Marcatura differenziale dell’oggetto e attrito linguistico

This paper focuses on variable patterns of differential object marking (DOM) in conversational regional Italian and dialect recorded in Bedford (UK), London (UK) and Toronto (Canada). It compares these three communities to query if there is attrition in DOM since Italian migrants are in contact with a language which does not have DOM. Data was collected with qualitative interviews gathered in Italian/dialect. The patterns of variation (a + Object vs. bare Object) were compared in samples of spontaneous conversations from the three groups of speakers and a control group which consists of homeland speakers. The results of the study show that there is no attrition in DOM. DOM is also attested with Objects which in the homeland varieties cannot be introduced by the preposition a.