Il genitivo in persiano antico. Un caso esemplare di categoria polisemica

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the syntactic functions and the semantic roles of the Old Persian genitive case. A careful analysis of textual data reveals that, when the genitive is an adnominal modifier, its functions and roles are those typical of this case in a cross-linguistic perspective. However, when the genitive is a clause constituent, its functional range also includes a broad spectrum of other functions and roles, such as Recipient, Addressee or Benefactive. It is well known that in other languages these roles were typically conveyed by the dative which is entirely absent from Old Persian texts. According to the results of our analysis this range of functions and roles can be accounted for if we consider the Old Persian genitive case as a polysemic category, having the expression of the Possessor as its core function. On the other hand, the other attested functions, which are not typical of the genitive, can best be interpreted as radial and metaphorical extensions from the nuclear meaning of Possessor.