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Passivisation in Semitic, Iranian, Armenian, and Beyond

By Noorlander, Paul M.

Passivisation in Semitic, Iranian, Armenian, and Beyond Social Sciences

Passivisation in Semitic, Iranian, Armenian, and Beyond

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Description
This volume brings together research on passive voice constructions in low-resource languages of Western Asia, a region marked by extraordinary linguistic diversity as well as a long history of cultural suppression and marginalization. The contributions showcase the passive voice in Semitic, Iranian, Armenian, Greek, and Turkic languages, many of which are endangered, understudied, or confined to diaspora communities and disappearing language islands. Education and cultural expression in these languages remained heavily restricted across parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran, underscoring the urgent need for documentation and revitalization.The chapters explore the rich typological variation of passive voice constructions, examining their typological traits, synchronic microvariation and diachronic developments. Drawing on Siewierska's definition, the studies investigate processes of agent demotion and patient promotion, reductions in transitivity, and the fuzzy boundaries between passive and other detransitivisation strategies such as middles, anticausatives, statives and light verbs as well as impersonal subjects and agent omission. They also shed light on the impact of text genre, verbal aspect, as well as language contact on passivisation.By integrating theoretical, typological, historical, and areal perspectives, the volume discusses the internal stability of detransitivisation strategies, their evolution from earlier source constructions, and their position in voice systems more broadly. It raises fundamental questions about whether cross-linguistic tendencies in passives reflect universal patterns or area-specific historical contingencies.This collection thus provides an essential resource for scholars of all theoretical persuasions that are interested in voice and valency and/or in Western Asia's linguistic diversity, while foregrounding the pressing need to support communities whose linguistic heritage is at risk.
Product details
Binding:
Paperback
Number of Pages:
388
Release Date:
2026-01-07
Publication Date:
2026-01-07
Publisher:
Open Book Publishers
Languages:
Original: English
ISBN10:
1805118269
ISBN13:
9781805118268
Weight:
871 g
Height:
156 cm
Width:
234 cm
Thickness:
25 cm
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