The paper analyses a specific pattern of the metathesis of the rhotic consonant /r/ in the diachrony of Sardinian, called Metatesi Locale (ML). Contrary to the main pattern of the Sardinian metathesis, usually associated to rustic varieties and resulting in an initial branching onset derived from a mediai RT or TR cluster, ML creates mediai RT clusters from a branching onset. Moreover, data from the Sardinian ancient texts (condaghes) suggest that the two conflicting metathetic patterns are coèval, and the synchronic diatopic distribution of ML reveals that it is limited to the transitional area between Northern dialects (not affected by metathesis) and Southern dialects (pervasively affected by the phenomenon). On the basis of this scenario, the author proposes that ML might be interpreted as a hypercorrection emerged by the willing of the ancient writers to avoid those forms deemed basilectal, thus trying to produce a diastratically and diaphasically high variety. The proposal is in line with the hypothesis claiming that a portion of the synchronic diatopic differences of the Sardinian dialectal group represented diastratic and diaphasic varieties in the past.
Atteggiamenti linguistici nella Sardegna medievale tra diatopia e diastratia: il caso della Metatesi Locale
Piero Cossu
2022-01-01
Abstract
The paper analyses a specific pattern of the metathesis of the rhotic consonant /r/ in the diachrony of Sardinian, called Metatesi Locale (ML). Contrary to the main pattern of the Sardinian metathesis, usually associated to rustic varieties and resulting in an initial branching onset derived from a mediai RT or TR cluster, ML creates mediai RT clusters from a branching onset. Moreover, data from the Sardinian ancient texts (condaghes) suggest that the two conflicting metathetic patterns are coèval, and the synchronic diatopic distribution of ML reveals that it is limited to the transitional area between Northern dialects (not affected by metathesis) and Southern dialects (pervasively affected by the phenomenon). On the basis of this scenario, the author proposes that ML might be interpreted as a hypercorrection emerged by the willing of the ancient writers to avoid those forms deemed basilectal, thus trying to produce a diastratically and diaphasically high variety. The proposal is in line with the hypothesis claiming that a portion of the synchronic diatopic differences of the Sardinian dialectal group represented diastratic and diaphasic varieties in the past.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
