A Diachronic Study of the Accusative Case in Balochi

This study investigates the erosion and simultaneous innovation within the Balochi object case marking system, examining how object markers have been lost over time (diachronic) while new ones have emerged. (synchronic).The research employs a descriptive-analytical approach, grounded in the linguistic theories of Stilo (2008) and Kolikov (2009). Data was utilized from existing corpora, grammatical descriptions, and fieldwork conducted among speakers of Western, Eastern, and Southern Balochi. Based on this methodology, our study identifies three primary pathways of innovation in the Balochi object marking system. These include: a trend towards Differential Object Marking (DOM), where object marking varies based on animacy and definiteness; innovation in object marking through the use of clitics, irrespective of verb tense; and the erosion of original object markers in recent linguistic periods. This research highlights that the Balochi object marking system, like many others, is subject to concurrent erosion and innovation, showcasing the dynamic nature of the language across time.
 
Extended abstract
1.Introduction
“This article investigates the comparative study of the accusative case in Iranian languages, with a focus on its historical development. As a branch of the Indo-European language family, Iranian languages feature diverse grammatical and syntactic systems that have undergone notable changes over time. One significant evolution concerns the modification in how sentence constituents express their grammatical roles, particularly the accusative case. The objective of this research is to explain the nature of this transformation and offer a clear perspective on the state of the accusative case in various historical stages of Persian and other Iranian language.
2.Theoretical Framework
The research adopts Stilo’s three‑dimensional model for understanding case developments:
(1) The Axis of Case Reduction, capturing decay of the two‑case system inherited from Middle Iranian;
(2) The Axis of Case Renewal and Expansion, covering emergent case markers and extended functions; and
(3) The Noun–Pronoun Axis, focusing on asymmetries between nominal and pronominal marking.
These dimensions are used to explain both diachronic shifts and synchronic contrasts found in Balochi varieties.
3.Methodology
Data come from three complementary sources: major linguistic corpora (e.g www.irancorpora.com), well‑established descriptions (Jahani, 2003; Baranzehi, 2003), and new fieldwork with speakers of Saravani Central, Lashari, Makrani, and Sarhaddi sub‑dialects. Morphosyntactic changes involving former Genitive and Locative environments were examined, focusing on inflectional developments and the structural positioning of nominal complements. Comparative analysis assessed case‑marking behavior in genitive, object, and prepositional phrases.
4.Results & Discussion
Across Balochi dialects, case marking strategies reveal successive stages of renewal along Stilo’s reduction axis:
External renovation: Eastern Balochi exhibits the Objective ending –ārā, originating from the grammaticalization path rādiy > rāy > =rā > –ārā.
Internal renovation: The use of DOM reflects sensitivity to animacy and definiteness hierarchies (human > animal > inanimate; pronoun > proper > definite > indefinite).
Syntactic innovation: Floating subject clitics occasionally attach to objects as case markers even in non past constructions, showing advanced grammaticalization.
Together, these processes yield a hybrid alignment system balancing morphological economy and functional transparency.
5.Conclusions & Suggestions
The Objective Case system in Balochi represents a dynamic equilibrium between erosion and renewal. Rather than erasing case distinctions, Balochi has integrated external, internal, and syntactic strategies into a cohesive adaptive system. Further quantitative research using broader corpora may clarify frequency patterns and of these mechanisms across dialects and discourse contexts
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