1,721,143 research outputs found
Sociocultural and linguistic constraints in address choice from Latin to Italian
Full text linkThis chapter identifies the changes which led from the Early Latin address system, when address choice was unmarked as to the reverential dimension, to Late Latin, when such functions progressively emerged establishing the opposition between tu and Vos (2PL), and then to the Italian system. Speakers of Old Italian continued the differentiation in the address system, and, starting from the tu/Vos opposition, subsequent developments led to a tripartite system (tu/Voi/Lei).
The chapter traces the main pragmatic and structural steps in the development of address terms and the external and internal factors involved. Whereas the emergence of reverential forms in the history of Latin is mainly due to socio-cultural factors, the change from Voi to Lei can be attributed to both social (contact with Spanish) and linguistic factors, since the use of honorifics triggered anaphoric abstract reference to a third person, then morphologised as third singular pronouns (Lei)
Synchrony and diachrony: introduction to a dynamic interface
No full textThis chapter, after a brief introduction, provides an overview of how the two notions of synchrony and diachrony have been analyzed in the literature (sect. 2). Section 3 takes into account the main types of phenomena that may be considered as manifestations of the synchrony-diachrony interface; Section 4 focuses on theoretical and methodological issues, examining those approaches and tools that may better capture interface phenomena, finally Section 5 provides a brief summary of each chapter, underlining those respects in which every paper within tho book constitutes an original contribution to the overall debate on the relations between synchrony and diachrony
Introduction [to Positioning the self and others. Linguistic Perspectives]
No full textThis chapter introduces to main topics of the volume, which aims to focus specifically on the linguistic means used to index the relationship between the self and other(s) in different types of communicative activity. The volume makes no claims to exhaustivity. The linguistic features which primarily emerged as relevant from the different contributions are : a) T/V address terms and vocatives, b) pragmatic markers c) code switching/code choice and d) orthography. These elements relate, in the case of a), to the conventionalised encoding of social hierarchies and power relations, in the case of b), to stance-taking and social indexicalisation and, in the case of c) and d), to more broadly circulating language ideologies
Metafore tra concettualizzazione e traduzione nel latino cristiano delle origini (Prima Lettera di Clemente)
No full textIl presente lavoro esamina due tipi di concettualizzazione metaforica documentati nella Prima Lettera ai Corinzi attribuita a Clemente di Roma, il primo testo cristiano scritto in greco a Roma alla fine del I secolo e tradotto in latino presumibilmente entro la metà del II secolo. Nello specifico, l'analisi si concentra sulle metafore agonistiche e militari per mostrare come le scelte linguistiche dell'autore e del traduttore contribuiscano alla formazione del lessico cristiano nelle due lingue, spesso in modo originale. Queste metafore mescolano tratti linguistici e culturali ebraici, ellenistici e romani, in una sintesi che diventa una caratteristica del linguaggio dei cristiani.This paper examines two kinds of metaphorical conceptualization documented in the First Epistle to the Corinthians attributed to Clement of Rome, the first christian text written in Greek in Rome at the end of the 1st century and translated into Latin presumably by the middle of the 2nd century.
