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Title SYNTACTIC BEHAVIOR OF PRONOUNS IN ENGLISH, URDU, AND SARAIKI: A CROSSLINGUISTIC STUDY IN UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR

Author(s) Riaz Hussain

Abstract Title: Syntactic Behavior of Pronouns in English, Urdu, and Saraiki: A Crosslinguistic Study in Universal Grammar Pronouns are essential constituents of the structure of language and represent significant cross-linguistic universal principles and language-specific parameters. This study attempts to explore the syntactic behavior of pronouns in English, Urdu, and Saraiki using the 14 principles and parameters of pronouns in Universal Grammar (UG) in three diverse languages: Saraiki, Urdu, and English (Carnie, 2021; Tallerman, 2019; Torres Cacoullos & Travis, 2019; Khalique et al., 2022). The study aims to compare and contrast the pronoun systems in the three selected languages to identify the controlling principles within Universal Grammar, with the primary objective of analyzing the principles and parameters —such as person, gender, number, case, clusivity, animacy, honorifics, reflexivity, and reciprocity—that impact pronoun structures in these three languages. Using qualitative content analysis, themes and patterns are compared using the data collected from grammar books and language textbooks written in Saraiki, Urdu, and English. Findings of the study reveal substantial differences in the pronoun systems of Saraiki, Urdu, and English, especially concerning person, gender, and honorifics. English has a more straightforward structure with fewer distinctions than Urdu and Saraiki, which are both more complex and diverse in these domains. The findings elucidate the complex intersectionality across language-specific parameters and universal principles and underscore the significance of exploring pronoun systems in other languages to advance the understanding of linguistic diversity and UG. This study also contributes to the growing body of research on how universal principles shape syntactic structures across languages, providing valuable insights into the dynamic interplay between language universals and cultural expressions.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

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Department English

Language English

Publication Date 0008-07-17

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