[PLing] Jezik & Linguistic colloquium series: Rita Manzini (May 6 @ 11am)

[Jezik&Linguistics Colloquia]

Dear all,
The Center for Cognitive Modelling of Language and the Center for
Experimental, Formal and Theoretical Linguistics at the University of Nova
Gorica would like to invite you to our next Jezik & Linguistics Colloquium,
to be held on *Wednesday, May 6,* at *11:00 CET*, streaming on Zoom
<https://ungsi.zoom.us/j/64698977394?pwd=2zZOTmlUzL8cGiCettb9VRcuNsSvow.1> (
https://ungsi.zoom.us/j/64698977394?pwd=2zZOTmlUzL8cGiCettb9VRcuNsSvow.1).

*Rita M. Manzini* (University of Florence) will be presenting a talk
titled *"Left-right
asymmetries in Italian adjectives**"*.


*Abstract:*

The talk will be devoted to the internal order (or lack thereof) of
adjectival modifiers of N. We will first addresses classical ideas
(ultimately due to Dixon) that adjectival modifiers are ordered by semantic
class (color, shape, size etc.). Cinque builds the typological sequence
into a cartographicstyle sequence of adjectival heads. I present evidence
that this system undergenerates (it is too strong) and that the data favour
a much coarser organization of modifier space than that defined by semantic
classes (Manzini 2025a, 2025b, Scontras, Manzini and Mazzaggio 2026, and
the literature discussed there). The second part of the presentation
focuses on Italian, where all adjectives can be freely ordered with respect
to one another in postnominal position. Following insights of previous
literature, Cinque proposes that unordered adjectives are reduced relative
clauses; these have a separate position in the tree, corresponding to a
different set of interpretations. I argue that while there is independent
evidence for two different adjectival structures (such as the phenomenon of
linkers), there is no oneto-one correspondence between internal structure
of modifiers and their interpretation– or in fact their position.

1) Manzini, M. Rita 2025a. Left–right asymmetries in Italian adjectives:
partial order and phases. Syntactic Theory and Research 1.1.5.
https://doi.org/10.16995/star.18652 [Open Access]
2) Manzini, M. Rita. 2025b. Italian adjectives: why fully ordering them in
the syntax does not quite work. RGG, 47(3). pp. 1–29.
https://lingbuzz.com/j/rgg/2025/2025.03/manzini_italianadjectives_RGG-2025-03.pdf
[Open
Access]
3) Scontras, Gregory, M. Rita Manzini & Greta Mazzaggio. 2025. Italian
Adjective Order Is Not Predicted by Syntactic Hierarchies and Movement.
Linguistic Inquiry 1-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/LING.A.62 [Available at
www.ritamanzini.it in proofs]
We hope to see you there!



Best,

Artem Novozhilov, on behalf of the Center for Cognitive Modelling of
Language and the Center for Experimental, Formal and Theoretical Linguistics -
University of Nova Gorica
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.univie.ac.at/pipermail/pling/attachments/20260429/e9104b29/attachment.html>