Work

When three become two: The development of Greek and Romance complementizer systems in the dialects of the extreme south of Italy

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article reconsiders the evidence for an original ternary complementizer system in the Italo-Greek dialects of southern Italy and how such a system was replicated in the neighbouring Romance dialects under contact. Although the evidence is in many cases fragmentary, given the often recessive nature of the ternary system today, it is demonstrated how an original ternary system was often reanalyzed as a binary system in the modern dialects and how such developments gave rise to different formal outcomes across various Greek and Romance dialects.This article reconsiders the evidence for an original ternary complementizer system in the Italo-Greek dialects of southern Italy and how such a system was replicated in the neighbouring Romance dialects under contact. Although the evidence is in many cases fragmentary, given the often recessive nature of the ternary system today, it is demonstrated how an original ternary system was often reanalyzed as a binary system in the modern dialects and how such developments gave rise to different formal outcomes across various Greek and Romance dialects.

Source: RACO (Revistes Catalanes amb Accés Obert) (Consorci de Serveis Universitaris de Catalunya)

Authors: Ledgeway, Adam, Schifano, Norma, Silvestri, Giuseppina

Institutions: University of Bergamo, University of Cambridge, University of Birmingham, University of California, Los Angeles

Language: English

Topic: Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Leverhulme Trust

Awards: G3057939791, G5200278345

OpenAlex ID: W7016029920

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