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Article published In: Similatives: Semantic sources, pathways, and types of usage
Edited by Anna Kisiel, Hélène Vassiliadou, Valentina Benigni, Beatrice Bernasconi, Lieselotte Brems and Dejan Stosic
[Lingvisticæ Investigationes 48:2] 2025
► pp. 250–275

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Equative and similative constructions in two Walser German linguistic islands of North-Western Italy

 | University of Turin
Published online: 19 February 2026
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https://doi.org/10.1075/li.00130.gae
Abstract
Equative and similative constructions have never been investigated in the Germanic varieties spoken in small linguistic islands of the northwestern Italian Alps. They are particularly interesting because of the extended contact situation in which these communities are immersed, regularly using up to four different languages in their repertoire. In the paper, the focus will be on the two Walser German varieties spoken in Gressoney and Issime. The equative and similar constructions reflect the state of affairs observed in Swiss German, although small differences do appear between the two varieties, which stem in part from peculiar developments and reflect the different relationship with French as a contact language.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • 1.Equative and similative constructions
  • 2.Walser German at the core of the SAE area
    • 2.1Equative constructions in two Walser German villages
    • 2.2Similative constructions
    • 2.3Equative and similative clauses
    • 2.4The other languages of the repertoire
  • 3.Denominal similatives in Walser German
  • 4.Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (33)
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