Modalità, aspetto e tempo: verso una grammaticografia onomasiologica?

Elaborating on the distinction between asemasiological (from forms to functions) vs onomasiological (from functions toforms) grammaticography, this article reflects on the most appropriate strategiesto enhancing onomasiological perspectives in modern Italian grammars. Afterreviewing the historical roots of the distinction between grammaticaltreatments based on forms and those based on functions since the first methodologicalproposals made by Gabelentz (1891) and Jespersen (1924), the analysis describesthe developments of these different points of view in recent Italian grammars,by tracing changes from Grande grammaticaitaliana di consultazione (1988-1995) to Grammatica dell’italiano antico (2010). Major attention is paid tothe functional categories expressed by verb forms (tense, aspect and modality),with observations on verbal periphrases and special focus on conditionals andother modal forms in which modality crucially interacts with temporal reference. grammaticography,semasiology/onomasiology, TAM, conditional