il Nome nel testo. Rivista internazionale di onomastica letteraria

Antroponimi nell’ars dictaminis e nella poesia latina di età sveva: giochi, sequenze e interpretatio nominis

Pietro Colletta — 2023-10-05

This contribution focuses on the usage of anthroponyms in poetic texts, epistles, and models of dictamen from the XIII and XIV centuries, specifically concerning Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen, his relatives, and the kingdom of Sicily. It is worth noting that both the poetic texts and prose dictamina feature sequences of anthroponyms, along with etymological explanations, puns, and clever wordplay, serving either an encomiastic or polemical purpose.

Da Vladimir Scerbanenko a Giorgio Scerbanenco: da Kiev a Milano passando per Boston

Silvia Corino Rovano — 2023-10-05

Vladimir Scerbanenko, born in Kiev in 1911 and later known as Giorgio Scerbanenco, was a renowned figure in Italian crime literature. He adopted an Italian name in his pursuit to assimilate into the Italian culture and became a pioneer of Italian crime stories during the late 1960s. Throughout his life, he produced a substantial body of work, authoring numerous novels for various magazines and newspapers. In the early 1930s, Scerbanenko used several aliases, including Enko, as he contributed to a popular magazine column called Women’s Names. As a journalist and novelist, he employed different pen names such as Adrian, Luciano, Valentino, John Colemoore, Lodovico degli Orafi, Michele Raja, and Ugo Fontanaviva. During the 1940s, Scerbanenco wrote his initial crime novels set in Boston, USA, despite never having visited the city and relying solely on a map. He successfully crafted a crime landscape and introduced the character of Arthur Jelling, a reserved, kind, and introspective police archivist. This portrayal deviated from the expectations of Fascism but gained significant popularity. With the fall of censorship and the overthrow of the Fascist regime, Scerbanenco shifted the settings of his crime stories to Milan, his chosen city. He wrote numerous novels and stories centered there, and during the final phase of his career, he created the character of Duca Lamberti. Utilizing the precise toponymy of Milan, Scerbanenco constructed an expansive stage for his characters, delving into their names, homonyms within the same narrative, hypocoristics, and assonances.

Il genio tragicomico di Joyce nel gioco perverso dei nomi

Claudia Corti — 2023-10-05

From A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man through Ulysses to Finnegans Wake, Joyce's obsession with names, and more specifically with first names, in as much as they are ‘signatures of all things’, became one of the most operative features of his writings. This essay explores this function on three levels: 1. the gnoseological impact of animal naming of characters and/or descriptions of situations; 2. the oniric metamorphosing of ideational impressions from the beastly to the humanly and viceversa; 3. the linguistic, rhetorical, musical and mythical resources of names, embedded as they are in deep anthropological and cultural grounds.

Onomatopoiesi in Accademia

Antonio Iurilli — 2023-10-05

This essay highlights the longstanding tradition of associating members of academies with names that reflect their specific qualities and roles within the organization. This practice has been deeply ingrained in the life of academies since their modern reestablishment. Exploring the “institutional” history of academies within Italian literary culture is a valuable research endeavor that focuses on the significance of academic naming and its central role in defining identity. The paper particularly emphasizes a significant scholarly work from the early eighteenth century, Giacinto Gimma’s Idea della storia dell’Italia letterata, which serves as a precursor to Italian literary history.

Freddurismi, calembour e pompierate: giochi di parole onimici negli scritti di Luigi Coppola sul «Fanfulla»

Roberto Randaccio — 2023-10-05

Between 1870 and 1881, the newspaper “Fanfulla” boasted the collaboration of a well-known author, Luigi Coppola from Naples, who had already worked with other newspapers and had an impressive literary portfolio. Under the pseudonym Il Pompiere, Coppola gained nationwide fame for his theatrical criticism articles, which showcased his unique writing style characterized by a constant use of puns and witticisms. His original approach to writing became so closely associated with his pseudonym that the term “pompierata” (as it was documented in dictionaries) became synonymous with “calembour” or pun. In particular, Il Pompiere exhibited exceptional skill in creating humorous puns by playing with the names and surnames of the actors, singers, composers, dancers, and musicians who starred in the plays he reviewed for “Fanfulla.” This study, though concise due to the abundance of examples, showcases the remarkable variety of his ability to generate original wordplay and puns, which significantly enriched the humorous repertoire of literature, theater, and cinema in the twentieth century.

