Morpho-phonological processes in verb forms: A case in the Galashi dialect of Eshkevarat

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze morphological-phonological processes in the construction of verbs in Galeshi of Eshkevarat within the framework of rule-based generative phonology. To achieve this goal, one hundred verbs of this dialect were collected through field interviews with native speakers aged 45 to 87 years, transcribed using the IPA, and morphologically analyzed. The focus was on examining phonological alternations in the present and past stems of verbs and their interaction with past tense morphemes as well as inflectional prefixes. The underlying representation of each morpheme was determined based on corpus-internal evidence, and the phonological rules that derive their surface representation were extracted. In cases where more than one rule was involved in the derivation process, the ordering relationships between the rules, namely, feeding, bleeding, counter-feeding, and counter-bleeding interactions, were identified. Data analysis showed that verb stems and inflectional prefixes undergo regular phonological alternations, including deletion, vowel harmony, and consonant insertion in morphological processes. Some alternations in verb stems have their roots in the historical developments of Iranian languages, while others are the result of synchronic interactions and the specific phonetic context observed in this dialect. Using rule-based generative phonology, this research provides a detailed picture of the interaction of morphology and phonology in the construction of verbs in the Galeshi dialect of Eshkevarat. It underscores the importance of corpus-internal evidence and rule interaction in capturing the complexity of verb formation, offering insights that enrich the broader field of Iranian linguistics.

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References

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Journal of Linguistics & Iranian Languages
Volume 10, Issue 3
February 2026
Pages 27-48

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 November 2025
  • Revise Date: 24 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 09 February 2026

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