Correlative markers, contrastiveness and grammaticalization: a comparative study of conditional correlatives in Russian and Italian

• Autores: Olga E. Pekelis
• Localización: Italian journal of linguistics, ISSN 1120-2726, Vol. 28, Nº. 2, 2016, págs. 143-180
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen
  • English

    conditionals, correlatives, contrastiveness, grammaticalization, Russian, Italian

  • italiano

    In this paper, I analyze two correlatives used in conditional constructions in Russian ( to and togda) and the only correlative used in conditionals in Italian (allora). This comparison is motivated by the fact that allora shares important properties with both to and togda.

    Like togda and contrary to 'to', allora can be used when the conditional conjunction combines with a focus particle meaning ‘only’. Like to and contrary to togda, allora is compatible with a number of causal conjunctions meaning ‘since’. I argue below that despite some apparent similarities with to, allora is a near semantic and grammatical counterpart of 'togda'. Both are proforms of the conditional clause, which means, according to common assumptions, that the conditionals with allora and togda are a subtype of correlative relative constructions. 'To', instead, is not a proform, hence, not a subtype of correlative relatives. It is anaphorically connected not to the conditional clause, but to the subordinator introducing this clause. This structural difference is manifest both in semantics and grammar: to differs from togda and allora by semantic contribution and by degree of grammaticalization. Thus, togda and allora on the one hand, and to on the other hand, can be said to represent two different types of conditional correlatives.