Il nome tradotto e tradito: giochi onimici sbiaditi in due fra i primi adattamenti in ambito italiano del Malade imaginaire

Giorgio Sale — 2023-10-05

This contribution aims to examine the translations of Molière’s play Le Malade imaginaire in the early eighteenth century. The focus is on how the initial Italian adapters of this comedy tackled the intricate wordplay involving names, which Molière employed to highlight the prominent traits of his characters. Interestingly, instead of directly adopting the bold name creations found in the source text, the first Italian translators opted to draw from an onomastic repertoire more culturally familiar to their intended audience: the onomastic repertoire of the Commedia dell’Arte.

Il caleidoscopio del ‘parassita’: nomi e tipologie del personaggio nel teatro di Giovan Maria Cecchi

Mauro Sarnelli — 2023-10-05

Building upon the research conducted on the onomastics of ‘parasitic’ characters in comedic theater and 16th-century adaptations, this study aims to delve into the diverse body of dramatic works by Giovan Maria Cecchi. Spanning from 1542 (or 1544) until his passing in 1587, Cecchi’s creative output reveals a rich tapestry. In addition to showcasing a discerning engagement with Latin models and works from Florentine novellas and cantari, Machiavellian and Ariostan comedies, as well as a significant portion of Aretino’s oeuvre, Cecchi’s theater distinguishes itself through an expanded exploration of the ‘parasite’ archetype. This exploration brings forth intriguing onomastic elements, unveiling a singular inventiveness in the reinterpretation and authentic recreation of traditionally attributed names for the character.

«J’offre un verre d’un»: giochi di nomi nei giornali di trincea francesi della Prima guerra mondiale

Loredana Trovato — 2023-10-05

This paper aims to analyze the role of proper nouns in generating wordplays within French trench journals. Following a brief introduction to the corpus and the connection between proper nouns and wordplay, we present several examples to illustrate the frequent use of puns in these publications, intended to entertain and divert the soldiers.

I nomi della contessa. Sulla ritraduzione di alcuni antroponimi gombrowicziani

Alessandro Amenta — 2023-10-05

This paper examines the portrayal of significant anthroponyms in both the initial Italian translation (1968) and a recent retranslation (2022) of Witold Gombrowicz’s short story titled “Biesiada u hrabiny Kotłubaj” (literally: “The Banquet at Countess Kotłubaj’s”). Originally written in 1928, the story features proper names that conceal humorous puns, alluding to the characters’ social background or containing polysemic, primarily erotic references. Through a comparative analysis of the two translations, we uncover the changes that have unfolded over half a century in terms of translation strategies, readers’ preferences and competencies, and the role of translated texts within the target culture.

Sull’onomastica della (post-)memoria in Vielleicht Esther di Katja Petrowskaja

Francesca Boarini — 2023-10-05

This paper delves into the significance of anthroponyms in Katja Petrowskaja’s literary debut, Vielleicht Esther. Geschichten. In this book, the Ukrainian novelist writes in German about her family’s history, engaging with postmemorial research that problematizes the processes of memory and identity construction. Proper names play a crucial role in Petrowskaja’s exploration as she seeks to uncover her ancestors’ history using scarce documents, fragmented recollections, and sparse notes. These proper names serve a primary documentary function, affirming the existence of individuals who have often been entirely erased from the annals of history. By analyzing Petrowskaja’s writing and considering her unique approach to postmemorial discourse, which embraces her diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, we observe how proper names assume a central position in her narrative journey through her family’s history. She endeavors to uncover what might have been, delving into the realm of possibilities rather than focusing solely on what actually transpired.

Nomi di banditi e di clandestini nella produzione narrativa di Guido Petter

Daniela Cacia — 2023-10-05

This essay explores the use of proper names in Guido Petter’s novels depicting the partisan struggle. Specifically, the author’s choices in onomastics, particularly in relation to battle names, are examined by taking into account both the motivations he occasionally provides within the pages and external sources that reveal the actual nicknames employed by the men and women who fought during the Second World War in the specific regions depicted in the studied novels.

