دانشگاه رازیمطالعات زبانها و گویشهای غرب ایران2345-257914220260622Endangered Jewish Language Varieties in Hamadan Province:
Judeo-Hamadani, Judeo-Nahavandi, Judeo-Tuyserkani, and Judeo-MalayeriEndangered Jewish Language Varieties in Hamadan Province: Judeo-Hamadani, Judeo-Nahavandi, Judeo-Tuyserkani, and Judeo-Malayeri117423310.22126/jlw.2026.13623.1881FARezaAminiAssociate Professor in Linguistics, Research Institute for Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Department of Contemporary Languages and Dialects, Tehran, Iran.0000-0002-0486-2332Journal Article20260216Among the diverse language varieties spoken in Hamadan Province are those of its Jewish communities. These varieties warrant urgent scholarly attention, as over the past few decades, the majority of their speakers have emigrated from the region. The remaining speakers are now dispersed across various cities and countries, and there is currently no reliable data regarding speaker populations, or the status of intergenerational language transmission. This article investigates some of these varieties by drawing upon available linguistic data and the oral knowledge of local populations concerning the Jewish communities of Hamadan Province. Building upon previous research on the language varieties of Iranian Jews—specifically those in Hamadan Province—this study aims to identify features that indicate their affiliation with the Northwestern Iranian languages. Through an analysis of the Jewish varieties from Hamadan, Nahavand, and Tuyserkan, this study examined their linguistic features and found that they were influenced by the surrounding non-Jewish varieties (Hamadani, Nahavandi, and Tuyserkani). While no data is available for the language variety of the Jews of Malayer, given the historical presence of a Jewish community there, the present study suggests that the conclusions drawn from prior research and the current analysis may be reasonably extended to this variety as well.Among the diverse language varieties spoken in Hamadan Province are those of its Jewish communities. These varieties warrant urgent scholarly attention, as over the past few decades, the majority of their speakers have emigrated from the region. The remaining speakers are now dispersed across various cities and countries, and there is currently no reliable data regarding speaker populations, or the status of intergenerational language transmission. This article investigates some of these varieties by drawing upon available linguistic data and the oral knowledge of local populations concerning the Jewish communities of Hamadan Province. Building upon previous research on the language varieties of Iranian Jews—specifically those in Hamadan Province—this study aims to identify features that indicate their affiliation with the Northwestern Iranian languages. Through an analysis of the Jewish varieties from Hamadan, Nahavand, and Tuyserkan, this study examined their linguistic features and found that they were influenced by the surrounding non-Jewish varieties (Hamadani, Nahavandi, and Tuyserkani). While no data is available for the language variety of the Jews of Malayer, given the historical presence of a Jewish community there, the present study suggests that the conclusions drawn from prior research and the current analysis may be reasonably extended to this variety as well.<br /> https://jlw.razi.ac.ir/article_4233_cbfa4c0488f8dc63a08ed8235eb49b87.pdfدانشگاه رازیمطالعات زبانها و گویشهای غرب ایران2345-257914220260622Language Maintenance or Shift in Gilan-e Gharb: Exploring Linguistic Attitudes of Kalhuri Kurdish SpeakersLanguage Maintenance or Shift in Gilan-e Gharb: Exploring Linguistic Attitudes of Kalhuri Kurdish Speakers1930426110.22126/jlw.2026.13709.1891FAHosnaPourmehrM.A. in Linguistics, Department of English Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.0009-0007-1071-9392KouroshSaberiAssistant Professor in Linguistics, Department of English Language and Linguistics, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.0000-0003-0951-8212Journal Article20260311The present study aims to explore the current status of the Kalhuri Kurdish variety in Gilan-e Gharb and to determine the factors that contribute to its maintenance or shift. