CoDIAC [Corpus Diacronico dell'Italiano per l'Analisi dei Connettivi]

Description CoDIAC is a newly developed corpus that enables the study of the evolution of Italian connectives. Including texts spanning from the early 13th century to the end of the 20th century, the corpus is divided by century and into four textual genres (literary prose texts, argumentative texts, mimetic speech texts, and personal texts). It contains around 3,526,872 words drawn from 108 texts. Due to copyright restrictions, only 98 texts could be included on Zenodo. However, the attached ReadMe file lists all the texts that form part of the CoDIAC corpus, the reference edition and the online resource where the texts (including the missing ones) can be consulted. CoDIAC is balanced in terms of the words count per century, genre, and, where possible, per individual text. It supports both broad diachronic studies and more focused analyses of specific periods in the history of the Italian language. Scientific reference Russo, A. 2025. CoDIAC – A diachronic corpus for studying Italian connectives: Design, methodology, and a research application on invece. In LINGUISTICA E FILOLOGIA, 45, pp. 9-48. DOI: 10.13122/LeF_45_p9 Contents The corpus is presented as a ZIP folder containing eight sub-folders, each corresponding to one of the centuries represented in the CoDIAC. Each sub-folder (labeled ‘200’, ‘300’, etc.) contains the selected texts for that century, with files named according to the format ‘Author Name_Title of the Work’ (ex. Marco Polo_Il Milione). Table 1 Century Number of texts Texts Text genre Text location 200 10 Andrea da Grosseto, Volgarizzamento del Liber de doctrina loquendi et tacendi di Albertano da Brescia Argumentaitve Tuscany Bono Giamboni, Fiore di rettorica Argumentaitve Tuscany Bono Giamboni, Trattato di virtù e di vizi Argumentaitve Tuscany Brunetto Latini, La rettorica Argumentaitve Tuscany Cronica Roncioniana Argumentaitve Tuscany Dante, Vita nova Literay prose Tuscany Fiore di filosofi Literay prose Tuscany Marco Polo, Il Milione Literay prose Tuscany Novellino Literay prose Tuscany? Testi toscani di carattere pratico Personal Tuscany 300 11 Dante, Convivio (Books 1–2, 4) Argumentaitve Tuscany Dino Compagni, Cronica Argumentaitve Tuscany Francesco Datini, Lettere alla moglie Margherita Personal Tuscany Franco Sacchetti, Il Trecentonovelle (Proem, Novellas 2–20, 140–160, 216–232, 254–255, 258) Literay prose Tuscany Giordano da Pisa, Prediche (Sermons 1–40) Mimetic speech Tuscany Giovanni Boccaccio, Consolatoria a Pino de’ Rossi Personal Tuscany Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron (Proem, Day 1, Day 8) Literay prose Tuscany Giovanni Boccaccio, Lettera a Francesco de’ Bardi Personal Tuscany/ Campania Iacopo Passavanti, Lo specchio di vera penitenza (Distinctions 1–4) Argumentaitve Tuscany Ser Giovanni Fiorentino, Il Pecorone (Day 1 Tale 2, Day 2 Tale 2, Day 3 Tale 1, Day 4 Tale 1) Literay prose Tuscany Simone Sigoli, Viaggio al monte Sinai Personal Tuscany 400 11 [+1] Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi, Lettere scelte (Letters from 1447 to 1470) Personal Tuscany Bernardo Machiavelli, Libro di ricordi (Incipit, Memories from 1474 to 1477) Personal Tuscany Bonaccorso Pitti, Ricordi Personal Tuscany Filarete, Trattato di architettura (Books 1–2, 12–13, 24–25) Argumentaitve Tuscany Giovanni di Pagolo Morelli, Ricordi (Introduction, Parts 1–3) Personal Tuscany [Giovanni Gherardi, Il paradiso degli Alberti (Books 1–2)] Literay prose Tuscany Giovanni Sercambi, Novelliere (Novellas 2–8, 70–78, 146–153) Literay prose Tuscany Girolamo Savonarola, Trattato sul governo di Firenze Argumentaitve Tuscany Leon Battista Alberti, I libri della famiglia (Prologue, Books 1 and 3) Argumentaitve Tuscany Lorenzo de’ Medici, Novelle Literay prose Tuscany Masuccio Salernitano, Il Novellino (First part - Dedication, Novellas 1–10) Literay prose Campania San Bernardino da Siena, Prediche volgari (Selected sermons) Mimetic speech Tuscany 500 14 Agnolo Firenzuola, Ragionamenti Literay prose Tuscany Anton Francesco Doni, I marmi (Part 1) Mimetic speech Northern