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Split intransitivity has received a great deal of attention in
theoretical linguistics since the formulation of the Unaccusative
Hypothesis by David Perlmutter (1978). This book provides an
in-depth investigation of split intransitivity as it occurs in
Italian. The principal proposal is that the manifestations of split
intransitivity in Italian, whilst being variously constrained by
well-formedness conditions on the encoding of information
structure, primarily derive from the tension between accusative
(syntactic) and active (semantic) alignment. In contrast to
approaches which consider the selection of the perfective operator
to be the primary diagnostic of unaccusative or unergative syntax,
this study identifies two morphosemantic domains in intransitive
constructions on the basis of the analysis of a cluster of related
phenomena (including agreement, argument suppression, ne
-cliticization, past-participle behaviour, the morphosyntax of
experiencer predicates and word order, as well as the selection of
the perfective operator). Analysing the degree to which semantic,
syntactic and discourse factors interact in determining each
manifestation of split intransitivity, this work captures
successfully the mismatches in the scope of the various
diagnostics. Drawing upon insights provided by Role and Reference
Grammar, and relying on corpus-based evidence and crossdialectal
comparison, this study makes new empirical and theoretical
contributions to the debate on split intransitivity. The book is
accessible to linguists of all theoretical persuasions and will
make stimulating reading for researchers and scholars in Italian
and Romance linguistics, typology and theoretical linguistics.
Role and Reference Grammar (RRG) is a theory of language in which
linguistic structures are accounted for in terms of the interplay
of discourse, semantics and syntax. With contributions from a team
of leading scholars, this Handbook provides a field-defining
overview of RRG. Assuming no prior knowledge, it introduces the
framework step-by-step, and includes a pedagogical guide for
instructors. It features in-depth discussions of syntax,
morphology, and lexical semantics, including treatments of lexical
and grammatical categories, the syntax of simple clauses and
complex sentences, and how the linking of syntax with semantics and
discourse works in each of these domains. It illustrates RRG's
contribution to the study of language acquisition, language change
and processing, computational linguistics, and neurolinguistics,
and also contains five grammatical sketches which show how RRG
analyses work in practice. Comprehensive yet accessible, it is
essential reading for anyone who is interested in how grammar
interfaces with meaning.
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