Italian pronouns

Italian has a tonic series of personal pronouns and an atonic series of object pronouns. The tonic second person distinguishes familiar tu and voi from polite Lei, which agrees as a third person singular, and the archaic polite plural Loro.

The atonic first and second persons have one form each for direct object, indirect object and reflexive use: mi, ti, ci and vi. Only the third person tells the three apart: accusative lo, la, li and le, dative gli and le, and reflexive si, which marks neither gender nor number. The atonic forms are clitics except the third-person plural dative loro, which Cardinaletti and Starke class as weak: it is deficient, but it follows the verb, never enters a cluster and bears word stress.

Main declarations

• Italian.Pronouns.pronouns — the tonic series
• Italian.Pronouns.accusative, Italian.Pronouns.dative, Italian.Pronouns.reflexive — the atonic series
• Italian.Pronouns.paradigm_accusative_eq_paradigm_dative_iff, Italian.Pronouns.paradigm_dative_eq_paradigm_reflexive_iff — the atonic series are syncretic exactly outside the third person
• Italian.Pronouns.strength_eq_weak_iff — dative loro is the one atonic form that is not a clitic

References

• L. J. Adamson and S. Zompì, Polite Pronouns and the PCC (2025)
• A. Cardinaletti and M. Starke, The Typology of Structural Deficiency: A Case Study of the Three Classes of Pronouns (1999)

inductive Italian.Grade : Type

The honorific grades of Italian pronouns, lowest first.

• familiar : Grade

  The familiar grade, tu and voi.

• polite : Grade

  The polite grade, Lei and Loro.

@[instance_reducible]

instance Italian.instDecidableEqGrade : DecidableEq Grade

Equations

• Italian.instDecidableEqGrade x✝ y✝ = if h : x✝.ctorIdx = y✝.ctorIdx then isTrue ⋯ else isFalse ⋯

@[instance_reducible]

instance Italian.instFintypeGrade : Fintype Grade

Equations

• Italian.instFintypeGrade = { elems := { val := ↑Italian.Grade.enumList, nodup := Italian.Grade.enumList_nodup }, complete := Italian.instFintypeGrade._proof_1 }

@[instance_reducible]

instance Italian.instReprGrade : Repr Grade

Equations

• Italian.instReprGrade = { reprPrec := Italian.instReprGrade.repr }

def Italian.instReprGrade.repr : Grade → ℕ → Std.Format

Equations

• Italian.instReprGrade.repr Italian.Grade.familiar prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Italian.Grade.familiar")).group prec✝
• Italian.instReprGrade.repr Italian.Grade.polite prec✝ = Repr.addAppParen (Std.Format.nest (if prec✝ ≥ 1024 then 1 else 2) (Std.Format.text "Italian.Grade.polite")).group prec✝

@[instance_reducible]

instance Italian.instLinearOrderGrade : LinearOrder Grade

Equations

• Italian.instLinearOrderGrade = LinearOrder.lift' Italian.Grade.ctorIdx Italian.instLinearOrderGrade._proof_1

The tonic series

def Italian.Pronouns.io : PersonalPronoun

io — 1sg.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.io = { form := "io", person := some Person.first, number := some Number.singular, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.strong }

def Italian.Pronouns.tu : PersonalPronoun

tu — 2sg familiar (T form).

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.tu = { form := "tu", person := some Person.second, number := some Number.singular, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.strong }

def Italian.Pronouns.lei_formal : PersonalPronoun

The polite second person singular Lei, the V form. It agrees as a third person singular, patterns with the feminine singular clitics and binds the third-person reflexive si, but it denotes the addressee, so it triggers PCC and Fancy Constraint effects and second person plural resolved agreement in coordination ([AZ25a]).

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Italian.Pronouns.lui : PersonalPronoun

lui — 3sg masculine.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.lui = { form := "lui", person := some Person.third, number := some Number.singular, gender := some Gender.masculine, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.strong }

def Italian.Pronouns.lei : PersonalPronoun

lei — 3sg feminine.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.lei = { form := "lei", person := some Person.third, number := some Number.singular, gender := some Gender.feminine, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.strong }

def Italian.Pronouns.noi : PersonalPronoun

noi — 1pl.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.noi = { form := "noi", person := some Person.first, number := some Number.plural, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.strong }

def Italian.Pronouns.voi : PersonalPronoun

voi — 2pl (familiar; also used as general 2pl in modern Italian).

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.voi = { form := "voi", person := some Person.second, number := some Number.plural, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.strong }

def Italian.Pronouns.loro_formal : PersonalPronoun

Loro — 2pl formal (archaic, largely replaced by voi).