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study employed the focus group interview method. The participants consisted of 24 native speakers of Kalhuri Kurdish, aged 22 to 55 years, who were purposively selected from three age groups. Following the audio recording and transcription of the interviews, the data were examined using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that although Kalhuri Kurdish continued to be used in family interactions, everyday communication, and informal settings in Gilan-e Gharb, its use had declined among younger generations, particularly in educational, occupational, and formal communicative contexts, where it was increasingly being replaced by Persian. Moreover, factors such as the role of the family, the influence of educational institutions, and sociocultural pressures exerted by the dominant language played a significant role in the process of language shift. Based on these findings, strengthening linguistic identity, raising awareness through education and media, and providing institutional support for linguistic diversity are identified as effective strategies for the maintenance and revitalization of this linguistic variety. The study underscores the necessity of developing targeted and sustainable language policies to support indigenous languages in multilingual contexts.The present study aims to explore the current status of the Kalhuri Kurdish variety in Gilan-e Gharb and to determine the factors that contribute to its maintenance or shift. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study employed the focus group interview method. The participants consisted of 24 native speakers of Kalhuri Kurdish, aged 22 to 55 years, who were purposively selected from three age groups. Following the audio recording and transcription of the interviews, the data were examined using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that although Kalhuri Kurdish continued to be used in family interactions, everyday communication, and informal settings in Gilan-e Gharb, its use had declined among younger generations, particularly in educational, occupational, and formal communicative contexts, where it was increasingly being replaced by Persian. Moreover, factors such as the role of the family, the influence of educational institutions, and sociocultural pressures exerted by the dominant language played a significant role in the process of language shift. Based on these findings, strengthening linguistic identity, raising awareness through education and media, and providing institutional support for linguistic diversity are identified as effective strategies for the maintenance and revitalization of this linguistic variety. The study underscores the necessity of developing targeted and sustainable language policies to support indigenous languages in multilingual contexts.https://jlw.razi.ac.ir/article_4261_cc8171efeffbedb103b6751c054a0d0b.pdfدانشگاه رازیمطالعات زبانها و گویشهای غرب ایران2345-257914220260622Double-Scope Conceptual Blending in Iranian Economic CartoonsDouble-Scope Conceptual Blending in Iranian Economic Cartoons3146425610.22126/jlw.2026.13690.1890FASepideKiaPh.D. Student of Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.0000-0000-0000-0000SaharBahrami-KhorshidAssociate Professor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.0000-0002-4461-3584ArsalanGolfamAssociate Professor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.0000-0002-9402-9079Journal Article20260227Economic press cartoons constitute a prominent multimodal genre for representing and critiquing economic realities in the public sphere. Drawing on Fauconnier and Turner’s (2002) theory of conceptual blending, this study aims to examine the cognitive mechanisms underlying meaning construction and visual humor in Iranian economic press cartoons. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the research analyzed a corpus of 300 cartoons selected through random sampling, among which 70 cartoons were identified as containing conceptual blending structures. In the quantitative phase, the types of blends were classified, while the qualitative phase focused on an in-depth analysis of three representative economic cartoons using the four-space blending model. The findings revealed that both single-scope and double-scope blends were employed; however, double-scope blends played a more significant role in producing critical meanings and representing economic instability. In addition, vital relations—particularly causality, identity, role, and power—were central to organizing the blended space and guiding interpretation. Discursively, the theme of currency rate increase showed the highest frequency, reflecting its symbolic role as a marker of economic insecurity in everyday experience. Overall, the study demonstrates the analytical value of conceptual blending for understanding visual humor and economic critique in press cartoons.Economic press cartoons constitute a prominent multimodal genre for representing and critiquing economic realities in the public sphere. Drawing on Fauconnier and Turner’s (2002) theory of conceptual blending, this study aims to examine the cognitive mechanisms underlying meaning construction and visual humor in Iranian economic press cartoons. