Abstract
Semantic comprehension of Persian compound nouns in non-Persian speakers of TPSL department was investigated using a cognitive-semantics approach. Regarding the semantic relationships between the bases of compound nouns, two were selected based on presence or lack of semantic head. Then, sufficient data were collected from different texts through a desk research method to make a frequency dictionary of endocentric and exocentric compound nouns based on the knowledge level of students. A definition-word pairing test was then selected and most frequent compound nouns (24 compound nouns) were identified and used for the test, developed and run in the form of an application for smart phones by an application developer and participants were provided with it. Overall, 888 data were collected from the test results and analyzed using standard statistical tests suggesting that due to presence of semantic head in endocentric compounds, speed and level of comprehending them was higher than exocentric compounds; moreover, a correlational relationship between comprehension of these compounds was identified. Therefore, the relationship between components of endocentric compounds was understood faster than exocentric compounds. Thus, applicability of CARIN theory was verified.
Highlights
In this research, the author compared comprehension of two groups of Persian compound nouns, namely endocentric compounds and exocentric compounds, in mid-level students in department of Teaching Persian as a Second Language (TPSL) at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, based on a cognitive-semantics approach
It can be concluded that most of the Persian language learners were at medium level in comprehending endocentric and exocentric compound nouns
Based on the results mentioned in tables, it can be stated that the average level of comprehending endocentric compounds was 8.11 and that of exocentric compounds was 7.0 in Persian language learners
Summary
No national and/ or foreign study has been devoted to comparing comprehension of these two categories of Persian compound nouns in Persian language learners and investigating the differences between these two groups of nouns, until today. The author of this research investigated these two categories of nouns and compared the level and time duration of semantic comprehension. A number of foreign studies on semantics of compound nouns are as follows: Bauer (1993: 30) believes that compounds are semantically categorized into four groups: endocentric, exocentric, appositive and dvandva. He distinguishes dvandva structures from conjunctive compositions. There is no hyponymy relationship between the compound and the head, e.g. “redskin” (is a type of race, not skin)
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