An Introduction to Persian

by Thackston, Wheeler M.

• ISBN13: 9780936347295
• ISBN10: 0936347295
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1993-05-01
• Publisher: Small Pr Distribution

Summary

Nonfiction. "This long awaited text once more demonstrates Professor Thackston's mastery over the Persian language and its intricacies, both in its modern and classical form. Thackston makes Persian grammar clear and understandable. His emphasis is on the spoken and written language in today's Iran, on the Persian which is taught in schools and spoken and understood by all the ethnic groups in Iran.. This new edition is a major contribution for those involved in teaching the Persian language. It also makes the learning of Persian more accessible and enjoyable" - Haleh Esfandiari, Princeton University.

Author Biography

Wheeler M. Thackston is Professor of the Practice of Persian and other Near East Languages at Harvard University, where he has taught Persian and Arabic for over twenty years.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Phonology and Script
Preface	xi
The Phonology of Persian	xv
Syllabification	xix
Stress	xx
The Persian Alphabet	xx
Pronunciation Exercise	xxxii
Reading Exercise	xxxiv
Part One: The Grammar Of Modern Persian
Lesson One	1	(5)
Word order
Stress
Gender
State of the noun
Orthography of the indefinite enclitic
Adjectival order
The plural
The non-specific plural
Lesson Two	6	(6)
Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns
Verbal agreement with the plural
Co-ordination
Adverbs
Interrogative sentences. Supplementary Vocabulary: Courtesy Phrases
Lesson Three	12	(7)
The ezafe
The noun in the predicate position
Lesson Four	19	(5)
Pronouns
Present copulas
The negative copula
Kist and chist. Supplementary Vocabulary: Courtesy Phrases
Lesson Five	24	(7)
The vocative
The possessive ezafe
The long copula
Review I	30	(1)
Lesson Six	31	(9)
The infinitive
The past stem and the past absolute tense
The specific direct-object marker. Supplementary Vocabulary: Countries and Languages
Lesson Seven	40	(8)
Compound verbs
The continuous prefix
The past participle
The past narrative tense
Lesson Eight	48	(10)
Uses of che and kodam
Comparison of adjectives
Lesson Nine	58	(5)
Other plurals
Pronominal possessives
Lesson Ten	63	(8)
The present stem
The present indicative
Review II	69	(2)
Lesson Eleven	71	(7)
Pronominal enclitics
Reflexive pronouns
Lesson Twelve	78	(7)
Cardinal numbers
Ordinal numbers. Supplementary Vocabulary: Weights and Measures
Lesson Thirteen	85	(8)
Relative clauses
The remote past absolute tense
The remote past narrative tense
Lesson Fourteen	93	(8)
The future tense
Other numerical expressions. Supplementary Vocabulary: Family Relationships
Lesson Fifteen	101	(8)
The imperative
Resumptive-sentence construction. Supplementary Vocabulary: Foodstuffs
Review III	108	(1)
Lesson Sixteen	109	(10)
On the nature of compounds
The present subjunctive
Uses of the present subjunctive. Supplementary Vocabulary: Articles of Clothing
Lesson Seventeen	119	(8)
Impersonal constructions
Uses of the present subjunctive II
Lesson Eighteen	127	(6)
Totally impersonal constructions
The participial absolute
Reported speech and verbs of sense perception
Lesson Nineteen	133	(8)
The past subjunctive
Back-formation of infinitives and denominative verbs
Temporal use of ke
Impersonals with adam
Lesson Twenty	141	(11)
Uses of the subjunctive III: adjectival clauses
Uses of the infinitive. Supplementary Vocabulary: Common Materials
Review IV	150	(2)
Additional Vocabulary: Academic Fields
Lesson Twenty-One	152	(10)
Conditionals
Other irrealis constructions
Expressions of temporal duration. Additional Vocabulary: Mishaps
Lesson Twenty-Two	162	(9)
Uses of the subjunctive IV: adverbial clauses
Participial forms. Additional Vocabulary: Travel
Lesson Twenty-Three	171	(9)
Abstraction of substantives
Double-substantive compounds
Adjective/adverbs in -ane
Magar. Supplementary Vocabulary: Parts of the Body
Lesson Twenty-Four	180	(7)
``As ... as possible.''
``The more ... the more.''
Factitive verbs
Verbal nouns
Infinitival adjectives
Lesson Twenty-Five	187	(8)
The passive
Uses of the past participle
Diminutives
Review V	192	(3)
PART TWO: CLASSICAL AND ARCHAIC USAGES	195	(10)
The majhul vowels
Euphonic -d-
The optative and negative imperative
The vocative enclitic
Dative usages
Prefixing postpositions
The perfective aspect; the be- prefix
Cho(n)
The continuous-progressive marker hami
The past habitual and conditional
The archaic present stem of budan
The archaic negative copula
The archaic past narrative
The gnomic past
PART THREE: COLLOQUIAL TRANSFORMATIONS	205	(10)
Phonological transformations
The copulas
Verbal inflections
Reduced, altered and contracted verbal stems
The present and past progressive
Direct-object marker
The emphasizing particle -ke
Pronominal enclitics
Prepositions
Appendix A: The Uses of ta	215	(3)
Appendix B: Telling Time, Days of the Week, Months of the Year	218	(5)
EXAMPLES OF CONTEMPORARY PERSIAN PROSE	223	(18)
EXAMPLES OF CLASSICAL PERSIAN PROSE	241	(44)
Vocabularies
English-Persian	251	(7)
Persian-English	258	(27)
Index	285