L’identità dei nomi nella mutevole storia di Rossomanno e di Petra. Nino Savarese, tra luoghi reali e fittizi

Marina Castiglione — 2023-10-05

Nino Savarese (born in Castrogiovanni, now Enna, in 1882 and passed away in Rome in 1945) is a writer whose place within the literary canon remains somewhat undefined. This is due to his body of work consisting mainly of short stories and moral or fantastical “operettas.” This study aims to analyze the first two works from his realistic-historical-sociological trilogy, written in the 1930s: Rossomanno (1935), I fatti di Petra (1937), and Il Capo popolo (1940). While the first work stands apart, the latter two delve into events in central Sicily, specifically focusing on the cereal feud, which is the author’s birthplace and lived experience. Amidst the dominations, conflicts, and uprisings, one element remains constant—the land and its names. Savarese takes note of this aspect and emphasizes the connection between names and identity, as well as the correlation between places and the unfolding events.

L’identità in bilico nella realtà della migrazione: Fiamme in Paradiso di Abdel Malek Smari alias Tawfik Sam

Giulia Guzzo — 2023-10-05

This paper delves into the intricate connection between names and identity in the migrant novel Fiamme in Paradiso by Abdel Malek Smari. Within the context of migration, the protagonist Karim undergoes a symbolic journey, adopting various identities, changing his name as a means of concealment during challenging times, and even being bestowed new names by Italian individuals. By examining this symbolic trajectory through the lens of onomastics, we aim to unravel the significance of names and naming in the migration process. Additionally, an interview with the author will provide further insights into the author’s intentions and perspectives on the significance of names in the novel.

Il treno dei nomi

Matteo Milani — 2023-10-05

Il treno dei bambini, a celebrated novel written by Viola Ardone in 2019, narrates the story of Amerigo Speranza, one among the many Southern children who embarked on a remarkable journey across the peninsula towards the North during the tumultuous years following World War II. This initiative, spearheaded by the Communist Party, aimed to secure a better life and education, which their impoverished places of origin could not provide. Beyond their connection to the real-life protagonists of the historical events that inspired the author, the names of the characters play a vital role in intricately weaving the tapestry of the narrative. They give rise to a complex interplay of correspondences, wordplay, and revelations, while also engaging in a vibrant dialogue with the distinctive linguistic substratum that breathes life into its contrasting and dual settings – the Mezzogiorno and the North.

I nomi parlanti nel romanzo Il demone meschino di Fëdor Sologub

Giorgia Rimondi — 2023-10-05

This study aims to demonstrate how the use of speaking names in F. Sologub’s novel The Petty Demon (1907) enhances the text by establishing meaningful semantic connections. Through the strategic application of onomastics, the author introduces new layers of meaning that enrich the overall significance of the work. Several notable examples will be presented to illustrate this point, including a speaking name in the literal sense (Varvara), a name with predictive qualities (Volodin), and a name linked to Russian folklore (the demon Nedotykomka).

L’identità tradita del Barone von Leutrum, dall’epopea alla canzone

Alda Rossebastiano — 2023-10-05

The heroic figure and actions of Baron von Leutrum, renowned for his role in the siege of Cuneo, are immortalized in a popular ballad that emerged in the eighteenth century and spread throughout Piedmont in multiple versions. Through an analysis of this repertoire, we can trace the evolution of the Piedmontese adaptation of the German surname, considering the historical, cultural, and linguistic changes that occurred in the subsequent century. The study of onomastic variations reveals not only shifts in the linguistic expression but also a change in perspective regarding the character. Over time, the portrayal of Baron von Leutrum moves away from myth and becomes grounded in human reality. Despite this transition, the admiration and honor he earned on the battlefield remain intact, ensuring his enduring legacy.

Sugli antroponimi nella Vita di Alberto Pisani di Carlo Dossi

Irene Rumine — 2023-10-05

The contribution aims to provide an initial investigation into onomastics in the literary work of Carlo Dossi, an original representative of the nonconformism of the Scapigliatura movement. Carlo Dossi, born as Alberto Carlo Felice Pisani Dossi, is the pseudonym used by the writer. After noting Dossi’s interest in onomastics in his diary writing (Note azzurre) and essays (La fortuna dei nomi), the analysis focuses on anthroponyms in the second of his “quasi-autobiographical” novels, of which he is the author, narrator, and protagonist. This novel, titled Vita di Alberto Pisani, was published in 1870. Particular attention is given to the names and surnames of the protagonist, compared to those of the writer. Additionally, the study examines nicknames, pseudonyms, and sobriquets used by the protagonist, as well as significant surnames and nicknames of secondary characters. The duality between the “real self” and the “fictional self,” as well as the use of dialect in naming some minor characters, lead to the conclusion that Dossi’s expressionism, which characterizes his style and language, is reflected in his onomastic choices in Alberto Pisani. This expressionism arises from his search for a renewed language that often produces a caricatural effect.

