[Lingtyp] workshop call: Procomplement Verbs across Languages, Theory and Domains

[Valeria Caruso]

Procomplement Verbs across Languages, Theory and Domains<https://procomplement.wordpress.com/>
International workshop
Università di Napoli L’Orientale
24–25 February 2027

EXTENDED DEADLINE: September 30, 2026
Workshop website: https://procomplement.wordpress.com<https://procomplement.wordpress.com/>

The international workshop “Procomplement Verbs across Languages, Theory and Domains” is devoted to procomplement verbs (PCVs), a heterogeneous class of verbs characterized by the lexicalization of a clitic pronoun or pronominal cluster, with consequences for their semantics, syntax, and pragmatic-discourse uses.
The workshop will provide a forum for interdisciplinary and cross-theoretical discussion at the interface of grammar, lexicon, and pragmatics. We welcome theoretical, descriptive, empirical, applied, comparative, and cross-linguistic contributions from all linguistic fields.
Contributions on Romance languages and on other languages displaying comparable phenomena are particularly welcome, as are studies focusing on lexicography, corpora, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and computational linguistics.

CONFERENCE THEMES
Following the term verbi procomplementari coined by De Mauro (1999–2000), procomplement verbs can be defined as multi-word verbs whose distinctive feature is a lexicalized—and therefore obligatory—clitic pronoun or pronominal cluster. The clitic may contribute to the verb’s semantics or syntax in different ways.
PCVs form a continuum ranging from relatively transparent constructions, in which the clitic retains an argumental value, to fully lexicalized, semantically opaque, or idiomatic expressions. Examples include:
Italian: riuscirci ‘to succeed’; spuntarla ‘to win’
French: y arriver ‘to succeed’; y être ‘to understand/get it’
Catalan: sortir-se’n ‘to get out of a difficult situation’; ballar-la ‘to suffer’
Spanish: liársela ‘to really mess things up’; armarla ‘to cause a scandal’
Previous research has approached these verbs from different perspectives. Some studies treat them as idiomatic expressions, while others interpret them as the result of overlapping processes of grammaticalization and lexicalization. The contribution of the clitic may range from referential or argumental functions to aspectual, connotative, evaluative, and pragmatic meanings.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  *
the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of procomplement verbs;
  *
anaphoric and deictic procomplement verbs;
  *
connotative and pragmatic functions of lexicalized clitics;
  *
argument structure and argument omission;
  *
lexicalization and grammaticalization;
  *
idiomaticity and semantic opacity;
  *
corpus-based and lexicographic studies;
  *
sociolinguistic variation and discourse functions;
  *
computational approaches to identifying and processing PCVs;
  *
comparative and cross-linguistic analyses;
  *
existential predicates and other non-prototypical constructions displaying similar properties;
  *
the role of pronouns, agreement neutralization, and related morphosyntactic phenomena.

We particularly encourage contributions on French, Italian, Spanish, and Catalan, as well as on other languages in which comparable phenomena have been observed, including Modern Greek and Cypriot Greek. Studies of languages not previously investigated from this perspective are also warmly welcomed.
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
Abstracts must not exceed 800 words, excluding references, tables, and figures.
The languages of the workshop and of abstract submission are English, French, Italian, and Spanish. To facilitate mutual understanding during the workshop sessions, participants presenting in languages other than English are encouraged to prepare their slides in English.
Submission deadline: September 30, 2026
Further information and submission instructions are available at:
https://procomplement.wordpress.com/2026/05/04/call-for-papers/
The complete call for papers can be downloaded at:
Downloadable Conference Themes and Call for Papers<https://procomplement.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/procomplement-verbs-workshop_call-for-papers-1.pdf>
FR_Appel à communication<https://procomplement.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/vpc_appel-a-communication.pdf>
IT_Invio di proposte di comunicazion<https://procomplement.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/vpc_invio-proposte-di-comunicazione.pdf>e
SP_Convocatoria Congreso<https://procomplement.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/vpc_convocatoria-congreso.pdf>

PUBLICATION
Papers presented at the workshop will be considered for publication, subject to peer review, in a special issue of an international journal or in an edited volume.
IMPORTANT DATES
September 30, 2026 Deadline for abstract submission
February 24–25, 2027 Workshop
ADDITIONAL AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Please visit the workshop website for further information:
https://procomplement.wordpress.com<https://procomplement.wordpress.com/>
Contact person: Valeria Caruso
Email: vcaruso at unior.it<mailto:vcaruso at unior.it>





​__________
Valeria Caruso

home page<https://unifind.unior.it/resource/person/383>

Ricercatrice a tempo determinato

Didattica delle lingue moderne (GLOT-01/B)
Tenure Track Researcher
Foreign Language Education


Dipartimento di Studi Letterari, Linguistici e Comparati

Università di Napoli L'Orientale

via Duomo 219 - 80138, Napoli

stanza 1.20, tel. +39 0816909872

https://procomplement.wordpress.com/

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