Italian NP

[Prof. Pier Marco Bertinetto]

Bingfu Lu asks:

>       Longogbardi 1994 provides the following
>paradigm.
>               a.      Il  mio Giani ha finalmente telefonato
>                       the my Gianni    finally    called up
>
>               b.      *Mio Gianni ha finalmente telefonato
>                         my Gianni    finally    called up
>
>               c.      Gianni mio ha finalmente telefonato
>                       Gianni my     finally    called up
>
>               d.      Il  Gianni  mio ha finalmente telefonato
>                       the Gianni  my     finally    called up
>
>
>He accounts for the paradigm in formalist terms.
>My question is:
>
>1. Is there any functional explanation?
>
>2. Is there any meaning difference among a, c and d,
>especially between c and d.

It is not easy to answer. Although Longobardi is correct in pointing out
that the only agrammatical sentence is (b), this does not mean that the
other versions all coexist in any given variety. In my Northern variety,
for instance, the only natural way to say this is (a). I perceive (c-d) as
only natural in some Centre or Southern variety; and I presume they mainly
differ in pragmatics. (c) seems to involve a marked affective flavour.
As to the first question: it is not clear to me what "functional" would
mean in this case.
pmb


--------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ||||
    Pier Marco  Bertinetto       ____
                               ///////
   Scuola Normale Superiore   -------
     p.za dei Cavalieri 7    ///////
         I-56126 PISA       -------
                           ///////
                          -------    email: bertinet at sns.it
                         ///////     tel: ++39/(0)50/509111
                        -------      fax: ++39/(0)50/563513
                       ///////
--------------------------------------------------------------
NB: this message comes from my home address <bert.NET at caen.it>
via Matteotti 197, I-55049 Viareggio LU; tel: +39/(0)584/32215
   [Should your answer bounce back, try the office address]
--------------------------------------------------------------


--------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ||||
    Pier Marco  Bertinetto       ____
                               ///////
   Scuola Normale Superiore   -------
     p.za dei Cavalieri 7    ///////
         I-56126 PISA       -------
                           ///////
                          -------    email: bertinet at sns.it
                         ///////     tel: ++39/(0)50/509111
                        -------      fax: ++39/(0)50/563513
                       ///////
--------------------------------------------------------------
    home address: via Matteotti 197, I-55049 Viareggio LU
      email: <bert.NET at caen.it>; tel: +39/(0)584/32215
   [should your message bounce back, try the home address]
--------------------------------------------------------------