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, the research analyzed a corpus of 300 cartoons selected through random sampling, among which 70 cartoons were identified as containing conceptual blending structures. In the quantitative phase, the types of blends were classified, while the qualitative phase focused on an in-depth analysis of three representative economic cartoons using the four-space blending model. The findings revealed that both single-scope and double-scope blends were employed; however, double-scope blends played a more significant role in producing critical meanings and representing economic instability. In addition, vital relations—particularly causality, identity, role, and power—were central to organizing the blended space and guiding interpretation. Discursively, the theme of currency rate increase showed the highest frequency, reflecting its symbolic role as a marker of economic insecurity in everyday experience. Overall, the study demonstrates the analytical value of conceptual blending for understanding visual humor and economic critique in press cartoons.https://jlw.razi.ac.ir/article_4256_16142c51ff72aa8b2e015a0c0eae222f.pdfدانشگاه رازیمطالعات زبانها و گویشهای غرب ایران2345-257914220260622Color-Related Conceptual Metaphors in Azerbaijani Turkish Proverbs and Idioms: A Cognitive Linguistic ApproachColor-Related Conceptual Metaphors in Azerbaijani Turkish Proverbs and Idioms: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach4760425810.22126/jlw.2026.13674.1887FARaminGolshaieAssociate Professor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.0000-0001-7300-6727MaryamPirzadehPh.D. Student, Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.0009-0007-6966-7507FereshtehNourzadehM.A. in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.0009-0003-4061-3776Journal Article20260224This study investigates color-related conceptual metaphors in Azerbaijani Turkish proverbs and idioms from a cognitive linguistic perspective. Drawing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory and the framework of Basic Color Terms, the study examined 120 metaphorical expressions containing black (qara/qərə), white (ağ/aq), red (qırmızı), yellow (sarı), mixed color (ala), blue (göy), and green (yaşıl). The data were extracted from a corpus of approximately 14,000 proverbs and idiomatic expressions and were supplemented through fieldwork with native speakers in Tabriz. The findings indicated that black was the most frequent color term, with 76 instances, and was predominantly associated with negative domains such as sorrow, hardship, misfortune, poverty, death, shame, and deceit. White occurred in 27 instances and primarily conveyed positive meanings, including purity, honesty, happiness, honor, and prosperity. Red (6 instances), yellow (3 instances), and mixed colors (6 instances) generally displayed negative polarity. This was evident in associations such as anger and passion for red, illness for yellow, and worthlessness and lack of identity for mixed colors. However, red occasionally conveyed positive concepts such as courage and dignity. Blue and green each occurred once metaphorically, linked to stability or fate and growth or prosperity, respectively. Overall, the results demonstrate systematic mappings between sensory experience and abstract emotional, moral, and social domains in Azerbaijani Turkish.This study investigates color-related conceptual metaphors in Azerbaijani Turkish proverbs and idioms from a cognitive linguistic perspective. Drawing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory and the framework of Basic Color Terms, the study examined 120 metaphorical expressions containing black (qara/qərə), white (ağ/aq), red (qırmızı), yellow (sarı), mixed color (ala), blue (göy), and green (yaşıl). The data were extracted from a corpus of approximately 14,000 proverbs and idiomatic expressions and were supplemented through fieldwork with native speakers in Tabriz. The findings indicated that black was the most frequent color term, with 76 instances, and was predominantly associated with negative domains such as sorrow, hardship, misfortune, poverty, death, shame, and deceit. White occurred in 27 instances and primarily conveyed positive meanings, including purity, honesty, happiness, honor, and prosperity. Red (6 instances), yellow (3 instances), and mixed colors (6 instances) generally displayed negative polarity. This was evident in associations such as anger and passion for red, illness for yellow, and worthlessness and lack of identity for mixed colors. However, red occasionally conveyed positive concepts such as courage and dignity. Blue and green each occurred once metaphorically, linked to stability or fate and growth or prosperity, respectively. Overall, the results demonstrate systematic mappings between sensory experience and abstract emotional, moral, and social domains in Azerbaijani Turkish.https://jlw.razi.ac.ir/article_4258_6ea6f700ee77c7ee08c46a8b9318f5b9.pdfدانشگاه رازیمطالعات زبانها و گویشهای غرب ایران2345-257914220260622Hopefulness and Hopelessness Conceptualization in Iranian Society:
