Embedded tense interpretation and sequence of tense in Persian

Abstract

The present study aims at investigating tense interpretation in Persian complement and relative clauses and determining whether Persian is subsumed under the label of sequence of tense (henceforth SOT) or non-SOT languages. To achieve these aims, Persian past-under-past, present-under-past, and present-under-future constructions were examined. However, given that there was not a unanimous consensus between the researchers as to the interpretation of past-under-past constructions (which is one of the criteria for distinguishing SOT languages from non-SOT languages), 32 Persian native speakers were interviewed. Furthermore, since the nature of present tense and the SOT phenomenon are intertwined, an attempt was made to study the nature of Persian present tense. The in-depth analysis of the interview results and Persian data were indicative of the non-indexical nature of Persian present tense. Moreover, the results revealed that Persian, on account of exhibiting some SOT-like and some non-SOT-like behaviors, is a hybrid language defying the commonly-held SOT/non-SOT classification. Finally, using the de re theory, as proposed by Abusch (1997) and further developed by Ogihara and Sharvit (2012), a comprehensive analysis was provided for the simultaneous past reading of Persian past-under-past complement clauses.