Italian middle si constructions: evidence from non-finite clauses

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My project aims to reopen the debate about the clitic si in Italian to explore what the neglected tough (Certe idee sonodifficili da sostenersi 'Certain ideas aree tough to support') and pretty (Questo panorama è bello a vedersi 'Thislandscape is pretty to look at') infinitival constructions can reveal about it. The relationship between si and thesestructures, which have proven to be cross-linguistically problematic per se due to their syntax (e.g., unusual movementpatterns, syntactic and semantic constraints), has rarely been the object of direct inquiry. My preliminary hypothesis isthat the use of si in such structures signals a middle construction, since they differ substantially from other non-finitecontexts where impersonal si is found, and that this can be linked, together with other properties, to the projectionsrealised by tough- and pretty-items. To assess this, I will offer a fine-grained analysis of how si interacts with thesyntactic environment in the relevant non-finite clauses by studying Italian-internal contrasts and similarities, and alsousing data from comparable Romance languages and Italian dialects. The results of this project will extend far beyondthe syntax of Italian, proving crucial in providing an account of variation in Romance non-finite clauses and Romancetough-/pretty-constructions. Moreover, my results will contribute to debates about the syntax of clitics and movementtheory.