A Cognitive ViewHopefulness and Hopelessness Conceptualization in Iranian Society: A Cognitive View6180425210.22126/jlw.2026.13509.1877FAMehrdadMeshkinfamAssistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.0000-0002-4854-9970MehrdadNaghzguy-KohanProfessor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Humanities, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.0000-0002-3451-745XJournal Article20260107This paper seeks to demonstrate the rate and cognitive model of hopelessness and hopefulness in Iranian society over five decades, from the 1970s to the 2010s. It also responds to the view that Iranians are currently experiencing greater hopelessness than in the past. Emotions prevalent in a society, including hopelessness and hopefulness, can be reflected in language. In fact, these emotions, like others, are encoded in language through cognitive mechanisms such as conceptual metaphor and linguistic construction. The study used a written and spoken corpus encompassing films, novels, news broadcasts, and official speeches, as well as the models employed—namely, Kövecses (2020) and findings from Construction Grammar. It was observed that hopefulness and hopelessness exhibited a fluctuating pattern across all subsets of the corpus over the five decades examined. The results indicated that hopelessness increased significantly and steadily in Iranian society over this fifty-year period, in line with global trends showing an increase in hopelessness. Moreover, regarding the cognitive model of hope, it is worth noting that Iranians conceptualize ‘‘hopelessness’’ as ‘inability’ and contrast it with ‘‘hopefulness’’ which is conceptualized in terms of an ‘object’ and ‘reliance on another entity.This paper seeks to demonstrate the rate and cognitive model of hopelessness and hopefulness in Iranian society over five decades, from the 1970s to the 2010s. It also responds to the view that Iranians are currently experiencing greater hopelessness than in the past. Emotions prevalent in a society, including hopelessness and hopefulness, can be reflected in language. In fact, these emotions, like others, are encoded in language through cognitive mechanisms such as conceptual metaphor and linguistic construction. The study used a written and spoken corpus encompassing films, novels, news broadcasts, and official speeches, as well as the models employed—namely, Kövecses (2020) and findings from Construction Grammar. It was observed that hopefulness and hopelessness exhibited a fluctuating pattern across all subsets of the corpus over the five decades examined. The results indicated that hopelessness increased significantly and steadily in Iranian society over this fifty-year period, in line with global trends showing an increase in hopelessness. Moreover, regarding the cognitive model of hope, it is worth noting that Iranians conceptualize ‘‘hopelessness’’ as ‘inability’ and contrast it with ‘‘hopefulness’’ which is conceptualized in terms of an ‘object’ and ‘reliance on another entity.https://jlw.razi.ac.ir/article_4252_5182830170c77955f90991018dc0c4fe.pdfدانشگاه رازیمطالعات زبانها و گویشهای غرب ایران2345-257914220260622Case Assignment and Complement Movement in Turkish Postpositional Structures: A Minimalist-Syntactic AnalysisCase Assignment and Complement Movement in Turkish Postpositional Structures: A Minimalist-Syntactic Analysis8194413810.22126/jlw.2026.12969.1858FAShahlaYaghoobiAssistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.0000-0003-2212-8016Journal Article20251009This study investigates the syntactic properties of Turkish postpositions within the framework of the Minimalist Program, with particular emphasis on case assignment, complement movement, and the categorical distinction between functional and lexical elements. Drawing on insights from Kornfilt (1997), Cinque (1996), den Dikken (2006), and De Vos (2013), the analysis differentiated between true postpositions, which functioned as syntactic heads and assigned case to their complements, and non-true postpositions, which exhibited morphological possession and behaved as derived nominals. Empirical data from Turkish revealed that movement to the specifier position of the postpositional phrase (Spec, PP) was not triggered by an EPP feature, but rather by linearization requirements at the phonological form (PF) interface. Morphological case—specifically genitive, dative, or ablative—was