Search results for "Linguistica"

Paths of Grammaticalisation of the Early Latin per/per-: a Cognitive Hypothesis

2017

The paper describes the semantic network of the Early Latin preverb per- and its relation with the corresponding preposition per ‘through’. Making use of the Cognitive Grammar framework, we argue that the basic spatial semantics of both preverb and preposition (here called the “PER relation”) can account for the whole set of concrete and abstract meanings per and per- express. In spite of this common semantic nucleus, however, per- and per differ as to the mechanisms at work in the development and organization of their semantic continua, thus imposing a differentiated analysis at the semantic as well as the morphosyntactic level. In this respect, the notions of grammaticalization and lexica…

The semantic network of the Latin preposition per: a diachronic investigation.

2011

This paper explores the semantic network of the Latin preposition per (“through”) in a diachronic perspective derived from the analysis of two electronic corpora of 3rd century BCE – 4th century CE (PHI5; Intratext Digital Library). Drawing upon the insights of Cognitive Grammar (e.g. Langacker 1991), we analyze the role of the schematic import of per in the spread from basic to abstract meanings, thus accounting for the interconnections among the various senses of the polysemous entity. This theoretical position is integrated with Croft’s (1991) model of causal structure of events, as well as the results of an extensive analysis of Early Latin (Brucale & Mocciaro fc.), in order to address …

Typological change in the expression of motion events from Latin to Romance languages.

2011

Romance languages differ from other Indo-European languages (e.g. Germanic languages) in the expression of motion events. In a broad typological perspective, they are classified as Verb-Framed languages, in contrast with Latin, which is considered Satellite-Framed (Talmy 2000); however, recent proposals tend to refine this classification in terms of preferred constructions (in given contexts) rather than global types (Beavers et al. 2010). The rich documentation of both Latin and Romance varieties allows us to evaluate this typological change within its synchronic and diachronic contexts and variation factors. Moreover, although the encoding of motion events has recently drawn a great deal …

Synthetic causativization strategies in Latin

2014

Synthetic causativization strategies in Latin Luisa Brucale University of Palermo Egle Mocciaro University of Palermo. Latin has diverse verbal strategies of causativization, which have been described in Lehmann (forth.) as ranking along an increasing degree of formal reduction: 1) complex sentences, in which a verb meaning “to cause” (e.g. facio “to do, make”, iubeo “to give an order” etc.) governs a subordinate finite clause (e.g. ut + subjunctive); 2) analytic constructions, which include a non-finite subordinate clause (e.g. accusative + infinitive). This type is the forerunner of the Romance type (cf. Simone and Cerbasi 2001; Chamberlain 1986); 3) derivational (synthetic) constructions…

Paths of grammaticalisation of the Early Latin per/per-: a cognitive hypothesis

2010

We intend to analyse the polysemic network of the Early Latin preverb per- and the relationship linking it with the corresponding preposition per ‘through’. Our corpus is constituted by Plautus’ comedies and Cato’s De Agri Cultura, which represent a substantial sample of the oldest Latin attestations in an extensive and non-fragmentary form. This choice allows a broad survey of the formerly grammaticalised usages of the preverb, constituting a firm platform to gain a perspective on its evolutionary lines. Our analysis is based on the Functional-Cognitive approach to grammaticalisation (Langacker 1987, 1991; Heine et al. 1991; Hopper & Traugott 1993), as well as on the existent functional an…

Composizione verbale in latino: il caso dei verbi in -facio, -fico

2016

Oggetto di questo studio sono i composti verbali latini il cui secundo membro è un costituente verbale connesso con il verbo facio. Tenteremo di fornire una descrizione complessiva di queste costruzioni concentrandoci particolarmente su quei tipi che veicolano un significato causativo, come calefacio ‘rendere caldo’; labefacio ‘far vacillare’; amplifico ‘ampliare’ etc., e sulla relazione esistente tra i causativi morfologici (ove per morfologici intendiamo anche i com- posti) e gli altri mezzi che il latino possiede per codificare il significato causativo.

Coincidenze compositive tra la IV Ode Romana di Orazio e la I Pitica di Pindaro

2000

Un grande filologo e la Grande guerra. Perifrasi del concetto di fame di Leo Spitzer, cento anni dopo

2019

Il giovane romanista Leo Spitzer pubblica al principio degli anni Venti del Secolo scorso tre opere fondamentali per la linguistica italiana, due delle quali strettamente legati alla sua esperienza di direttore di un gruppo di censori della corrispondenza dei prigionieri italiani in Austria-Ungheria in occasione della Prima guerra mondiale. Una di queste ha al centro la varia congerie delle designazioni della fame in tali lettere, tema che era appunto sottoposto al rigido controllo della censura. Recentemente tradotta in italiano e pubblicata con il corredo di apparati e introduzioni, l'opera viene esaminata in questo articolo da una prospettiva non solo dialettologico-variazionista, ma anc…

"Noi" ed "io". Leonardo Sciascia filologo, in un meandro dell'antropologia siciliana

2005

Smottamenti linguistici (e culturali): cambia la lingua, le persone cambiano

2019

Analisi di alcuni mutamenti lessico-sintattici in corso in italiano, con illustrazione del principio che vuole i mutamenti innescati e diffusi non dagli incolti, ma da i semi-colti. Analysis of some lexical-syntactic changes in progress in Italian, with an illustration of the principle that the changes are triggered and spread not by the uncultivated, but by the semi-cultured peolple.