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Article published In: Italo-Romance Morphosyntax: Theoretical and empirical issues
Edited by Francesco Maria Ciconte and Michela Cennamo
[Linguistic Variation 26:1] 2026
► pp. 185–202

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The parametrization of declarative feature

Evidence from Upper Southern Italian dialects

ORCiD logo with link | University of Cambridge
Published online: 8 August 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lv.24066.iso
Abstract
Numerous Southern Italian dialects are characterized by a dual complementizer system, with two declarative complementizers surfacing according to the class of the main verb, the mood of the embedded verb, the presence of left-peripheral elements, etc. This phenomenon is here investigated under the lens of the Parametric Comparison Method, an innovative tool for language comparison based on syntactic parameters. We argue that the occurrence of a dual complementizer in SIDs can be parametrized considering at least four parameters that regularize the operations of Grammaticalization, Checking, Strength and Spread. Therefore, an alternative view of the dual complementizer system is offered, suggesting that different structural operations play a crucial role in shaping the realized complementizer. This approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of the parametric differences and similarities among varieties that are traditionally grouped within the same linguistic area.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The parametric comparison method
    • 2.1Parameters and parameter schema
    • 2.2Expanding the PCM: Towards the parametrization of CP
  • 3.The parametrization of declarative feature
    • 3.1Declarative feature
    • 3.2An overview of the dual complementizer system
    • 3.3Movement of the complementizer through the left-periphery
    • 3.4Checking operation: The variety of Canna
    • 3.5Strength operation: The variety of Noicattaro
    • 3.6Few instances of Spread
  • 4.Final remarks
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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