macrorole argument which depends mostly on telicity of the verb and specificity of the second participant.
 Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Multiple realization of object as an argument of a verb is called "object alternation". The present paper focuses on one kind of object alternation in which the second participant in a construction is selected as the undergoer in one variant and as the oblique core argument in the other.  Many two-place predicates in Persian alternate like this, among the most frequent ones are those which involve consumption verbs, direct perception verbs, verbs of desire, and contact (by impact) verbs. Based upon Role and Reference Grammar, the paper attempts to describe object alternation in aformentioned verbs and explain the semantic factors influencing it.
 2. Theoretical framework
Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) is a functional theory originally posed in early 1980s by some linguists as Van valin and Foley. One basic question RRG attempts to answer is how the interaction of syntax, semantics and pragmatics in different grammatical systems can best be captured and explained (Van Valin, 2005: 1). Accordingly, in this theory, three syntactic, semantic and pragmatic representations, which are related to each other, are posited for every structure of the utterance; the theory attempts to provide a descriptive tool for clarifying such interaction, as well.There is a set of rules, called the linking algorithm, which relates the syntactic and semantic representations to each other, and discourse-pragmatics plays a role in the linking.To put it differently, in one hand, the semantic representation, or logical structue of the sentence, is written; on the other hand, a syntactic template is chosen for that sentence; discourse-pragmatics interacts with the linking between syntax and semantics. The main concepts in this linking are semantic structure based upon the aktionsarts and semantic macroroles (actor and undergoers). 
 3. Methodology
Some data involving the object-oblique alternation are gathered from the Persian corpus of syntactc dependency, TV programs, newspapers, lectures, novels, daily conversations or any other sources providing authentic data in Persian. The hypothesis in this study is that semantic transitivity affects object-oblique alternation; therefore, the verbs which participate in such phenomena are selected from different semantic classification to clarify the role the core meaning of the verb has on the choice of alternating variant based upon the semantic factors it has. Theses data are, then, classified based on the semantic field of the involved verb; i.e. consumption verbs, conception verbs, vebs of interest, and contact verbs.
4. Results & Discussion
Object-oblique alternation can be regarded as a choice between macro-roles and non-macroroles in Role and Referene Grammar. The logical structure of the following sentences, for example, is do' (bačče-hâ, [eat' (bačče-hâ, [from'(qazâ)])]) (MR2) in which bačče-hâ is the actor and qazâ is the non-macrorole in (a) while it is an undergoer in (b).
 
(1)   a. bačče-hâ       az          qazâ      xord-and
            child.pl          from     food       eat. PAST. 3PL
             Children ate from the food.
b. bačče-hâ      qazâ      râ         xord-and
            child.pl        food      R      eat. PAST. 3PL
            Children ate the food.
 
Persian two-place predicates participate in object-oblique alternation which is influenced by several factors regading the semantic transitivity of the predicate. It seems, for example, that object-alternation is less probable when the action involved in the predicate is a telic one.
 
        (2) a.  bâyad   toxmemorq   râ     be    surat=e        kâmel             xord-Ø.
                   should     egg      R    to    form=EZ       complete   eat-3SG. SUBJ.
                One should eat egg completely.
            b.  *bâyad     az      toxmemorq     be  surat=e    kâmel         xord-Ø.
                   should   from   egg           to   form=EZ   complete    eat-3SG. SUBJ.
                 One should eat from egg completely.
 
Moreover, when the noun involved is a non-specific, it is not a participant in the event but part of the event and the alternation is not possible. A non-specific noun is more probable to follow a preposition. 
(2)   a. qazâ      xord-im
    food      eat. PAST.1PL
    We ate food.
             b.*az       qazâ      xord-im
     from   food      eat. PAST.1PL
     We ate from food.
(3)   a.(in)    ketâb     râ       ɂehtiyâj     dâr-am.
  (this) book    R      require      have.PRES. 1SG
   I require this book.
     b. book    R      require      have.PRES. 1SG
   I require book.
A telic activity on a specific participant can also imply affectedness on the same participant. Thus, affectedness can be highlighted as an influencing factor, as well.  For contact verbs, animacy can also influence object-oblique alternation in Persian. An animate kickee can be followed by /râ/ while an inanimate one is more probably not, except for the events the affect is mentioned in the context.
      
(4)   dâʔeš     23  šahrvand=e      ʔrâqi     râ       lagad     zad-Ø.
daish     23   citizen=EZ      Iraqi     R     kick      hit.PAST.3SG
Daish kicked 23 Iraqi ctizens.
(5)   be        lane=(y)e       zanbur       lagad       zad-Ø.
to          nest=EZ        bee             kick       hit.PAST.3SG
He  kicked the beehive.
(6)   tup     râ      be        samt=e              darvaze    šut      kard-Ø.
   ball   R    to       direction=EZ    gate      shoot   do.PAST.3SG
   He shooted the ball into the gate.
 
5. Conclusions & Suggestions
The study shows that object-oblique alternation can be explained through semantics-syntax linking in RRG and it is mainly the result of a choice between a macrorole and a non-macrorole argument which is imposed to choose the second participant as undergoer in one alternate and as oblique core argument in the other; however, this is not always possible and some factors including the telicity of the verb and specificity of the second participant can influence the choice. Animacy and affectedness of the second participant can also play roles.