Document Type : Original Article

Author

• Mozhdeh KamaliFard

assistant professor of Persian Literary and Language.Va C. Azad university. Tehran. Iran

Abstract

Abstract
A limited number of grammatical constructions found in early Persian texts remain insufficiently understood with regard to their grammatical category, semantic function, and aesthetic role. One such construction is the phrase “chun + adjective + -ī.” This fundamental research, conducted through library-based sources, aims to examine the nature, function, semantic domains, aesthetic operation, and grammatical role of this construction, drawing upon examples attested in Persian poetic and prose works from the 4^th to the 7^th centuries AH. The findings reveal that this construction was not employed solely in the function of simile. In many instances, the element chun in this construction does not function as a preposition, conjunction, or adverb, nor does it belong to the semantic field of comparison. Rather, it was predominantly used to express state accompanied by intensification or exaggeration; hence, it may be regarded as an intensifier (tashdidgar). This construction, which conveys a state imbued with a degree of exaggeration, occurs in various syntactic positions within the sentence—such as predicate, specification, adjective, and adverb. Its use contributes to the beauty and literariness of the text through the mechanisms of hyperbole and defamiliarization.

Introduction

In Persian prose and verse from the 4^th/10^th to the 7^th/13^th centuries, one encounters a grammatical construction that has received little systematic attention in modern scholarship. This structure follows the pattern chon / cho + adjective + -i. Most commentators have classified it within the semantic field of simile, whereas the textual evidence suggests that the author’s intention was not one of comparison. The present study examines the nature, usage, semantic categories, and aesthetic function of this construction in classical Persian texts.

Review of the Related Literature

The only extant study addressing this structure is that of Shafiʿi Kadkani, who rejects its comparative function, arguing instead for its primary role in expressing hyperbole. In contrast, Malek al-Shoʿara Bahar and Minovi have acknowledged the semantic category of comparison in this pattern. To date, however, no research has examined its grammatical type, syntactic roles, or aesthetic function in detail.

Methodology

This research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach grounded in library and documentary sources. Examples were drawn from a corpus of classical Persian prose and poetry, with particular attention to syntactic environment and contextual meaning.

Discussion and Analysis

The study first investigated the fixed elements of the construction, namely chon (since/like/when) and the suffix -i. Relevant definitions and classifications in Persian grammars and lexicons were summarized in Tables 2 and 3. The extracted examples were then subjected to close analysis. The findings indicate that expressions denoting simile follow the pattern chon + noun, in which chon functions as a preposition conveying resemblance. This usage differs fundamentally from the pattern chon + adjective + -i. Further examination revealed that the semantic categories of state and exaggeration are consistently present across all examples. The term chon in this context does not correspond to any of the grammatical or semantic types listed in Table 2. Likewise, the suffix -i does not function as the indefinite marker, since the indefinite -i either attaches to a noun, to an adjective modifying a noun, or to an adjective substituting for a noun. In this construction, however, no noun is present, and the adjective retains its strictly adjectival value rather than serving as a nominal substitute. It also became apparent that the adjectives employed in this structure convey genuine adjectival meanings and do not replace implied nouns. In other words, within this construction, the adjective never functions as a nominal equivalent. Consider the following passage from Tarikh-e Bayhaqi: “Amir Muhammad was, for two or three days, chon ghamnaki va motahayyeri [extremely sad and bewildered] ... On the third day Ahmad Arsalan said: ... ‘Whatever is destined must come to pass; there is little benefit in remaining sorrowful.’” Here, Amir Muhammad—having been deposed and imprisoned in a fortress—is not merely like a sorrowful person; rather, he is profoundly grief-stricken and distressed. A similar pattern appears elsewhere in the same text: “And when I reached home, night had fallen, and my horse had been left without barley. I became deeply distressed and chon ghamnak [extremely sorrowful].” The two expressions exhibit parallel syntactic structures. Just as sakht (“utterly,” “intensely”) functions as an adverb or intensifier in classical Persian, chon in this context performs a comparable role. Moreover, just as tang-del (“disheartened,” “distressed”) expresses a state rather than resemblance, ghamnak (“sorrowful”) likewise denotes a condition, not a comparison. From the analysis of the textual evidence, the following conclusions emerge: a) Chon does not express resemblance, nor does it act as a preposition, conjunction, or adverb. b) The semantic category of comparison is absent from these constructions; instead, the categories of state and hyperbole are consistently present. c) The word following chon is always an adjective, conveying a purely adjectival meaning rather than a nominal one. d) The adjective is of the participial type, typically describing a transient or momentary state. e) The suffix -i is not the indefinite marker, since it attaches neither to a noun nor to an adjective functioning as a nominal substitute. f) The construction occurs in adjectival, adverbial, predicative, and complement positions within the sentence.

Conclusion

Drawing upon examples from classical Persian texts and a grammatical–semantic analysis of the chon / cho + adjective + -i construction, this study argues that the pattern functioned in pre-modern Persian as a means of forming a participial adjective characterized by a heightened degree of intensity or hyperbole. Within this structure, chon operates as an intensifier, while -i serves as a suffix conveying notions of multiplicity and elevation. Notably, no existing Persian grammar or lexicon has identified chon as an intensifying particle, making this finding both novel and significant. Ultimately, it may be concluded that the pattern chon + adjective + -i represents one of the grammatical mechanisms through which participial adjectives were formed in early Persian.
The aesthetic function of this construction rests primarily upon two interrelated features—hyperbole and defamiliarization—which together enhance its expressive power and stylistic distinctiveness in classical Persian prose and poetry.

Keywords

• “chun + adjective + -ī”
• adverbial of manner
• historical grammar
• exaggeration
• participial adjective
• chun
• intensifier