L’uso della costruzione impersonale nelle divesrse versioni dei Promessi Sposi di A. Manzoni

Abstract

The literary oeuvre of A. Manzoni is a field that has been researched extensively for a long a period of time. Many studies have been carried out of the lexical and
morphological changes in the variants of the novels (Fermo e Lucia 1821-23, I promessi sposi 1825-27, 1840). It is a widely accepted view that these changes took place with regard to the Tuscan-Florentine language model. My study aims to point out the fact that this persuit of the Tuscan-Florentine model is also valid in the field of syntax. To demonstrate my findings, I discuss in detail the changes in the use of the Italian impersonal structure based on three variants of Manzoni’s novels mentioned above. I provide a detailed description of the characteristics of the impersonal structures used by
Manzoni from an aspect of historical linguistics, as well as the actual developmental stage of the structure according to the developmental scale established in the works of G. Salvi.
A special Tuscan feature in the use of the impersonal structure is presented and I prove with examples which 15-16 th. century Tuscan playwright could have an influence on the evolved Tuscan-Florentine characteristics in Manzoni’s literary works discussed in the dissertation – from a syntactic point of view as well.