The study of polysemy of derivative suffix -ین based on literal texts

Derivational word, based on the structural theory, is made up of a free morpheme and at least an affix. Based on this theory, the root of the derived word is not necessarily verbal; it can be a nominal or adjectival, etc. Furthermore, an affix can change the category and the meaning of the word and create polysemy. A polysemy is a linguistic unit having multiple meanings (Safavid, 1390: 111). Polysemy is studied in different levels such as morpheme, word, phrase and sentence; and conveying meaning, special usage and aesthetic aspect are some of the reasons of polysemy (Ibid: 111, 113). Polysemy in syntactic level means that “morphemes induce different functions or meanings with different units while they are placed in syntagmatic axis” (Ibid). Polysemy in this study is mainly of the tense type and the unit to be studied is the morpheme (-ین) in Farsi which will be considered in syntagmatic axis. 1. Lexical Meaning The morpheme (ین-) in Persian language is one of the suffixes which is annexed to parts of speech such noun, adverb, adjective, pronoun and even verb. In some of these cases, the category of word changes and in some it remains unchanged. One of the discussions about the derivational suffix (ین-) is word-formation and semanticization to lexemes. Suffix (ین-) is substituted in the adjective position functions as semanticization not conveying meaning. Some of the most important sorts of semanticization can be cited as follows: 1) Material: Suffix (ین-) is mostly used to indicate the material of the substantive or the noun substituted by it, such as ‘ahanin’ and ‘charmin’. 2) Tense: Suffix (ین-) sometimes is used to indicate time proportion such as ‘emroozin’, ‘dooshin’, and ‘emsalin’. 3. Ordinal: Suffix (ین-) in some case is the sign of ordinal adjective such as ‘avvalin’, ‘dovvomin’, ‘nakhostin’, and ‘akharin’. 4. Similarity: One of the semantic functions of suffix (ین-) is similarity. It can be considered in different aspects: 1) Similarity in Color: the words derived from suffix (ین-) indicate different colors considering contextual conditions such as ‘bossadin’, ‘aghighin’, ‘meshkin’, and ‘anbarin’ 1) Similarity in Nature: sometimes the purpose of using derivational adjectives from suffix (ین-) is to create natural similarity between adjective and substantive such as ‘ahanin’ and ‘rooin’ sometimes indicate hardness and impenetrability rather than material 3) Similarity in Smell and Scent like ‘anbarin’ or similarity in taste and flavor like ‘shakarin’ and ‘shirin’. 5. Weakness and Debility: one of the points which must be considered in studying the semantics of derived words from suffix (ین-) is the significativeness based on the sentence context. For example, the adjective ‘barfin’ in the compound ‘shire barfin’ , although it means ‘made of’ snow, it here does not refer to the material but it functions as an adjective. It is attributed to the weakness and debility of ‘snow’ which gives the concept of weakness and debility to its substantive ‘shir’. It is the same as in the compounds of ‘tanesofalin’ and ‘kaghazindivar’ 6. Implication and Mixture / participle: the derived suffix of (ین-) sometimes signifies the concept of implication and mixture and grammatically it is considered as participle such as ‘khoonin’ in ‘tire khoonin’ or ‘meshkin’ in ‘meshkinghobar’. 7. Possession: Some of the relative adjectives with the suffix (ین-) indicate the concept of ‘subject’ and in such cases the possessor of the adjective is a state or phenomenon such as ‘ghamin’, ‘khashmginand, and ‘rashkin’. 8. Noun Thing: Suffix (ین-) hardly makes a noun thing added to an imperative verb. For example, ‘koobin’ means made of wood by which in the past the launderers beat the dirty clothes to be washed. 2. Transmission of Meaning Transmission of meaning as one of reasons of existence of polysemy “actually is a kind of semantic extension and Olman believes that they are usually manifested in adjectives. For a linguistic form, they find different meanings because of syntagmatic structures with other forms which at first they are fully dependent on syntagmatic forms and then they find different meanings for speakers” (Safavi, 1390: 114, 247). Therefore, meaning transmission and semantic extension in derived words with suffix (ین-) occur when the derived word loses its position and participial function in the syntagmatic axis, replaced the noun and accepts its functions and roles. For example, in Persian language the word ‘negarin’ is a relative adjective in paradigmatic axis and in some cases it rests in the position of adjective in syntagmatic axis and its meaning is dependent on noun such as ‘negaringolshan’. But it sometimes substitutes the noun under the influence of semantic association, and transfers the meaning of substantive to it. In this way, one of the meanings of ‘negarin’ in pure Persian is ‘sweetheart’ and it has been so established in semantic extension that ‘mashoogh’ has turned into one of the real meanings of it and its usage with substantive is not common. 3. Rhetorical Figures Applying rhetorical figures is one of the functions of derived words with suffix (ین-) to convey meaning and another reason for existing of polysemy and in addition to using words, it is appeared in metaphoric and figurative forms, syllepsis, equivoque, oxymoron and zeugma.