Specifically, the analysis focuses on agonistic and military metaphors to show how the linguistic choices of the author and the translator contribute to the formation of the christian lexicon in the two languages, often in an original way. These metaphors mix Jewish, Hellenistic and Roman linguistic and cultural traits, in a synthesis that becomes a feature of the language of christians
Verb-based Functional Markers in Latin: Morphosyntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics at a Crossroads
No full textThe object of this paper is the pragmaticalization process undergone by some deverbal pragmatic markers in Latin, such as inquam, rogo, quaeso, and amabo. As is well known, verbs of knowing, perceiving, and saying tend to be recruited at the level of pragmatics to serve discourse-procedural functions in many languages and this holds also for Latin. This relates to some specifc traits implied in the semantics of the verbs involved (the cognitive dimension of intellectual efort and focused perception). Latin deverbal markers can be grouped into four main types, depending on their dialogic orientation (to the speaker or the addressee) and their corresponding functions. From a theoretical perspective, pragmaticalization can be considered a continuum of pragmatic saliency in which the interplay between morphosyntactic routinization in specifc contexts and invited semantic inferencing play a crucial role in determining the development of new functions at the discourse level
Linguistic Representations of Identity. Texts, Contexts, and Methods in Diachronic Perspective
No full textThe chapter presents the dynamics of the linguistic relationship between identity and otherness by focusing on languages mainly spoken in the Mediterranean area, taking a predominantly (but not exclusively) diachronic approach. It illustrates the main themes discussed by the papers collected in the volume, that focus on situations of prolonged language contact and the spectrum of consequences they produced both on languages and on the sociocultural settings in which contact took place. In the chapter, identity is taken to mean the social positioning of self and other as realized in specific historical and cultural settings. This process can be achieved through linguistic strategies and the selection and/or mixing of linguistic codes used within a specific repertoire. The research presented in this chapter and carried out in the book rests upon two basic assumptions, firstly that speakers and writers of all historical periods commonly resort to identity markers in their communicative exchanges in order to express, maintain and negotiate the linguistic representation of themselves or of their interlocutors. Secondly, in the reception of discourses and texts, hearers and readers can identify identity markers independently of the speakers’ or writers’ will. Different types of documents can furnish evidence of such identity linguistic dynamics
Plural pronouns and social deixis in Latin: a pragmatic development
No full textI sistemi allocutivi sono fondamentali per la comunicazione e in genere comprendono forme nominali e pronominali (e relativo accordo verbale) che distinguono tra i valori familiare / affettivo e reverenziale / di cortesia. Le forme allocutive sono di natura pragmatica e costituiscono un dominio linguistico che si trova alla periferia della grammatica, e le cui forme e funzioni sono sottoposte a sviluppi rapidi e drammatici dal momento che sono profondamente radicate nella situazione socio-culturale e possono cambiare notevolmente a seguito di trasformazioni politiche, sociali e culturali.
Questo studio indaga lo sviluppo socio-pragmatico del sistema allocutivo dal latino arcaico, quando il sistema era non marcato in riferimento alla dimensione riverenziale, al latino tardo, quando tali funzioni risultano emerse e sono chiaramente espresse, svelando le principali fasi diacroniche e i fattori in gioco. In una lingua a corpus chiuso come il latino, i gruppi sociolinguistici e le variabili non sono identificabili con chiarezza. I registri e stili ci permettono di analizzare i modelli di variazione in contesti di interazione e nella deissi sociale. Di conseguenza, questo documento offre uno studio di caso sulle Verrine di Cicerone che ci permette di avanzare osservazioni sia qualitative che quantitative.Address systems are central to communication and typically comprise nominal and pronominal forms (and related verbal agreement) that distinguish between familiar / affective and reverential/courtesy values. Forms of address are pragmatic in nature and constitute a linguistic domain that is located at the periphery of grammar, and whose forms and functions are subjected to rapid and dramatic developments since they are deeply rooted in the socio-cultural situation and can change considerably according to political, social and cultural transformations. This study investigates the socio-pragmatic development of the system of address from Early Latin, when the system was unmarked as to the reverential dimension, to Late Latin, when such functions emerged and were clearly expressed, by unravelling the main diachronic steps and the factors at play. In a corpus language like Latin, sociolinguistic groups and variables are not straightforwardly identifiable. It is registers and styles that allow us to analyse patterns of variation in interactional contexts and in social deixis. Accordingly, this paper offers a case study on Cicero’s Verrine that allows us to make both qualitative and quantitative observations