Italy Baldassarre Castiglione, Il libro del Cortegiano (Book 1) Argumentaitve Northern Italy Benvenuto Cellini, Vita (Book 1, Chapters 1–64) Personal Tuscany Bernardo Dovizi, La Calandria Mimetic speech Tuscany Francesco Guicciardini, Dialogo del reggimento di Firenze (Book 1) Argumentaitve Tuscany Giovanni Francesco Straparola, Le piacevoli notti (Book 1, Nights 1–3) Literay prose Northern Italy Ludovico Ariosto, Lettere (Letters 1–40, 100–140) Personal Emilia Romagna Luigi Da Porto, Storia di Giulietta e Romeo Literay prose Tuscany Matteo Bandello, Novelliere (Dedications, Part 1, Novellas 1–5) Literay prose Northern Italy/ France Michelangelo Buonarroti, Lettere alla famiglia (Letters 1–126, 142–165, 177–211, 221–249, 269–275) Personal Tuscany Niccolò Machiavelli, Il principe Argumentaitve Tuscany Pietro Aretino, La Cortigiana Mimetic speech Tuscany Pietro Bembo, Prose della volgar lingua (Books 1–2) Argumentaitve Veneto 600 11 Ferrante Pallavicino, Il corriero svaligiato (Chapters 1–31) Literay prose Northern Italy Flaminio Scala, Il finto marito Mimetic speech Northern Italy Francesco Redi, Osservazioni intorno alle vipere Argumentaitve Tuscany Galileo Galilei, Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche intorno a due nuove scienze (Dedication, Days 1, 3–4) Argumentaitve Tuscany Galileo Galilei, Lettere (Letters 1–3, 6–8a, 9–16, 18–24) Personal Tuscany Giovan Battista Andreini, Lo schiavetto Mimetic speech Northern Italy Giulio Cesare Croce, Bertoldo e Bertoldino Literay prose Emilia Romagna Lorenzo Magalotti, Lettere odorose (Letters from 1693 to 1705, to marquise Ottavia Strozzi) Personal Tuscany Lorenzo Magalotti, Selected novellas Literay prose Tuscany Paolo Sarpi, Istoria del Concilio Tridentino (Book 1) Argumentaitve Northern Italy Traiano Boccalini, De’ ragguagli di Parnaso (Advertisements 1–6, 10–15, 20–25, 30–35, 50–55, 60–66) Literay prose Cantral Italy 700 15 [+2] Alessandro Verri, La vita di Erostrato Literay prose Lombardy Alessandro Verri, Le avventure di Saffo Literay prose Lombardy Carlo Goldoni, La bottega del caffè Mimetic speech Veneto Carlo Goldoni, La locandiera Mimetic speech Veneto Cosimo Amidei, Discorso filosofico – politico sopra la carcere de’ debitori Argumentaitve Central Italy Ferdinando Galiani, Della moneta (Proem, Books 1–2) Argumentaitve Abruzzo Giacomo Casanova, Il duello Literay prose Veneto Giovanni Gaetano Bottari, Novella Literay prose Central Italy Girolamo Gigli, Un pazzo guarisce l’altro Mimetic speech Tuscany [Giuseppe Marco Antonio Baretti, La scelta delle lettere familiari (Letters 1–30)] Personal Northern Italy Jacopo Nelli, La serva padrona Mimetic speech Tuscany Ludovico Antonio Muratori, Del governo della peste e della maniera di guardarsene (Book 1) Argumentaitve Emilia Romagna Matteo Angelo Galdi, Delle vicende e della rigenerazione de’ teatri Argumentaitve Campania [Pietro Verri, Lettere al fattore di Biassono (Letters 1–42)] Personal Lombardy Vincenzo Monti, Epistolario (Volume 1, Letters 1–110) Personal Northern Italy Vittorio Alfieri, Della tirannide Argumentaitve Northern Italy Vittorio Alfieri, Vita (Introduction, Periods 1–2) Literay prose Northern Italy 800 14 [+4] Achille Torelli, I mariti Mimetic speech Campania Alessandro Manzoni, I promessi sposi (Introduction, Chapters 1–8) Literay prose Lombardy Carlo Cattaneo, Psicologia delle menti associate Argumentaitve Lombardy Cesare Balbo, Delle speranze d’Italia (Chapters 1–4, 6–10) Argumentaitve Piedmont [Ercole Trotti Estense Mosti, Lettere a Giovanna Maffei (1817–1827) (Letters 1–18, 50–62)] Personal Northern Italy Giovanni Carmignani, Una lezione accademica sulla pena di morte Argumentaitve Tuscany Giovanni Verga, In portineria Mimetic speech Sicily Giovanni Verga, Novelle rusticane Literay prose Sicily Giuseppe Giacosa, Resa a discrezione (Acts 1–3) Mimetic speech Northern Italy Giuseppe Giacosa, Tristi amori Mimetic speech Northern Italy Giuseppe Pinamonti, La Naunia descritta al viaggiatore Argumentaitve Northern Italy [Ines Testi Pianciani, Lettere a Luigi Pianciani (1872–1890) (Letters 2–23, 47–63, 77–145)] Personal Lazio Luigi