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Part of
Particles in German, English, and Beyond
Edited by Remus Gergel, Ingo Reich and Augustin Speyer
[Studies in Language Companion Series 224] 2022
► pp. 209–242

Chapter 8
A comparative study of German auch and Italian anche

Functional convergences and structural differences

| Ca' Foscari University
| University of Bergamo
| University of Trento
In this paper we carry out a systematic comparison between the German and Italian particles auch and anche (meaning “also”) and provide a formal account of the data couched within the cartographic approach to syntax (Cinque 1999; Rizzi 1997; Cinque & Rizzi 2010). Based on the available literature and on novel data, we show that in both languages this particle exhibits three main functions: (i) additive particle; (ii) connective adverb (residual in Italian) and (iii) modal particle – which correlate with a different syntactic status of the particle (head or maximal projection) and with a different position within the clause. When used as an additive particle, auch/anche lexicalize a head in the lower portion of the clause and function as focalizers (in the sense of Kayne 1998, 2005). When they are connective adverbs, they are maximal projections hosted in a functional projection dedicated to adverbs. Finally, when used as a modal particle auch/anche are heads found in the higher portion of the IP layer. German auch and Italian anche are however not identical, since when used as an additive particle, German auch, but not Italian anche, is compatible with discontinuous constructions in which a given XP in the scope of auch can be moved to Spec,CP leaving auch within the clause. Moreover, German auch is compatible with a variety of illocutionary types in its use as a modal particle, whereas anche can only be used in declarative clauses. We show that the former fact follows from asymmetries in movement options between the two languages (topics move in German but not in Italian) and the latter results from the nature of anche as a polarity item.
Keywords: additive particle, connective adverb, focalizer, verum focus, Common Ground management, polarity item, concessive clause
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Auch and anche as additive particles and adverbs
    • 2.1Additive particle
      • 2.1.1Main properties
      • 2.1.2Discontinuous constructions
      • 2.1.3Derivation
    • 2.2Connective adverb
  • 3.Auch/anche as modal particles
    • 3.1Auch as a modal particle
    • 3.2Anche as a modal particle
    • 3.3Analysis of auch/anche as a modal particle
    • 3.4Italian anche in concessive clauses
  • 4.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 16 August 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/slcs.224.08cog
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