Nominal linkers in Iranian languages: An introduction

Abstract

In some languages, a noun is linked to some of its modifiers and complements via a linking element. The cross-linguistic variation that is observed with respect to the properties and functions of nominal linkers has made their study an excellent area of research contributing to both the theory and the typology of linkers, and more broadly, to the study of nominals. Despite the importance of nominal linkers, however, a collection that solely focuses on this phenomenon has been noticeably absent in the literature. The use of nominal linkers is a prevalent feature in many Iranian languages. In this volume, we provide a description of a wide range of patterns of nominal linkers in eleven Iranian languages, delving into the intriguing behaviour of such elements and their interaction with other morphosyntactic markers. The papers in this volume are the result of research conducted under the “The Syntax of Nominal Linkers” project at the University of Toronto, funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Grant (#435-2018-0527). To our knowledge, this volume is the first of its kind dedicated entirely to a single phenomenon in Iranian linguistics. We hope that this volume serves as a valuable resource for a wide range of readers, including researchers interested in nominal modification, nominal linkers, and nominal structures in general, as well as researchers and language instructors interested in Iranian languages.