Frammenti d’identità. I nomi in Aracoeli e in altre pagine di Elsa Morante

Luigi Sasso — 2023-10-05

This article emphasizes the significance of Elsa Morante’s onomastic choices and explores the relationship between names and characters in her novel Aracoeli, as well as in some of her other narrative works. It delves into the role of the narrator, the transformations and destinies of the protagonists, and the disruption of their identities, all of which are reflected in the names chosen for them within the dynamic of the text. Additionally, the article sheds light on Morante’s conception of literature, particularly in her later years, and how she perceives the interplay between proper names and identity, capturing the elusive facets of our own selves.

Names and sources for Romeo & Juliet

Grant W. Smith — 2023-10-05

In his comedies Shakespeare changed most or all the names found in his plot sources, substituting instead names borrowed as analogs from other literature, names taken from common usage, and/or names he coined to describe appearances, actions, or attitudes of his characters. In his histories and tragedies, by contrast, Shakespeare most often relied heavily on the names he found in his plot sources. Romeo & Juliet illustrates the usual pattern of Shakespeare’s tragedies insofar as he used all the names included in his plot source, a narrative poem by Arthur Brooke entitled The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (1562), which was one of many versions. Thus, his use of names in Romeo & Juliet confirms his heavy reliance on his principal source plot. However, Shakespeare also added many names in his distinctive version of the story. He also varied the actions of the characters named and even the forms of a few names. Thus, a complete analysis of Romeo & Juliet names helps to illustrate Shakespeare’s linguistic creativity, his relative independence from his plot source, and why we generally consider his version of this popular story to be the definitive version.

Le dernier Olivier. Le système onomastique dans Dominique de Fromentin

Fabio Vasarri — 2023-10-05

Eugène Fromentin’s novel Dominique (1862) upholds the French tradition of the psychological novel during the era of realism. Roland Barthes interpreted the epicene name-title as a reflection of the protagonist’s gender and identity ambiguity. However, a thorough analysis of the novel’s onomastic system reveals its broader implications, which can greatly contribute to an overall interpretation. The various strategies employed, such as the use of epicene names, antonomasia, paronomasia, and anonymity, demonstrate Fromentin’s poetics of naming and its connection to a modern crisis of identity.

«Sono Dante a disagio con Bea, quello che se non è stressato non crea»: sull’onomastica letteraria nel rap italiano

Luca Bellone — 2023-10-05

This contribution represents the initial endeavor to explore the usage of literary names (both of authors and characters) in Italian songs. The study aims to uncover the primary strategies employed in creating intertextuality within the lyrics of contemporary Italian rap music (2018-2022), a musical genre where this trend has become increasingly prominent in recent years.

Dire l'indicibile. Le perifrasi del nome di Dio

Giovanni Martini — 2023-10-05

The Bible contains numerous lists of anthroponyms, organized according to genealogical structures. This article specifically focuses on five of these lists, which include: 1) the genealogy of Cain, son of Adam, as described in the fourth and fifth chapters of Genesis; 2) the genealogy presented in the book of Chronicles, spanning chapters 1.1 to 9.44; 3) the genealogy of Jesus outlined in the Gospel of Matthew; 4) the genealogy of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Luke; and 5) the concise repetition found throughout the Bible: “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The underlying question this text seeks to address is: what purpose do these extensive lists of anthroponyms serve in a text that is meant to convey a divine revelation? To explore this query, the article delves into two significant aspects of Judeo-Christian religions. Firstly, the prohibition on pronouncing the name of God, and secondly, the covenant of alliance between God and His people. These two aspects of the relationship between humans and God may appear contradictory. However, it is suggested that these lists of anthroponyms, which serve as the starting point of the research, may help reconcile this contradiction. The faithful, unable to directly invoke the name of God, can instead invoke Him through the names of His sons. This is because the “Holy Spirit” is believed to have been infused by God into the spirit of Adam, and subsequently transmitted from one generation to another, dwelling within the spirits of those descended from Adam. The paper concludes by proposing the hypothesis that these extensive series of anthroponyms constitute the formula that enables the naming of the unutterable, representing an infinite periphrasis for the unpronounceable name of God.

