Memory as a source of information in dialogic interaction within historical varieties of Italian

Abstract

According to recent proposals, memory can be considered a category that expresses evidential function, as speakers, by using expressions such as I remember or I recall (that...), provide evidence regarding the source of the information contained in a given utterance. However, specific and in-depth studies on this topic are still lacking. The present study presents the results of an investigation into memory as an evidential category, conducted on a selection of Italian theatrical texts composed between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries. Through a comprehensive analysis of the documents, all possible strategies for encoding memory with an evidential function found in the texts were identified and subsequently classified based on various parameters. The analysis of the collected data not only enhances our understanding of the relationship between the category of memory and other evidential categories but also sheds light on a range of semantic and pragmatic functions often associated with the expression of memory as an evidential source. These functions play a significant role at both interactional and intersubjective levels. Finally, the composition of the analyzed corpus also provides evidence of important elements of continuity in the diachronic interaction of these linguistic categories.