Rolando, Saggio sopra la vera struttura del cervello dell’uomo e degli animali Argumentaitve Piedmont Matilde Serao, Tramontando il sole Literay prose Campania Paolo Giacometti, La morte civile Mimetic speech Northern Italy [Rosario Bagnasco, Lettere ai patrioti italiani (1849–1874)] Personal Sicily [Teresa Pikler, Lettere alla figlia Costanza (1817–1833) (Letters 1–46)] Personal Lazio Ugo Foscolo, Le ultime lettere di Jacopo Ortis (Part 1) Literay prose Northern Italy 900 12 [+3] Bruno Misefari, Diario di un disertore (Part 1, until 8 September 1915) Personal Calabria/ Campania [Dario Fo, Morte accidentale di un anarchico] Mimetic speech Northern Italy [Dario Fo, Non tutti i ladri vengono per nuocere] Mimetic speech Northern Italy Erminio Juvalta, Osservazioni sulle dottrine morali di Spinoza Argumentaitve Northern Italy Ernesto Bonaiuti, Lettere di un prete modernista Personal Lazio Ettore Majorana, Valore delle leggi statistiche nella fisica e nelle scienze Argumentaitve Sicily Federigo Tozzi, Novelle Literay prose Central Italy Giovanni Verga, Dal tuo al mio Mimetic speech Sicily Giuseppe Rensi, Lettere spirituali Personal Veneto/Liguria Grazia Deledda, Cosima Literay prose Lazio Italo Svevo, Senilità (Chapters 1–4, 7–14) Literay prose Northern Italy Ludovico Limentani, La previsione dei fatti sociali (Introduction, Warning, Chapters 1–2) Argumentaitve Northern Italy Luigi Pirandello, Così è (se vi pare) Mimetic speech Central Italy Luigi Pirandello, Sei personaggi in cerca d’autore Mimetic speech Central Italy [Paolo Sylos Labini, Saggio sulle classi sociali] Argumentaitve Lazio (Texts in square brackets and in bold are those that could not be uploaded to Zenodo due to copyright restrictions but nevertheless form part of the CoDIAC corpus). The texts uploaded were sourced from their digitised editions available in online archives or digital libraries, namely: Biblioteca Italiana: Quondam, A. (Ed.) (2003). Biblioteca italiana. Università “La Sapienza” di Roma. http://www.bibliotecaitaliana.it/ Liber Liber: https://liberliber.it/ Biblioteca dei Classici italiani: Bonghi, G. (Ed.) (1996). Biblioteca digitale di testi classici italiani. https://www.classicitaliani.it OpenLibrary/Internet Archive: https://openlibrary.org Archivio del Teatro Pregoldoniano: Carou, J. G. (Ed.) (2012–2025). ArpreGo. Archivio del Teatro Pregoldoniano – Biblioteca Pregoldoniana. https://www.usc.gal/goldoni/ Raccolta di Edoardo Mori: https://www.mori.bz.it/index.htm AMS Historica: Università di Bologna (n.d.). AMS Historica. https://historica.unibo.it/home The texts are in .txt format and have been manually edited to remove the paratextual content (headers, annotations, pagination, and similar elements). To ensure quantitative balance, only selected portions of larger texts were included (see Table 1). Word tokens were counted using the AntConc software (Version: 3.5.9 [Windows] 2020) for each text. The table below summarises the structure and size of CoDIAC: Table 2 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 Literary prose 117.568 128.030 119.504 [85.124] 123.863 136.883 109.492 131.642 128.229 Argumentative texts 97.415 125.544 131.473 113.220 139.380 139.625 125.741 117.853 [84.421] Mimetic speech texts 0 84.831 70.168 95.346 82.699 87.961 85.136 84.489 [52.083] Personal texts 122.114 119.207 136.210 125.849 98.263 105.704 [50.178] 115.274 [0] 128.159 Total 337.097 457.612 457.355 [422.975] 458.278 457.225 442.782 [387.256] 457.793 [342.519] 458.730 [392.892] (The numbers in square brackets correspond only to the tokens of texts uploaded to Zenodo, excluding those that could not be included due to copyright restrictions). Excerpts from the texts were always made in accordance with their original structural divisions, without interrupting the narrative or argumentative flow. For example, novellas were selected throughout the entire collection, one or two books for each treatise, or single dated texts for sermons and letters. Further methodological details and usage guidelines are available in the “ReadMe” file and in the “Licences and releases for use” file attached to the resource.