Expanding Horizons: A comprehensive insight into the evolution of Italian Attributive-Appositive Noun+Noun Compounds using Google Books Data

This study builds upon previous research by Radimský (2023) to offer a comprehensive analysis of Italian NN Attributive-Appositive (ATAP) compounds from 1850s to these days. By using an expanded and more accurately annotated dataset, the study unveils the nuanced dynamics shaping the pattern’s productivity from a diachronic point of view. Through the Theil-Sen regression and the Mann-Kendall test, the study identifies four distinct clusters delineating the exponential growth of ATAP compounds over time. However, a non-uniform distribution of this growth emerges among lower-level constructions, with the expansion of existing N2-based families driving the pattern’s dissemination, especially since 1950s. Remarkably, the study also highlights the subsequent emergence and dissemination of N1‑based families that eventually surpass N2-based families starting from the 90s. This complex interplay between N1- and N2-based families indicates the need to analyze both types of families to better understand what mechanisms are at play and what types of generalizations in addition to the formal identity of constituents operate in the formation of new compounds. From a methodological perspective, this paper introduces a novel empirical approach, termed Relative Family Type Frequency (RFTF), for evaluating the extent to which higher-level constructions are covered by corresponding lower-level constructions in compounds.