"Alla finfine sono daccordo": a corpus-based case study on Italian adverbial phrases grammaticalization

Lucia Busso, Margherita Castelli

Research output: Chapter in Book/Published conference outputConference publication

Abstract

We present results of a corpus-based synchronic study on the grammaticalization of Italian adverbial phrases. In particular, we claim that spelling irregularities of adverbial constructions provide evidence of ongoing grammaticalization processes. Adverbial phrases are hence already decategorized analytic constructions that are undergoing paradigmaticization and subsequently lexicalization. We selected 40 adverbial phrases of different length (2–5 constituents) at different stages of the process: from completely non-alternating structures to phrases with two (or more) accepted standard spellings. By means of a corpus-based analysis we considered several properties of those constructions (i.e. frequency) and tested their significance with mixed effect modelling analysis. Specifically, we model the presence of spelling irregularities, its measure (i.e. partial or total univerbation), and frequency of irregular forms. Results of such a corpus-based statistical analysis, albeit preliminary, yield several interesting considerations on synchronic factors that facilitate or hinder processes of grammaticalization, especially the role of frequency and number of construction constituents. Findings support current usage-based literature on grammaticalization as constructionalization.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationComputational and Corpus-Based Phraseology: Third International Conference, Europhras 2019, Malaga, Spain, September 25–27, 2019
EditorsGloria Corpas Pastor, Ruslan Mitkov
PublisherSpringer
Pages31-45
Volume11755
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-030-30135-4
ISBN (Print)978-3-030-30134-7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Sept 2019
EventThird International Conference, Europhras 2019 - Malaga, Spain
Duration: 25 Sept 201927 Sept 2019

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science
PublisherSpringer
Volume11755
ISSN (Electronic)0302-9743

Conference

ConferenceThird International Conference, Europhras 2019
Country/TerritorySpain
CityMalaga
Period25/09/1927/09/19

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