A Grammar of Contemporary Persian

A Grammar of Contemporary Persian by Gilbert Lazard is a comprehensive reference work on the Persian language, first published in French in 1957 and later translated to English. The book covers the grammatical structures and linguistic features of twentieth-century Persian as spoken in Iran. The text is organized into sections examining phonology, morphology, syntax, and other key aspects of Persian grammar. Lazard draws from both written and spoken sources to document Persian usage, including examples from literature and everyday speech. The systematic approach moves from basic elements like pronunciation and verb conjugation to complex grammatical constructions and sentence patterns. Reference tables, paradigms, and detailed explanations support the linguistic analysis throughout. The work stands as an influential academic treatment of Persian grammar that bridges descriptive and theoretical approaches. Its thorough documentation of Persian linguistic structures has made it a standard reference for scholars and advanced language learners.

There are not enough internet reviews to create a summary of this book. Instead, here is a summary of reviews of Gilbert Lazard's overall work: Readers consistently highlight Lazard's technical precision and detailed analysis in his academic works. His "Grammar of Contemporary Persian" receives attention from language students and scholars for its thorough coverage of Persian grammar structures. What readers liked: - Clear explanations of complex linguistic concepts - Comprehensive coverage of Persian grammar points - Useful examples and detailed footnotes - Systematic organization of language features What readers disliked: - Dense academic writing style can be challenging for non-specialists - Limited availability of English translations of his French works - High technical barrier to entry for casual readers - Some dated methodological approaches in earlier works Review metrics: Limited review data available on mainstream platforms like Goodreads and Amazon, as his works are primarily academic texts used in university settings. Most citations and reviews appear in academic journals and scholarly publications. One linguistics forum user noted: "Lazard's grammar remains the most thorough reference work on Persian, though you need solid linguistics background to make full use of it."

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🔹 Gilbert Lazard wrote this influential grammar guide in French before it was translated to English in 1992, making it accessible to a wider audience of Persian language scholars. 🔹 The book was one of the first comprehensive works to focus on contemporary spoken Persian rather than classical literary Persian, capturing the language as it was actually used in daily life. 🔹 Lazard conducted extensive fieldwork in Iran during the 1950s and 1960s, which helped inform his detailed analysis of Persian dialectal variations and colloquial forms. 🔹 The author was not only a linguist but also a renowned translator of Persian poetry, including works by Omar Khayyam and Nezami, giving him unique insights into both formal and literary Persian. 🔹 The grammar system described in this book influenced how Persian is taught in many Western universities and helped establish Modern Persian linguistics as a distinct field of study.