Chapter 3. On the distribution of additive focus particles addirittura and perfino/persino in Italian
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Vahram Atayan
Abstract
The present contribution aims to investigate the distribution of the Italian adverbs addiritura and perfino/persino using authentic linguistic data. Different structural, semantic and argumentative factors that are said to correlate with, or influence the distribution of these adverbs, shall be examined. The current scientific state of knowledge regarding the specificities of addirittura and perfino/persino shall be compared with data from Repubblica Corpus and C-Oral-Rom. Such comparison will show that the distribution of addirittura and perfino/persino is influenced by the syntactic function of the element in the focus, its semantics in the specific context (in particular the existence of focus alternatives), as well as the type of argumentative reinforcement marked by the adverb. Addirittura tends to refer to the predicate or the sentence as a whole. It is mainly used for direct argumentative reinforcement and may occur in non-additive contexts. In contrast, perfino/persino tends to create a local focus, is far less common in non-additive contexts and can be used for direct, as well as indirect argumentative reinforcement. These differences in use confirm the overall results of previous research and may be due to the diachronic evolution of the two adverbs.
Abstract
The present contribution aims to investigate the distribution of the Italian adverbs addiritura and perfino/persino using authentic linguistic data. Different structural, semantic and argumentative factors that are said to correlate with, or influence the distribution of these adverbs, shall be examined. The current scientific state of knowledge regarding the specificities of addirittura and perfino/persino shall be compared with data from Repubblica Corpus and C-Oral-Rom. Such comparison will show that the distribution of addirittura and perfino/persino is influenced by the syntactic function of the element in the focus, its semantics in the specific context (in particular the existence of focus alternatives), as well as the type of argumentative reinforcement marked by the adverb. Addirittura tends to refer to the predicate or the sentence as a whole. It is mainly used for direct argumentative reinforcement and may occur in non-additive contexts. In contrast, perfino/persino tends to create a local focus, is far less common in non-additive contexts and can be used for direct, as well as indirect argumentative reinforcement. These differences in use confirm the overall results of previous research and may be due to the diachronic evolution of the two adverbs.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Additive Focusing Modifiers from a typological and historical perspective
- Chapter 1. Syntax and semantics of additive focus markers from a cross-linguistic perspective 23
- Chapter 2. Meaning both ‘also’ and ‘only’? 45
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Part II. Additive Focusing Modifiers from a semantic, prosodic and pragmatic perspective
- Chapter 3. On the distribution of additive focus particles addirittura and perfino/persino in Italian 79
- Chapter 4. French additive particle aussi 107
- Chapter 5. Processing additivity in Spanish 137
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Part III. Additive Focusing Modifiers from a discourse-oriented perspective
- Chapter 6. Mapping additivity through translation 157
- Chapter 7. The scalar operator even and its German equivalents 201
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Part IV. Additive Focusing Modifiers from a language contact perspective
- Chapter 8. Additive focus particles in German-speaking learners of Italian as L2 237
- Chapter 9. Additive relations in L2 French 265
- Chapter 10. Ënghe, ence and also anche 311
- Focusing modifiers index 331
- General index 333
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Additive Focusing Modifiers from a typological and historical perspective
- Chapter 1. Syntax and semantics of additive focus markers from a cross-linguistic perspective 23
- Chapter 2. Meaning both ‘also’ and ‘only’? 45
-
Part II. Additive Focusing Modifiers from a semantic, prosodic and pragmatic perspective
- Chapter 3. On the distribution of additive focus particles addirittura and perfino/persino in Italian 79
- Chapter 4. French additive particle aussi 107
- Chapter 5. Processing additivity in Spanish 137
-
Part III. Additive Focusing Modifiers from a discourse-oriented perspective
- Chapter 6. Mapping additivity through translation 157
- Chapter 7. The scalar operator even and its German equivalents 201
-
Part IV. Additive Focusing Modifiers from a language contact perspective
- Chapter 8. Additive focus particles in German-speaking learners of Italian as L2 237
- Chapter 9. Additive relations in L2 French 265
- Chapter 10. Ënghe, ence and also anche 311
- Focusing modifiers index 331
- General index 333
