Un caso di polimorfia derivativa nella storia dell’italiano: l’azione di salvare/salvarsi e la condizione di essere salvo

This study examines the various terms found in Italian referring to the action of saving or saving oneself, or the condition of saving or having saved oneself: salvezza, salvazione, salvamento, salvataggio etc. These nouns are formed in part with suffixes added to a verbal or adjectival base through standard derivational processes, in part have been modelled on corresponding Latin or French forms. On the basis of the data provided by the lexica as well as a number of textual corpora, the attempt is made to define both from a synchronic and from a diachronic perspective how these terms differ in meaning, in frequency and in use, notwithstanding the fact that their coexistence reflects the wealth of derivational strategies available in Italian, as well as its predilection for polimorphy.