The development of adversative connectives in Italian: Stages and factors at play

Abstract

In this paper we propose a multiple-stage model for the development of interclausal adversative connectives, based on the qualitative and quantitative examination of the three Italian connectives però, tuttavia and mentre. The main purpose of this study is the identification of the respective roles played by frequency, syntax, and context in the development of the adversative function. In the analysis of each of the three diachronic paths at issue, we keep the semantic parameters separate from the syntactic ones, monitoring both the semantic (in)compatibility of each occurrence with the source and the target meaning, identifying three macro-types of contexts (incompatible with the target meaning, compatible with both the source and the target meaning, incompatible with the source meaning), and outlining the syntactic features characterizing each context type through the centuries. Our data show that, despite the differences, the three paths show a number of recurrent properties, which underline the central function of frequency in triggering and spreading the change and the importance of constructions as the units that speakers process, elaborate and innovate. Finally, based on the relative frequency of context types over time, we propose a four-stage model that describes the successive steps of development of the adversative function.