On anthroponyms in "Vita di Alberto Pisani" by Carlo Dossi

Abstract

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.