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500 Years of Italian Grammar(s), Culture, and Society in Italy and Europe

500 Years Conference

500 Years of Italian Grammar(s), Culture, and Society in Italy and Europe:ÌýFromÌýFortunio'sÌýRegoleÌý(1516) to the Present

Thursday 10 December 2015 9am - 5pm Music Room, Downing College, ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ

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A conference entitledÌý500 Years of Italian Grammar(s), Culture, and Society in Italy and Europe: From Fortunio’sÌýRegoleÌý(1516) to the PresentÌýwill take place on Thursday 10 December in the Music Room, Downing College, ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ.Ìý

This one-day event will celebrate the publication of the first grammar of the Italian language,ÌýFortunio'sÌýRegoleÌýgrammaticaliÌýdellaÌývolgarÌýlinguaÌý(1516), ahead of itsÌý500thÌýanniversary in 2016. The event intends to be a re-assessment of the Italian grammatical production in the last five centuries, examining its development fromÌýFortunio'sÌýRegole, which established a long-lasting tradition of 'grammaticaÌýdegliÌýautori' (based on the language of the great authors of the past), until contemporary speaker-based grammar production, a 'grammaticaÌýdell'utente', which responds to the needs of the public (by means of online dedicated webpages whereby grammarians answer users' linguistic queries).Ìý

This event intends to offer an original and 'different' approach to grammar and grammar texts: speakers have been asked to approach grammar and grammar production in the light of the tradition inaugurated byÌýFortunio,ÌýanalysingÌýits development, implications, and deviations, within the context of Italy and/or other European countries. But they have also been asked to adopt new and original perspectives to show how grammar texts, instead of being sterile and repetitive 'objects', as they are often (unfairly) considered to be, reflect instead the culture, tastes, and needs of their reading public and, more broadly, of the era in which they were produced. Similarly, they have been invited to present unusual, 'curious', and little-known examples of grammar production, both in print and in manuscript, with the aim of bringing to light new facts and events within the history of Italian grammar production, the history of the Italian language and culture, and the history of linguistic thought.

A special issue ofÌýTheÌýItalianist, collecting the papers presented at the conference, is due to be published precisely in 2016 to mark theÌý500thÌýanniversary ofÌýFortunio'sÌýRegole.

An exhibition of Italian grammars held in ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ University Library will take place between 12 November and 11 December 2015. Please click on the lin for more details:

The conference is generously sponsored by the Department of Italian at ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ University, the Italian Cultural Institute in London, the Modern Humanities Research Association, the Society for Italian Studies, and the Henry Sweet Society for the History of Linguistic Ideas.

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Conference speakers:Ìý Prof.ÌýMassimoÌýArcangeliÌý(Professor of Italian Linguistics,ÌýUniversitàÌýdiÌýCagliari) Dr MarcoÌýFainiÌý(Research Associate, ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ) Dr John Gallagher (Research Fellow,ÌýGonvilleÌýandÌýCaiusÌýCollege, ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ) DrÌýVilmaÌýdeÌýGasperinÌý(Senior Instructor in Italian, University of Oxford; College Lecturer at Exeter College, Oxford) Dr FrancescoÌýLucioliÌý(Research Fellow, LudwigÌýBoltzmannÌýInstitute for Neo-Latin Studies, Innsbruck) Prof. Anna LauraÌýLepschyÌý(Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto;ÌýEmeritaÌýProfessor of Italian, University College London) Prof.ÌýGiulioÌýLepschyÌý(FBA; Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto; Emeritus Professor of Italian, University of Reading) Prof. Brian Richardson (FBA, Emeritus Professor of Italian, University of Leeds) Dr HelenaÌýSansonÌý(Reader in Italian Language, Literature and Culture, ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ) Dr UteÌýTintemannÌý(Researcher,ÌýBerlin-BrandeburgischeÌýAkademieÌýderÌýWissenschaften) Prof. Nigel Vincent (FBA, Emeritus Professor of General & Romance Linguistics, University of Manchester)

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Programme:

A full programme is available on .

RegistationÌýDetails:

Registration is now open. The full fee is £30, and we are happy to offer a reduced rate for students of £20. Please use the link to register online:.

Conference venue:

The conference will be held in the Music Room, Downing College, ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ.

Exhibition of books:

An exhibition of Italian Grammars held in ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ University Library will take place between 12 November and 11 December 2015. More details to follow shortly.

OrganisingÌýcommittee:

Dr HelenaÌýSansonÌý(Clare College, ÃÜÌÒÊÓÆµ) Dr FrancescoÌýLucioliÌý(Research Fellow, LudwigÌýBoltzmannÌýInstitute for Neo-Latin Studies, Innsbruck)

If you have any queries, please contact:Ìýfralucioli@libero.it.

Related links

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