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.loro_formal = { form := "Loro", person := some Person.second, number := some Number.plural, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.strong }

def Italian.Pronouns.loro : PersonalPronoun

loro — 3pl.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.loro = { form := "loro", person := some Person.third, number := some Number.plural, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.strong }

def Italian.Pronouns.addresseeSg : Grade → PersonalPronoun

The second person singular at each grade.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.addresseeSg Italian.Grade.familiar = Italian.Pronouns.tu
• Italian.Pronouns.addresseeSg Italian.Grade.polite = Italian.Pronouns.lei_formal

def Italian.Pronouns.addresseePl : Grade → PersonalPronoun

The second person plural at each grade.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.addresseePl Italian.Grade.familiar = Italian.Pronouns.voi
• Italian.Pronouns.addresseePl Italian.Grade.polite = Italian.Pronouns.loro_formal

def Italian.Pronouns.pronouns : Finset PersonalPronoun

The strong-pronoun inventory.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

The accusative series

def Italian.Pronouns.mi_acc : PersonalPronoun

mi, first person singular accusative.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.mi_acc = { form := "mi", person := some Person.first, number := some Number.singular, case_ := some Case.acc, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.ti_acc : PersonalPronoun

ti, second person singular accusative.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.ti_acc = { form := "ti", person := some Person.second, number := some Number.singular, case_ := some Case.acc, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.lo : PersonalPronoun

lo, third person singular masculine accusative.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Italian.Pronouns.la : PersonalPronoun

la, third person singular feminine accusative.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Italian.Pronouns.ci_acc : PersonalPronoun

ci, first person plural accusative.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.ci_acc = { form := "ci", person := some Person.first, number := some Number.plural, case_ := some Case.acc, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.vi_acc : PersonalPronoun

vi, second person plural accusative.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.vi_acc = { form := "vi", person := some Person.second, number := some Number.plural, case_ := some Case.acc, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.li : PersonalPronoun

li, third person plural masculine accusative.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Italian.Pronouns.le_acc : PersonalPronoun

le, third person plural feminine accusative.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Italian.Pronouns.accusative : Finset PersonalPronoun

The accusative series.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

The dative series

def Italian.Pronouns.mi_dat : PersonalPronoun

mi, first person singular dative.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.mi_dat = { form := "mi", person := some Person.first, number := some Number.singular, case_ := some Case.dat, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.ti_dat : PersonalPronoun

ti, second person singular dative.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.ti_dat = { form := "ti", person := some Person.second, number := some Number.singular, case_ := some Case.dat, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.gli : PersonalPronoun

gli, third person singular masculine dative.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Italian.Pronouns.le_dat : PersonalPronoun

le, third person singular feminine dative.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

def Italian.Pronouns.ci_dat : PersonalPronoun

ci, first person plural dative.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.ci_dat = { form := "ci", person := some Person.first, number := some Number.plural, case_ := some Case.dat, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.vi_dat : PersonalPronoun

vi, second person plural dative.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.vi_dat = { form := "vi", person := some Person.second, number := some Number.plural, case_ := some Case.dat, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.loro_dat : PersonalPronoun

loro, third person plural dative, a weak pronoun that follows the verb.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.loro_dat = { form := "loro", person := some Person.third, number := some Number.plural, case_ := some Case.dat, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.weak }

def Italian.Pronouns.dative : Finset PersonalPronoun

The dative series.

Equations

• One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.

The reflexive series

def Italian.Pronouns.mi_refl : ReflexivePronoun

mi, first person singular reflexive.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.mi_refl = { form := "mi", person := some Person.first, number := some Number.singular, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.ti_refl : ReflexivePronoun

ti, second person singular reflexive.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.ti_refl = { form := "ti", person := some Person.second, number := some Number.singular, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.si : ReflexivePronoun

si, third person reflexive, number-neutral.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.si = { form := "si", person := some Person.third, number := some Number.general, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.ci_refl : ReflexivePronoun

ci, first person plural reflexive.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.ci_refl = { form := "ci", person := some Person.first, number := some Number.plural, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.vi_refl : ReflexivePronoun

vi, second person plural reflexive.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.vi_refl = { form := "vi", person := some Person.second, number := some Number.plural, strength := some Pronoun.Strength.clitic }

def Italian.Pronouns.reflexive : Finset ReflexivePronoun

The reflexive series.

Equations

• Italian.Pronouns.reflexive = {Italian.Pronouns.mi_refl, Italian.Pronouns.ti_refl, Italian.Pronouns.si, Italian.Pronouns.ci_refl, Italian.Pronouns.vi_refl}

Syncretism and strength

theorem Italian.Pronouns.paradigm_accusative_eq_paradigm_dative_iff (c : Person.Category) : PersonalPronoun.paradigm accusative c = PersonalPronoun.paradigm dative c ↔ c.person ≠ Person.third

The accusative and the dative have the same forms exactly outside the third person.

theorem Italian.Pronouns.paradigm_dative_eq_paradigm_reflexive_iff (c : Person.Category) : PersonalPronoun.paradigm dative c = ReflexivePronoun.paradigm reflexive c ↔ c.person ≠ Person.third

The dative and the reflexive have the same forms exactly outside the third person.

theorem Italian.Pronouns.strength_eq_weak_iff {p : PersonalPronoun} (hp : p ∈ accusative ∪ dative) : p.strength = some Pronoun.Strength.weak ↔ p = loro_dat

Dative loro is the one atonic object form that is weak rather than a clitic.