Italian Phraseology

This article illustrates the main characteristics of the phraseology of Italian predominantly in a synchronic perspective, even though etymological aspects are not overlooked. The objective is to show that a sound conceptual approach to the identification and analysis of phraseological units must be based not only on structural and semantic features but also on pragmatic and communicative aspects. The first section deals with basic terminological and conceptual issues. The contributions illustrated are particularly representative either because they cover a wide range of expressions or because they analyse specific or selected units in depth, all from different perspectives. The second section focuses on the dimension of use in the analysis of phraseological units as emerging from two sources: a major dictionary and some corpus data. Occasional diachronic considerations, word formation issues and cultural factors permeate both sections. Two elements clearly emerge from the quantitative and qualitative data presented: the all-pervasive character and the very productive and dynamic role of phraseology in Italian