Palpitazioni onomastiche tipo Proust. I nomi nella scrittura di Alberto Arbasino

Nicolò Sarzi Sartori — 2023-10-05

The extensive presence of names and toponyms in Alberto Arbasino’s works makes it an ideal case study for exploring the significance of proper names and lists of names in literature. This paper aims to examine the role of names in Arbasino’s work, starting with an analysis of the names found in the paratexts, such as titles, intertitles, indexes, and indexes of names. These names serve as structural elements that reflect the author’s inclination towards classification and combination. Moving forward, I examine the role of names within the main text itself. By comparing them to the works of Proust, Flaubert, and Auden, it becomes evident that names in Arbasino’s writing take on a dual nature, encompassing both seriousness and facetiousness. This duality allows his prose to oscillate between memoir and biting satire, as well as between self-portrayal and self-parody. This applies to various forms of his writing, whether it be prose, non-fiction, or hybrid works like Fratelli d’Italia. In conclusion, I offer some observations on the use of homonyms and synonyms in Arbasino’s work, employing semiotic tools to analyze their significance.

Il nome e le voci. Funzioni diafasiche, pragmatiche e interazionali nella nominazione dantesca

Leonardo Terrusi — 2023-10-05

The essay aims to explore the diaphasic, pragmatic, and interactional dimensions of Dante’s use of onomastics, with a focus on identifying the underlying principles that govern his various typologies. Specifically, it investigates the alternating use of ‘names + surnames’ and simple names (or other isolated designations). This perspective highlights the incorporation of juridical conventions as well as the significance of cultural codes in Dante’s onomastic choices.

«Eccola qui, Chiara, più chiara che mai». A proposito delle Serve di Jean Genet

Carlo Titomanlio — 2023-10-05

The significance of names and nicknames in the literary works of Jean Genet (1910-1986) is widely acknowledged. As someone born to an unknown father and subsequently given up for adoption, the writer has consistently grappled with questions of identity. Considering both existential and stylistic aspects, this study delves into Genet’s first dramatic play, Les bonnes (1947, translated as The Maids). Les bonnes is particularly relevant for onomastic analysis, as the names chosen by the author repeated, mistaken, and misused serve to drive the stage action while also describing the essence of the main characters through antiphrases. The play is conceived as a ceremonial performance, with the young maids Claire and Solange embodying a fluid sense of identity. The act of self-naming rarely aligns with a direct address, instead obscuring the key to interpreting the characters. It is within the fissures and disruptions of their wicked and ritualistic performance that the essence of the characters can be gleaned.

Nomi veraci – nomi menzogneri. Nomi di donne italiane in alcuni racconti di E.T.A. Hoffmann

Rosa Kohlheim — 2023-10-05

E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822) was proficient in the Italian language and frequently incorporated Italian characters into his works. In this paper, we will examine the names of Italian women in four stories that predominantly take place in Germany. While Hoffmann primarily employs Cratylic (speaking) names that appear to shed light on the characters’ traits due to their transparent meanings, these names are not always genuine. Quite often, their meanings are deceptive, rendering them false (lying) names.

Stefan Reczek, pioniere dell’onomastica letteraria polacca

Alessandro Amenta — 2023-10-05

Names in Literature: tra suggestioni e rifrazioni spazio-temporali

Luisa Caiazzo — 2023-10-05

Sul potere e la magia dei nomi. Sybille Lewitscharoff sui nomi letterari e altri nomi

Volker Kohlheim — 2023-10-05

Gli studi ucraini di onomastica letteraria. Jurij Karpenko e la scuola di Odessa

Giorgia Rimondi — 2023-10-05

Leo Spitzer e il prospettivismo linguistico

Luigi Sasso — 2023-10-05

Presentazione

Redazione — 2023-10-05

Presentazione