shown to be a prerequisite for movement and syntactic convergence. In contrast, non-true postpositions formed possessive constructions that lacked functional projection, thereby blocking displacement. These findings support a PF-driven model of movement and reinforce the Strong Minimalist Hypothesis, demonstrating that interface conditions strictly regulate syntactic operations. Turkish postpositions thus fulfill not only semantic roles but also formal syntactic functions. The results carry significant implications for cross-linguistic typology and the analysis of postpositional systems in head-final languages.This study investigates the syntactic properties of Turkish postpositions within the framework of the Minimalist Program, with particular emphasis on case assignment, complement movement, and the categorical distinction between functional and lexical elements. Drawing on insights from Kornfilt (1997), Cinque (1996), den Dikken (2006), and De Vos (2013), the analysis differentiated between true postpositions, which functioned as syntactic heads and assigned case to their complements, and non-true postpositions, which exhibited morphological possession and behaved as derived nominals. Empirical data from Turkish revealed that movement to the specifier position of the postpositional phrase (Spec, PP) was not triggered by an EPP feature, but rather by linearization requirements at the phonological form (PF) interface. Morphological case—specifically genitive, dative, or ablative—was shown to be a prerequisite for movement and syntactic convergence. In contrast, non-true postpositions formed possessive constructions that lacked functional projection, thereby blocking displacement. These findings support a PF-driven model of movement and reinforce the Strong Minimalist Hypothesis, demonstrating that interface conditions strictly regulate syntactic operations. Turkish postpositions thus fulfill not only semantic roles but also formal syntactic functions. The results carry significant implications for cross-linguistic typology and the analysis of postpositional systems in head-final languages.https://jlw.razi.ac.ir/article_4138_42c359b0578cce38bacf62c577aa0b96.pdfدانشگاه رازیمطالعات زبانها و گویشهای غرب ایران2345-257914220260622A Critical Response to “Persian Vowel Harmony Without Exceptionality:
A Reply to Jam”A Critical Response to “Persian Vowel Harmony Without Exceptionality: A Reply to Jam”95104413710.22126/jlw.2026.13107.1865FABashirJamAssociate Professor, Department of English, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran.0000-0002-6085-2905Journal Article20251106Critiquing research papers is an essential component of scholarly advancement, provided that it is undertaken meticulously, considering the relevant theoretical framework and adhering to professional and ethical decorum to avoid disrespecting researchers’ academic credibility. This rejoinder constitutes a response to the critique by Pirhayati (2025) concerning the present author’s paper entitled “Vowel Harmony in Persian,” published in <em>Lingua</em> in 2020. The issues that the critic discusses include comments on vowel harmony in the Persian imperative structures, particularly exceptionality, constraint rankings, prenasal raising, and the phonological representation of English loanwords in Persian, as well as some additional criticisms. The purpose of this rejoinder is to address all criticisms raised in that critique, providing detailed and scholarly responses to each point—with explicit reference to the topics discussed by the critic—in order to clarify the analyses presented in Jam (2020) and to dispel potential ambiguitiesCritiquing research papers is an essential component of scholarly advancement, provided that it is undertaken meticulously, considering the relevant theoretical framework and adhering to professional and ethical decorum to avoid disrespecting researchers’ academic credibility. This rejoinder constitutes a response to the critique by Pirhayati (2025) concerning the present author’s paper entitled “Vowel Harmony in Persian,” published in <em>Lingua</em> in 2020. The issues that the critic discusses include comments on vowel harmony in the Persian imperative structures, particularly exceptionality, constraint rankings, prenasal raising, and the phonological representation of English loanwords in Persian, as well as some additional criticisms. The purpose of this rejoinder is to address all criticisms raised in that critique, providing detailed and scholarly responses to each point—with explicit reference to the topics discussed by the critic—in order to clarify the analyses presented in Jam (2020) and to dispel potential ambiguitieshttps://jlw.razi.ac.ir/article_4137_61119037c26a471f27e463c87b2546e9.pdf