This paper investigates the usage and frequency of what is referred to as K-suffixes in three Balochi dialects, namely Koroshi, Coastal and Sistani Balochi. It shows that K-suffixes are most likely the reflexes of earlier evaluative morphology, traditionally termed “diminutives,” and are characterized by a high degree of multi-functionality. While in Coastal and Sistani Balochi evaluative functions continue to dominate, they have been largely lost in Koroshi Balochi, and the suffix is now used to indicate definiteness. The development appears to have been spearheaded by female speakers, and its frequency is also dependent on genre and speech situation. Data is taken from an extensive corpus of spoken Balochi narratives and from a questionnaire with thirty-six speakers. The results suggest that evaluative morphology can develop into definiteness marking, with the development passing over a stage of combination with deictic markers. The paper concludes that the development of definiteness marking can proceed down a pathway that is distinct from the one normally assumed for demonstrative-based definite marking, though the endpoint may be similar. This is the first detailed documentation of this process for any Iranian language, and one of the few well-documented cases of a non-demonstrative origin of definiteness marking worldwide.

中文翻译：

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俾路支语评价形态学的确定性标记：内部变异和历时通路

本文调查了在三种俾路支方言（即 Koroshi、Coastal 和 Sistani Balochi）中被称为 K 后缀的用法和频率。它表明，K 后缀很可能是早期评估形态学的反映，传统上称为“小词”，并且具有高度的多功能性。虽然在 Coastal 和 Sistani Balochi 评估功能继续占主导地位，但它们在 Koroshi Balochi 中已大部分丢失，而后缀现在用于表示确定性。这一发展似乎是由女性演讲者带头的，其频率也取决于流派和演讲情况。数据取自广泛的俾路支语口语语料库和一份针对 36 位发言者的问卷调查。结果表明，评价形态学可以发展为确定性标记，其发展经过了与指示性标记相结合的阶段。该论文的结论是，确定性标记的发展可以沿着一条不同于通常假设的基于指示的确定性标记的路径进行，尽管终点可能相似。这是针对任何伊朗语言的该过程的第一个详细文档，也是世界范围内为数不多的有据可查的非确定性标记起源案例之一。尽管端点可能相似。这是针对任何伊朗语言的该过程的第一个详细文档，也是世界范围内为数不多的有据可查的非确定性标记起源案例之一。尽管端点可能相似。这是针对任何伊朗语言的该过程的第一个详细文档，也是世界范围内为数不多的有据可查的非确定性标记起源案例之一。