vieri-samek-lodovici

Research summary

As a theoretical linguist, I investigate the underlying
structure of human language. I am particularly interested in the
presence of conflicts between grammar constraints and their implications
for the theory of human grammar. This has led me to work on the fundamental
properties of Optimality Theory and on its
applications.

I am currently investigating how information structure affects the grammar  of Italian. I am particularly interested in the interaction between focalization and the representation of discourse-given constituents through in-situ destressing vs. right-dislocation. My research in this area indicates that contrastive focalization in post-verbal position occurs in-situ, rather than left-peripherally above the clause as currently assumed.

I am also interested in the interaction between syntax and prosody and in particular in the conflicts that arise between the constraints governing the placement of prosodic prominence and the constraints governing the syntactic representation of the clause. In my research, I have shown that significant differences in the distribution of focused constituent in Italian, English, French, follow from different resolutions of these. The same set of prosodic constraint have also been shown to affect the syntactic representation of adjective-nouns sequences in Italian (this latter research was carried out in collaboration with Nicole Dehé).

Other topics examined in my research include the constraints governing prosodic prominence, the phonology of syllabic gemination, the constraints governing word order, the basic components of thematic structure, and the analysis of specific phenomena in syntax and morphology.

Other topics examined in my research include the constraints governing prosodic prominence, the phonology of syllabic gemination, the constraints governing word order, the basic components of thematic structure, and the analysis of specific phenomena in syntax and morphology.