In a previous contribution on the verb stare (Nuti 2010), I presented a diachronic sequence of meanings and functions that was entirely focussed on a Latin perspective and mainly based on data from archaic and classical texts. The result is the history of a verb that, far from being semantically static, displays a progressively richer and more complex functional profile, whose shape in fieri deserves its own place within the evolution of the Latin language (cf. Rosén 1981; Cabrillana 2010). The semantic and syntactic functions borne by Romance offshoots of Lat. stare, however, have been sometimes compared to phenomena displayed by this verb already in the Latin stage (cf. Bourciez 1956; Ribeiro 1958; Pountain 1982; Stengaard 1991) and, on the other hand, there is a good deal of phenomena concerning the diachronic evolution of Romance stative verbs such it. essere/stare or Sp. ser/estar that has to be considered in order to reach a better understanding of the overall picture (as for Sp. ser/estar, cf., e.g., Dietrich 1973; Roldán 1974; Sausol 1977; Luján 1981; Fabiola 1984). In the present paper, I intend to offer an interpretation of the data displayed by stare in Late Latin and I will try to show that in the rationale of its diachronic evolution within Late Latin we can recognize the roots of phenomena that characterize the evolution of stare in several Romance varieties, with particular reference to the functional differentiation of stative verbs such as Sp. ser/estar (cf. Vaño-Cerdá 1982; King 1992; Roby 2009).
The syntax-semantics interplay of stare in Late Latin and phenomena of functional differentiation of stative verbs in Romance
NUTI, ANDREA
2015-01-01
Abstract
In a previous contribution on the verb stare (Nuti 2010), I presented a diachronic sequence of meanings and functions that was entirely focussed on a Latin perspective and mainly based on data from archaic and classical texts. The result is the history of a verb that, far from being semantically static, displays a progressively richer and more complex functional profile, whose shape in fieri deserves its own place within the evolution of the Latin language (cf. Rosén 1981; Cabrillana 2010). The semantic and syntactic functions borne by Romance offshoots of Lat. stare, however, have been sometimes compared to phenomena displayed by this verb already in the Latin stage (cf. Bourciez 1956; Ribeiro 1958; Pountain 1982; Stengaard 1991) and, on the other hand, there is a good deal of phenomena concerning the diachronic evolution of Romance stative verbs such it. essere/stare or Sp. ser/estar that has to be considered in order to reach a better understanding of the overall picture (as for Sp. ser/estar, cf., e.g., Dietrich 1973; Roldán 1974; Sausol 1977; Luján 1981; Fabiola 1984). In the present paper, I intend to offer an interpretation of the data displayed by stare in Late Latin and I will try to show that in the rationale of its diachronic evolution within Late Latin we can recognize the roots of phenomena that characterize the evolution of stare in several Romance varieties, with particular reference to the functional differentiation of stative verbs such as Sp. ser/estar (cf. Vaño-Cerdá 1982; King 1992; Roby 2009).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
