Investigating address in regional varieties of Italian

Abstract

In the context of great linguistic diversity characterising Italy, the case of singular V pronouns is a prime example of regional variation. Surprisingly, an updated and geographically comprehensive account – after Rohlfs’s study (1968) – is missing. This chapter contrasts the methodologies employed in two relevant studies, namely the LinCi project (Nesi & Poggi Salani 2013), and Bresin (2021). Common methodological issues are: comparability of data from the various research sites, authenticity of data, and generalisability of findings (connected to representativeness of samples). However, geographical comprehensiveness emerges as the most compelling methodological challenge in the Italian context. This chapter outlines the basic characteristics of an ideal methodology that would produce a geographically comprehensive account of address in Italian.