On the Syntax of Some Apparent Spatial Particles in Italian

The paper deals with Italian Particle Verb Constructions that seem to display a different Grammatical Function assignment from the one of the base verb. I first demonstrate that the f-structures of these sentences are actually the same as the ones otherwise licensed by the verb. Then, I argue that the apparent spatial particles at stake are better analyzed as a particular class of prepositions that can realize their objects in non-adjacent c-structure nodes. Finally, I show how this discontinuous mapping from c- to f-structure (which obtains in other, unrelated constructions too) is licensed. As a consequence of the present account, a more restrictive and precise characterization of "Particle Verbs" for Italian is provided.