On the surprising origin of what-particles in Italian dialects
-
Silvio Cruschina
Abstract
In this paper we apply the tools of formal semantics and pragmatics to synchronic data in order to reconstruct the origins and development of the interrogative particles that we have labelled what-particles. In line with previous observations and hypotheses, we argue that what-particles originated from surprise polar questions which carry the implicature that the positive answer is certain (based on contextual evidence). From this type of question, the particles extended their domain of use to other types of polar questions characterized by a weaker asymmetry concerning the likelihood of the positive answer as compared to the negative one. This path of development is supported by the distribution of these particles in central and southern Italian dialects, where two patterns can be identified. Crucially, only in one pattern (Pattern A) does the weakening process reach the final stage where the positive and negative answer are equally likely; this is the stage that characterizes canonical polar questions. By contrast, in the second pattern (Pattern B), the particle is less grammaticalized, in that it can only mark stronger readings that correspond to non-canonical questions.
Abstract
In this paper we apply the tools of formal semantics and pragmatics to synchronic data in order to reconstruct the origins and development of the interrogative particles that we have labelled what-particles. In line with previous observations and hypotheses, we argue that what-particles originated from surprise polar questions which carry the implicature that the positive answer is certain (based on contextual evidence). From this type of question, the particles extended their domain of use to other types of polar questions characterized by a weaker asymmetry concerning the likelihood of the positive answer as compared to the negative one. This path of development is supported by the distribution of these particles in central and southern Italian dialects, where two patterns can be identified. Crucially, only in one pattern (Pattern A) does the weakening process reach the final stage where the positive and negative answer are equally likely; this is the stage that characterizes canonical polar questions. By contrast, in the second pattern (Pattern B), the particle is less grammaticalized, in that it can only mark stronger readings that correspond to non-canonical questions.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
- Variation and change in transitivity alternations and argument realization in Italo-Romance 9
- Syntactic and functional broadening of the reflexive markers in Romance: for a typological approach 33
- The prosodic features of pragmatic chillo in Neapolitan: implications for syntax and diachrony 55
- On the surprising origin of what-particles in Italian dialects 79
- On the evolution of mesoclisis in the imperative in Western Lombard varieties 107
- Inflectional classes in Istriot: a first systematisation in diachrony and synchrony 127
- Parlare le cose: structural aspects and syntactic-semantic disambiguation of some Italo-Romance verba dicendi in a diachronic and synchronic perspective 143
- The mass neuter of Praianese: new data and some insights 163
- Differential possessive marking in Italo-Romance 187
- On the feminine plural definite article and the interrogative conjugation in the dialect of Berbenno (BG) 213
- Pseudo-coordination and cu-finite construction in Salento: a case of syntactic reanalysis 233
- Differential object marking in the dialects of Southern Calabria 255
- Language index
- Name index
- Subject index
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
- Variation and change in transitivity alternations and argument realization in Italo-Romance 9
- Syntactic and functional broadening of the reflexive markers in Romance: for a typological approach 33
- The prosodic features of pragmatic chillo in Neapolitan: implications for syntax and diachrony 55
- On the surprising origin of what-particles in Italian dialects 79
- On the evolution of mesoclisis in the imperative in Western Lombard varieties 107
- Inflectional classes in Istriot: a first systematisation in diachrony and synchrony 127
- Parlare le cose: structural aspects and syntactic-semantic disambiguation of some Italo-Romance verba dicendi in a diachronic and synchronic perspective 143
- The mass neuter of Praianese: new data and some insights 163
- Differential possessive marking in Italo-Romance 187
- On the feminine plural definite article and the interrogative conjugation in the dialect of Berbenno (BG) 213
- Pseudo-coordination and cu-finite construction in Salento: a case of syntactic reanalysis 233
- Differential object marking in the dialects of Southern Calabria 255
- Language index
- Name index
- Subject index
