5. Between grammar and semantics: a contrastive analysis
Present-day studies in grammar lead to the full assumption of the semantic component within any non-superficial analysis. (36) Consider the following examples:
1) La Fiera di Milano
2) Il libro di Giovanni
3) Vestito di grigio
The preposition di is found in all three of them at the beginning of a prepositional phrase that traditional grammar labels as "complemento di specificazione." The first, however, is an adverbial of place:
1a) The Fair that takes place in Milan
the second is a possessive case:
2a) The book that belongs to John
and it certainly does not mean
2b) *The book that takes place in John
A paraphrase of the third example is complex, but it is clear that it is neither locative nor possessive; if "complemento di specificazione" seems too generic, one might suggest "complemento di abbigliamento" — which proves that these labels have been and are still being mass-produced arbitrarily and therefore they are meaningless.
Other adverbials beginning with di convey the semantic notions of time,
4) Viaggiare di sabato
subject or topic,
5) Parlare di grammatica
6) Discutere di politica
and cause
7) Tremare di paura;
then we have the second term in a comparison,
8) Meglio di ieri
di used before an infinitive,
9) Sono lieto di saperlo
in partitives (di + article forms)
10) Dammi del pane
and in several other cases, such as:
11) Coperto di neve
12) Una commedia di G. B. Shaw.
As is well-known, contrastive analyses are the quickest tool to highlight differences; the English translation of the examples yields:
1a) The Milan Trade Fair
where the location is expressed by using the place-name as a premodifier of the head, the noun phrase Trade Fair;
2a) John's book
with the possessive form of the name;
3a) Dressed in grey
4a) Travelling on Saturday(s)
5a) Talking about grammar
6a) Discussing politics
7a) To tremble with fear
8a) Better than yesterday
9a) I'm glad to hear that
10a) Give me some bread
11a) Covered with snow
12a) A play by G.B. Shaw
where we find that Italian di corresponds to the English prepositions in, on, about, with, by, to the conjunction than, to partitive some, to to of the infinitive, and to the ø (zero) determiner as in (6a). Many more examples could be added, including those where Italian di corresponds to English of, traditionally considered to be the expressions of the "general rule":
13) La metà di giugno
13a) The middle of June
14) Quel che resta del giorno
14a) The remains of the day
This is just a brief example — much more complex and subtle analyses are possible — and it is one of the many examples that could be offered by comparing Italian and English (not to speak of the data that can be collected through the comparisons with other languages). This example should be enough to emphasise that "doing grammar" nowadays is not confined to morphology and syntax but implies taking the semantic level as the starting point.
As a consequence, the crucial role of the context is re-affirmed: in some cases
2b) The book of John
is to be interpreted as
2c) The Gospel according to John
where John no longer refers to any undefined person with that name but to St. John the Evangelist.