Il polimorfismo dei verbi in -isco. La storia dell’identità in via di definizione

The paper discusses the problem of overabundance in third-conjugation Italian verbs. It provides a detailed diachronic analysis of grammar compilations to examine how verbs with a dual inflectional paradigm were described and how their usage has changed over the centuries. Extensive research into 59 grammar books intended for both native speakers and foreigners published in Italy and abroad form the 16th to the 19th century has shown that overabundance in the third conjugation was mentioned already in the earliest works of this type. Over time the interest in the topic grew even further as scholars explored its various aspects. The reconstruction of grammatical practice throughout centuries has uncovered the evolution of some verbs and their trajectory. In particular, it was possible to trace the development of: 1) verbs whose alternative, stylistically marked, form has become obsolete and exists only as an -isco form in modern Italian (ferire, languire, patire, perire, tradire); 2) verbs whose usage was unstable over centuries, with one form or the other predominating intermittently, until only one remained in use (tossire); and 3) verbs that have maintained a dual inflectional paradigm for the whole analysed period (aborrire, applaudire, assorbire, avvertire, inghiottire, mentire and nutrire).