In research regarding the (morpho-)syntax of ancient Indo-European languages, Old Persian has been largely neglected. This was mainly because the corpus of this language is limited both qualitatively and quantitatively. Nevertheless, in recent years there has been a gradual increase in studies in this area, also thanks to the use of contemporary theoretical approaches combined with traditional methods based on precise textual analysis and/or on data from historical-comparative linguistics. Using a similar combined approach, the present study aims to (re-)analyze from a morphosyntactic perspective the Old Persian contexts with “controversial” non-finite verbal forms, also considering (where possible) Avestan comparable occurrences, as well as the Elamite and the (neo-)Babylonian versions of the Achaemenid inscriptions, in an attempt to verify which hypothesis is more plausible. In particular, the uses of the infinitive (formed with the suffix written <-t-n-i-y> read –tanaÔ or -tani), whose main function is deemed to express “purpose”, and the forms in -ata- (i.e. *-eto- or*-‚t-o-) will be considered.
Brust, M. (2018), Historische Laut- und Formenlehre des Altpersischen: mit einem etymologischen Glossar. Innsbruck.
García Ramón, J.-L. (1991), ‘Insuficiencia gráfica y aporía morfológica en las escrituras silábicas: Las infinitivas en <ta-na-i-ya> del Antigua Persa’, Minerva 5, pp. 9-25.
García Ramón, J.L. (1997), ‘Infinitive im Indogermanischen? Zur Typologie der Infinitivbildungen und zu ihrer Entwicklung in den älteren indogermanischen Sprachen’, IL 20, pp. 45-69
Jügel, Th. (2017), ‘35. The syntax of Iranian’, in Klein, J., Joseph, B. e Fritz, M. (eds.), Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics. Vol. 1. Berlin-Boston, pp. 549-566.
Lecoq, P. (2020), L’épigraphie achéménide : vieux perse : grammaire, textes et glossaire. Paris.
Rossi, A.V. (2021), ‘Tense and Aspect in Old Persian’, in Witte, M. e Puvaneswaran, B. (eds.), Tempus und Aspekt in den alten Sprachen – Tense and Aspect in Ancient Languages. Kamen, pp. 261-288.
Schmitt, R. (2004), ‘Old Persian’, in Woodard, R.D. (ed.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World’s Ancient Languages. Cambridge, pp. 717-741.
Skjærvø, P. O. (2009), ‘Old Iranian’, in Windfuhr, G. (ed.), The Iranian languages. London, pp. 43-195.