Ezafe Morpheme - e: Head-marker in Persian Noun Phrases

Abstract

Ezafe has been studied for a long time by Iranian as well as non-Iranian linguists from different angles – from its morphological status – as a linker, clitic or phrasal affix- to its function – as a case-assigner, phonological linker or head marker inside NPs. This paper focuses on the status of Ezafe morpheme –e from all aspects of status, position in NPs and its function altogether chasing the goal of integrating all reliable ideas on it in one research. It shows Ezafe morpheme is an enclitic enters in the syntax of the phrase which links the head noun to its post-nominal modifiers such as adjective phrases, possessive NPs and nominal prepositional phrases. It attaches to the nominal heads as well as to the intermediate projections. The base-generated position of the head noun in Persian NPs is final but since there is a powerful tendency in prepositional languages for nominal heads to occupy the initial position of their projection, it moves to its surface position to the head of DP. Ezafe enclitic enters into the derivation of the noun phrase as a marker of this movement. This head-to-head movement happens in a cyclic manner, the nominal head uses the head position of all intermediate projections as the middle landing sites leaving a trace or a copy (according to the copy theory of movement, both in minimalist approach) behind, a copy which has sui generis morphological realization.

Keywords

• ezafe enclitic
• nominal head
• head-initial and head-final phrases
• head-marking