Old Avestan Syntax and Stylistics: With an edition of the texts (Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Gttingen. Neue Folge, 13)

This is the first modern comprehensive account of the syntax of Old Avestan, the earliest known form of Iranian language, attested in the Gathas of Zarathushtra and the Liturgy in Seven Chapters. It is based on the most up-to-date understanding of the texts, while following traditional principles of grammatical analysis. There are also substantial sections on word order, stylistics, and figures of speech. Translations are provided for almost all passages quoted. The work will be welcomed by Iranianists as well as by historical linguists with wider Indo-European interests. Machine Generated Contents Note: I.the Structure Of Discourse -- Sentence And Clause In Old Avestan -- Verbal And Nominal Predication -- Interrogative Sentences -- Negation -- Ii.morphosyntax -- Concord -- Apposition -- Nouns And Adjectives -- Abstracta -- Verbal Nouns (nomina Agentis, Actionis) -- Nominal Composition As Syntax -- Degrees Of Comparison -- Gender -- Number -- Singular -- Dual -- Plural -- The Cases -- Nominative -- Accusative -- Instrumental -- Dative -- Ablative -- Genitive -- Locative -- Vocative -- Pronouns -- Personal Pronouns And Adjectives -- Demonstrative Pronouns -- Demonstrative Adverbs Of Manner, Time, And Place -- Relative Pronouns -- Relative Adverbs/conjunctions -- Interrogative Pronouns -- Interrogative Adverbs -- Indefinite Pronouns -- Verbs -- Person And Number -- Voice -- Aspect -- The Present: Aorist Opposition -- The Perfect -- Tense And Modality -- Present Time -- Future Time -- Past Time -- Mythical Time -- Potentiality -- Contents Note Continued: Prayers, Wishes, Aspirations -- Requests, Injunctions, Prohibitions -- Infinitives -- Participles And Verbal Adjectives -- Verbal Adjectives In -ta- -- Gerundives In -iia- -- Verbal Modifiers (preverbs) -- Dependent Clauses -- Relative Clauses -- Restrictive (defining) -- Appositive (non-defining) -- Features Common To Both Restrictive And Appositive Clauses -- The Relative Pronoun As Quasi-article -- Temporal Clauses -- Causal Clauses -- Comparative Clauses -- Final And Consecutive Clauses -- Conditional Clauses -- Object Clauses -- Indirect Statements And Questions -- Recapitulation: Uses Of The Moods -- Indicative And Injunctive -- Subjunctive -- Optative -- Imperative -- Quotation Of Direct Speech -- Particles -- Sentence Particles -- Relational Particles -- Focusing Particles -- Iii.word Order -- The Placing Of Emphatic Elements -- Initial Position -- Final Position -- Distribution Of Emphasis By Distraction -- The Placing Of Unemphatic Elements -- Contents Note Continued: Enclitics -- Unemphatic Elements In Initial Position -- Commatization -- Order Of Words Within Cola -- The Contextual Force Field -- Relative Bulk -- Subject, Verb, Object -- Further Remarks On Verb Placement -- Subject And Predicate In Nominal Sentences -- Secondary (predicative) Accusative -- Datives -- Attributive Adjective -- Dependent Genitive -- Other Adnominals -- Vocatives -- Extension -- Interlacing -- Iv.stylistics -- Economy Of Expression -- Pleonasm -- Understatement (litotes) -- Rhetorical Questions -- Parenthesis -- Figures -- Conjunction Of Contrary Terms -- Conjunction Of Related Terms -- Anaphora -- Augmented Triads -- Appendix The Old Avestan Texts -- A.the Verse Texts -- B.the Yasna Haptahaiti -- Bibliography -- Indexes -- I.avestan Words -- Ii.passages. Martin L. West. Vorgelegt Von Martin West In Der Sitzung Vom 29. April 2011: T.p. Verso. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Preface Abbreviations I. The Structure of Discourse Sentence and Clause in Old Avestan Verbal and Nominal Predication Interrogative sentences Negation II. Morphosyntax Concord Apposition Nouns and Adjectives Abstracta Verbal Nouns (nomina agentis, actionis) Nominal Composition as Syntax Degrees of Comparison Gender Number Singular Dual Plural The Cases Nominative Accusative Instrumental Dative Ablative Genitive Locative Vocative Pronouns Personal pronouns and adjectives Demonstrative pronouns Demonstrative adverbs of manner, time, and place Relative pronouns Relative adverbs/conjunctions Interrogative pronouns Interrogative adverbs Indefinite pronouns Verbs Person and Number Voice Aspect The present: aorist opposition The perfect Tense and Modality Present time Future time Past time Mythical time Potentiality Prayers, wishes, aspirations Requests, injunctions, prohibitions Infinitives Participles and Verbal Adjectives Verbal adjectives in -ta- Gerundives in -iia- Verbal Modifiers (Preverbs) Dependent Clauses Relative clauses Restrictive (defining) Appositive (non-defining) Features common to both restrictive and appositive clauses The relative pronoun as quasi-article Temporal clauses Causal clauses Comparative clauses Final and consecutive clauses Conditional clauses Object clauses Indirect statements and questions Recapitulation: Uses of the Moods Indicative and injunctive Subjunctive Optative Imperative Quotation of Direct Speech Particles Sentence particles Relational particles Focusing particles III. Word Order The Placing of Emphatic Elements Initial position Final position Distribution of emphasis by distraction The Placing of Unemphatic Elements Enclitics Unemphatic elements in initial position Commatization Order of Words within Cola The contextual force field Relative bulk Subject, verb, object Further remarks on verb placement Subject and predicate in nominal sentences Secondary (predicative) accusative Datives Attributive adjective Dependent genitive Other adnominals Vocatives Extension Interlacing IV. Stylistics Economy of Expression Pleonasm Understatement (Litotes) Rhetorical Questions Parenthesis Figures Conjunction of contrary terms Conjunction of related terms Anaphora Augmented triads Appendix The Old Avestan Texts A. The Verse Texts B. The Yasna Haptaŋhāiti Bibliography Indexes I. Avestan words II. Passages III. Topics Main description: This is the first modern comprehensive account of the syntax of Old Avestan, the earliest known form of Iranian language, attested in the Gathas of Zarathushtra and the Liturgy in Seven Chapters. It is based on the most up-to-date understanding of the texts, while following traditional principles of grammatical analysis. There are also substantial sections on word order, stylistics, and figures of speech. Translations are provided for almost all passages quoted. The work will be welcomed by Iranianists as well as by historical linguists with wider Indo-European interests