“Lei non sa chi sono io!”: potere, solidarietà, rispetto e distanza nella comunicazione
Full text linkIn ogni scambio conversazionale i partecipanti utilizzano un sistema allocutivo, che consiste in segnali di tipo non verbale (stretta di mano, inchino..) e in elementi linguistici (pronomi, titoli, saluti..); i partecipanti utilizzano questo sistema principalment basandosi sul proprio status in riferimento sia al contesto sociale sia alla situazione di discorso. Questo sistema (politeness o “cortesia”) sembra avere tratti universali, che vengono realizzati in modo diverso nelle lingue e, da un punto di vista diacronico, in modo diverso durante la storia di ogni lingua. Diversi studi hanno basato il sistema allocutivo sull’interazione tra potere e solidarietà. Questo contributo punta in due direzioni: primo, dimostrare che due soli criteri (potere e solidarietà) non sono sufficienti a spiegare diverse situazioni; secondo, proporre quattro parametri (potere, solidarietà, rispetto e distanza) che possono essere applicati sia singolarmente, come principi prototipici, sia come tratti interazionali. In effetti, nella maggior parte delle situazioni osservate questi quattro tratti interazionali entrano in azione secondo modalità e proporzioni diverse nelle interazioni verbali. Il parlante può fare esplicita menzione del proprio status (come nel titolo di questo contributo) o di quello dell’interlocutore: questi atti di discorso possono essere considerati messaggi metainterazionali.The aim of this paper is twofold: first, to demonstrate that two criteria (power and solidarity) are not sufficient to explain different systems found in different cultures; second, to propose four parameters (power, solidarity, respect and distance) and to apply them both as single, prototypical principles and as interactional features. In most cases these four interactional features work together in verbal interactions. The speaker may refer explicitly to his own status (as in the title of this paper) or to the status of the addressee in speech acts which may be considered as metainteractional statements
Politeness and ideological manipulation: Italian Lei during Fascism
No full textAt the beginning of the 20th century, the Italian address system features a series of nominal forms and a tripartite pronominal system with tu ‘you.SG’, lei ‘she.SG’ and voi ‘you.PL’. While tu and voi are inherited from Latin, lei is the result of anaphoric agreement to several nominal allocutive forms such as Vostra Signoria ‘Your Lordship’. These phrases have abstract female names as head nouns and trigger agreement with the third person, which gives the pronoun of reverence ella/lei. Although its grammatical origin is rather straightforward, from the 16th century conduct manuals (and other sources) spread the unsubstantiated theory that the lei form was attributable to Spanish influence. Fascism considers the lei form an enemy to its ideals (pure race, pure language, masculinity) and therefore decides to fight lei in its language policy. The attempt to abolish the use of lei has no lasting success, as demonstrated by original materials (administrative documents, newspapers and schoolbooks) and metalinguistic papers discussed in this study. This article shows how manipulating politeness rules can also be part of a rhetoric of power, and how address systems can be shaped and modified according to ideological perspectives and political needs
Segnali discorsivi e segnali pragmatici: sensibilità al mutamento e alla variazione sociolinguistica
No full textFunctional markers (i.e., a hypernymic term for discourse and pragmatic markers) are of great interest both on the side of synchronic variational pragmatics and on the side of historical pragmatics. The sensitivity to variation and polyfunctionality of the two types of markers are the focus of this study. The analysis developed in this paper, which is based on diachronic and synchronic data on the Italian markers dai ‘come on’ and allora ‘then’, aims at verifying the hypothesis that pragmatic markers and discourse markers are differently sensitive to change and variation. The motivation behind such difference rests on the fact that pragmatic functions are more related to interactional dynamics, while discourse markers are more anchored to the co-text and tend to show higher functional and formal persistence over time. Indeed, pragmatic markers are typically related to the speaker’s subjectivity, to social rules and to contemporary cultural patterns, and hence are more ephemeral, while discourse markers appear more stable over time due to their anchoring to a “grammar of speech”. The paper shows how a prototype approach can effectively give a good account of the polyfunctionality of functional markers
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