Unraveling Ambiguous Compounds and Allusions with the Centrality of "Pustin" (a Fur or Sheepskin Garment)

Allusions (kenāyeh) are imaginary elements shared between literary and everyday language. It is natural that, as the contexts for the formation of allusions disappear and the philosophy behind their creation is forgotten, understanding some of them becomes difficult. The allusions that have formed regarding the word "pustin" (a fur or sheepskin garment) belong to this category. The present study, using a descriptive-analytical method, investigates some of the ambiguous allusions centered on "pustin" that have taken shape in Persian literary texts. Deciphering these allusions is instrumental in resolving ambiguity in certain texts. The findings of the research show that imprecision in the critical editing of texts, incorrect readings of texts, the copying and imitation between dictionaries and commentaries, inaccuracy in the reporting of these allusions in dictionaries, and a lack of attention to the specific context of the texts when reporting these allusions have led to the ambiguity and a failure to accurately grasp the meaning of texts that contain this word. Therefore, to resolve these ambiguities, a precise and scientific revision of commentaries and dictionaries, even a lexicon as prominent as the Dehkhoda Dictionary, is necessary and essential. Meanwhile, given the critical editions available for many of the texts from which these allusions were sourced, some of the paths to resolving the ambiguity of these allusions have been cleared. Consequently, it is necessary to rely on these texts to undertake a serious revision of the meaning of existing allusions in reference works and dictionaries. Keywords: Imagery, Allusion (Kenāyeh), Persian Texts, Dictionaries, Pustin. IntroductionThe use of the word "pustin" (fur garment) has a history as long as human history itself and has long served various functions in people’s lives. It is for this reason that diverse manifestations of "pustin" can be seen in the Persian language and literature. In the use of "pustin", a progression from a literal meaning to a symbolic one is evident. In a general overview, "pustin" has functions in various fields of Persian culture, civilization, and literature, the most important of which include: 1) As a type of attire for both war and festivity, which has been prominent from the most ancient historical periods to the present day; 2) As a theme-building element in various literary genres such as mystical, epic, lyrical, didactic, and other literary forms; and 3) It is the raw material for countless literary expressions that manifests itself in the form of various Imagery. What stands out most among the figurative and poetic elements when discussing "pustin" are the allusions that have been formed around it. In this study, several ambiguous allusions in this domain, which have been defined with uncertainty in dictionaries and whose decipherment is useful for understanding some ambiguous sentences and verses in texts, have been examined. Materials and MethodsIn this research, first, the allusions of the word "pustin" in Persian literature were identified by consulting Persian literary texts, dictionaries, and dictionaries of allusions. Then, several allusions that were subjects of debate and for which a precise meaning had not been mentioned in sources and references were examined and analyzed. The description, analysis, and critique of these allusions made a descriptive, analytical, and critical research method unavoidable. Therefore, a combined method was employed to investigate these allusions. Research FindingsPart of the ambiguity in the compounds and allusions recorded in dictionaries, which are sourced from Persian literary texts, is related to the reading of the verse; if the problem in reading the compound is resolved, the issue with the text will also be solved. This is the case of the ambiguity in the compounds "pīl-e postīn", "postīn kardan", and "sūkhtah-ye postīn" (the burnt fur garment). The allusive phrase "postīn be gāzor dādan" (to give the fur garment to the Laundress) and similar constructions are used to mean performing a wrong and inappropriate action. This meaning is expanded in Anvari's poetry, where its individual and social undertones are highlighted. In the poetry of Sanai, within the context of mystical poetry, "pustin" takes on a mystical semantic load and becomes a symbol of material attachments and dependencies. Therefore, in his poetry, "postīn be gāzor dādan", in light of this symbolic meaning, is used in the allusive sense of renouncing attachments, releasing materialism and worldly dependencies. This meaning is also used by Rumi.The allusive phrase "postīn be gāzor dādan" has been used in two different contexts. The first instance is in the works of Amir Mo'ezzi and Anvari, and the second is in Sanai and Rumi, after which this allusive phrase was forgotten in Persian literature. This represents a movement from the material to the metaphysical aspects, for various reasons, including the diminishing relationship between the fur garment and the Laundress. Discussion of Results and ConclusionsAllusion is more closely related to the daily life of humankind than other imagery elements. It is for this reason that as human lifestyles evolve and their perspective on surrounding elements and phenomena changes, the allusions in a language also transform. This point, alongside the freedom of perspective on phenomena in literature, increases the speed at which allusions change. Therefore, to understand texts that deal with allusions, awareness of culture, history, civilization, and human ways of life, and attention to the transformations in these areas, is essential. Inattention to these characteristics, carelessness in the editing and printing of Persian literary texts, imprecision in recording allusions and their meanings in dictionaries, and inattention to the literary genre and the author’s intended goals have caused more errors to occur in the explanation of allusions than in other parts of language and literature.The mentioned mistakes create obstacles for the reader in understanding the precise meaning of texts where an allusion directs its meaning. The examination of several ambiguous allusions centered on "pustin" has shown that to resolve the ambiguity in this area, it is necessary first to provide a correct and reliable edition of the texts, and then, based on these texts and with attention to the context, to provide a precise meaning for the allusions. This meaning should not create complexity in conveying the author’s thought to the audience but should lead to their conviction and, of course, be useful in the scientific analysis of the text and its subtleties.