“Andiamo a utilizzare il futuro analitico”: On the use of an unused form
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Sarah Dessì Schmid
Abstract
Although verbal periphrases are a typological feature of Romance languages and show broadly comparable meanings, distributions, and developmental trends (cf. Bertinetto 1986; Dessi Schmid 2014; Shyldkrot/Le Querler 2005; Squartini 1998), there are significant differences concerning their use in the expression of the future. French aller + infinitive and Spanish ir a + infinitive are highly grammaticalized constructions, Italian andare a + infinitive is, on the contrary, generally considered to be at a much less advanced stage of development (cf. Amenta/Strudsholm 2002). Focusing on the analysis of andare a + infinitive in different audiovisual materials and corpora, first, we will show on the basis of early synchronic studies that the use of this form is much more widespread than even the most recent studies claim, and that there is therefore good reason to deny the traditional thesis of the non-existence of an analytic future in Italian. Second, we will discuss how much and in what sense the significant increase in frequency of andare a + infinitive can be correlated with its increasing degree of grammaticalization (cf. Hopper/Traugott 2003).
Abstract
Although verbal periphrases are a typological feature of Romance languages and show broadly comparable meanings, distributions, and developmental trends (cf. Bertinetto 1986; Dessi Schmid 2014; Shyldkrot/Le Querler 2005; Squartini 1998), there are significant differences concerning their use in the expression of the future. French aller + infinitive and Spanish ir a + infinitive are highly grammaticalized constructions, Italian andare a + infinitive is, on the contrary, generally considered to be at a much less advanced stage of development (cf. Amenta/Strudsholm 2002). Focusing on the analysis of andare a + infinitive in different audiovisual materials and corpora, first, we will show on the basis of early synchronic studies that the use of this form is much more widespread than even the most recent studies claim, and that there is therefore good reason to deny the traditional thesis of the non-existence of an analytic future in Italian. Second, we will discuss how much and in what sense the significant increase in frequency of andare a + infinitive can be correlated with its increasing degree of grammaticalization (cf. Hopper/Traugott 2003).
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Romance motion verbs in language change: New approaches and challenges 1
- Motion verbs in Romanian: Language contact and language renewal 23
- Where can we go with [aller/alé ‘go’ + verb] in hexagonal French, French spoken in Gabon and Guianese French Creole? 47
- A diachronic corpus study on the productivity of the French verb-serializing analytic [motion verb + main verb] pattern 85
- The French aller + infinitive construction in instructive discourses: New insights from video cooking shows 107
- “Andiamo a utilizzare il futuro analitico”: On the use of an unused form 135
- Pragmatic profile of a marginalised verbal periphrasis: Functional insights in the use of the Italian verbal periphrasis andare a + infinito in political discourses 157
- Semantic bleaching as an indicator of degrees of periphrasticity: An experimental approach 179
- The category of throw verbs as productive source of the Spanish inchoative construction 213
- (Anti-)Grammaticalization paths of Spanish venir ‘to come’ + past participle 241
- Venir + participle in Spanish: Semantic bleaching or meaning elaboration? 269
- Va y dice & Co.: Motion verbs as quotatives 287
- Going to surprise: The grammaticalization of itive as mirative 311
- Index 347
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Romance motion verbs in language change: New approaches and challenges 1
- Motion verbs in Romanian: Language contact and language renewal 23
- Where can we go with [aller/alé ‘go’ + verb] in hexagonal French, French spoken in Gabon and Guianese French Creole? 47
- A diachronic corpus study on the productivity of the French verb-serializing analytic [motion verb + main verb] pattern 85
- The French aller + infinitive construction in instructive discourses: New insights from video cooking shows 107
- “Andiamo a utilizzare il futuro analitico”: On the use of an unused form 135
- Pragmatic profile of a marginalised verbal periphrasis: Functional insights in the use of the Italian verbal periphrasis andare a + infinito in political discourses 157
- Semantic bleaching as an indicator of degrees of periphrasticity: An experimental approach 179
- The category of throw verbs as productive source of the Spanish inchoative construction 213
- (Anti-)Grammaticalization paths of Spanish venir ‘to come’ + past participle 241
- Venir + participle in Spanish: Semantic bleaching or meaning elaboration? 269
- Va y dice & Co.: Motion verbs as quotatives 287
- Going to surprise: The grammaticalization of itive as mirative 311
- Index 347
