The course aims to analyze in depth topics, issues and authors who, for various reasons, represent crucial turning points in the history of the Italian language.
The course will focus on literary Italian (ancient and modern), but will also examine other uses and registers of the language, such as jargons, technical languages and semiliterate production, taking into account the complex geolinguistic situation of the Italian territory, where dialects and minority languages play even today an important role.
With regard in particular to the earliest phases of the language, texts of outstanding interest, both in prose and in poetry, will be read and commented upon in detail.
The student will therefore acquire an in-depth knowledge of the historical development of the Italian language its earliest attestations to the present.
(S)He will furthermore acquire the ability to apply with confidence the methodology of linguistic analysis to literary and non-literary texts, also in a diachronic perspective.
The course will focus on literary Italian (ancient and modern), but will also examine other uses and registers of the language, such as jargons, technical languages and semiliterate production, taking into account the complex geolinguistic situation of the Italian territory, where dialects and minority languages play even today an important role.
With regard in particular to the earliest phases of the language, texts of outstanding interest, both in prose and in poetry, will be read and commented upon in detail.
The student will therefore acquire an in-depth knowledge of the historical development of the Italian language its earliest attestations to the present.
(S)He will furthermore acquire the ability to apply with confidence the methodology of linguistic analysis to literary and non-literary texts, also in a diachronic perspective.
teacher profile teaching materials
- Paolo D’Achille, Parole nuove e datate. Studi su neologismi, dialettismi, prestiti, Firenze, Franco Cesati, 2013.
- The following articles from the Enciclopedia dell’Italiano, ed. by Raffaele Simone, Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 2010-2011 (also available on-line on the Treccani website): lessico, allotropi, arcaismi, colore, termini di, deonomastica, dialettismi, forestierismi, geosinonimi, neologismi, regionalismi.
- one of the following, belonging to the series “Parole nostre”:
- Luca Serianni, Parola, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016
- Giuseppe Patota, Bravo!, Bologna, il Mulino, 2016
- Paolo D’Achille, Che pizza!, Bologna, il Mulino, 2017.
- Nicola De Blasi, Ciao, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018.
- Enrico Testa, Bulgaro, Bologna, il Mulino, 2019.
Students attending the course on a regular basis may refer to the material distributed during classes instead of the articles from the Enciclopedia dell’italiano; in place of the volume from the “Parole nostre” series they may furthermore prepare an essay on a topic agreed in advance with the professor.
Programme
The course aims to present the lexicon of Italian in its formative stages, starting with Vulgar Latin, and in its development down to the present. It will introduce the principal tools and methods of lexical analysis, focussing on issues of dating. The following will be considered in detail: allotropes (i.e. different words deriving from the same Latin base); dialectal and regional words, examined also in connection with the corresponding Tuscan forms; deonymics (i.e. words derived from proper names); colour terms; loan-words (whether integrated or not); archaic forms and neologisms. At the end of the course the students will have the tools to reconstruct the history and use of either individual words or sets of lexical items of Italian.Core Documentation
- Marcello Aprile, Dalle parole ai dizionari, Bologna, il Mulino, 2009.- Paolo D’Achille, Parole nuove e datate. Studi su neologismi, dialettismi, prestiti, Firenze, Franco Cesati, 2013.
- The following articles from the Enciclopedia dell’Italiano, ed. by Raffaele Simone, Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 2010-2011 (also available on-line on the Treccani website): lessico, allotropi, arcaismi, colore, termini di, deonomastica, dialettismi, forestierismi, geosinonimi, neologismi, regionalismi.
- one of the following, belonging to the series “Parole nostre”:
- Luca Serianni, Parola, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016
- Giuseppe Patota, Bravo!, Bologna, il Mulino, 2016
- Paolo D’Achille, Che pizza!, Bologna, il Mulino, 2017.
- Nicola De Blasi, Ciao, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018.
- Enrico Testa, Bulgaro, Bologna, il Mulino, 2019.
Students attending the course on a regular basis may refer to the material distributed during classes instead of the articles from the Enciclopedia dell’italiano; in place of the volume from the “Parole nostre” series they may furthermore prepare an essay on a topic agreed in advance with the professor.
Reference Bibliography
- Marcello Aprile, Dalle parole ai dizionari, Bologna, il Mulino, 2009. - Paolo D’Achille, Parole nuove e datate. Studi su neologismi, dialettismi, prestiti, Firenze, Franco Cesati, 2013. - The following articles from the Enciclopedia dell’Italiano, ed. by Raffaele Simone, Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 2010-2011 (also available on-line on the Treccani website): lessico, allotropi, arcaismi, colore, termini di, deonomastica, dialettismi, forestierismi, geosinonimi, neologismi, regionalismi. - one of the following, belonging to the series “Parole nostre”: - Luca Serianni, Parola, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016 - Giuseppe Patota, Bravo!, Bologna, il Mulino, 2016 - Paolo D’Achille, Che pizza!, Bologna, il Mulino, 2017. - Nicola De Blasi, Ciao, Bologna, il Mulino, 2018. - Enrico Testa, Bulgaro, Bologna, il Mulino, 2019. Students attending the course on a regular basis may refer to the material distributed during classes instead of the articles from the Enciclopedia dell’italiano; in place of the volume from the “Parole nostre” series they may furthermore prepare an essay on a topic agreed in advance with the professor.Type of delivery of the course
Taught course involving active participation on the part of the students.Attendance
Attendance is strongly recommended. Students unable to attend classes regularly are expected to make contact early on in order to make suitable arrangements.Type of evaluation
An oral exam at the end of the course. No interim assessments are envisaged. The exam will focus on the material referred to under ‘Bilbiography’ and on the topics dealt with during the course. The exam will assess: 1) the depth and breadth of the knowledge of the subject acquired; 2) command of the technical vocabulary; 3) the ability to bring together critically topics and issues dealt with during the course.