Table 1
Texts included in the dataset, in chronological order, and number of requests.
| AUTHOR | TITLE | CENTURY | N. OF REQUESTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anonymous | Novellino (selection) | 13th | 11 |
| Boccaccio | Decameron (selection) | 14th | 60 |
| Sacchetti | Trecentonovelle (selection) | 14th | 14 |
| Masuccio Salernitano | Novellino (selection) | 15th | 74 |
| Degli Arienti | Novelle Porretane | 15th | 59 |
| Ariosto | Cassaria | 16th | 46 |
| Machiavelli | La Mandragola | 16th | 19 |
| Machiavelli | Clizia | 16th | 27 |
| Aretino | La Talanta | 16th | 83 |
| Andreini | Lo schiavetto | 17th | 139 |
| Della Porta | La tabernaria | 17th | 59 |
| Scala | Il finto marito | 17th | 147 |
| Goldoni | La bottega del caffè | 18th | 74 |
| Goldoni | La locandiera | 18th | 95 |
| Chiari | La contadina incivilita dal caso | 18th | 71 |
| Torelli | I mariti | 19th | 63 |
| Giacosa | Tristi amori | 19th | 62 |
| Verga | Vita dei campi (selection) | 19th | 11 |
| Svevo | Un marito | 20th | 94 |
| Deledda | Canne al vento | 20th | 114 |
| Pirandello | Il berretto a sonagli | 20th | 40 |
| Pirandello | Enrico IV | 20th | 39 |
| Cagna | Presso la culla | 20th | 13 |
| Cagna | Vince chi… torna | 20th | 17 |
| De Filippo | Sabato, domenica e lunedì | 20th | 33 |
| Fo | Morte accidentale di un anarchico | 20th | 36 |
| Maraini | Due donne di provincia | 20th | 11 |
| Maraini | Dialogo di una prostituta con un suo cliente | 20th | 16 |
| Fo | Dio li fa e poi li accoppa | 20th | 140 |
| total | 1,667 |
Table 2
Annotation scheme for requests.
| Head act | Direct strategies | Verb | Mood/tense | Apritemi, ser Cione (Sacchetti, Trecentonovelle, 14th c.) ‘Open the door for me, Ser Cione’ |
| Performative | io vi priego che voi il pigliate (Boccaccio, Decameron, 14th c.) ‘I beg you to take it’ | |||
| Obligation statement | Mi dovete perdonare (De Filippo, Sabato, domenica e lunedì, 20th c.) ‘You must forgive me’ | |||
| Want statement | Voglio che tu ti segga (Torelli, I mariti, 19th c.) ‘I want you to sit down’ | |||
| Noun | Noun phrase | Signori, silenzio (Andreini, Lo schiavetto, 17th c.) ‘Gentlemen, silence’ | ||
| Indirect strategies | Conventionally indirect | Posso sdraiarmi? (Maraini, Dialogo di una prostituta con il suo cliente, 20th c.) ‘May I lie down?’ | ||
| Nonconventionally indirect | Barone… fa freddo in questa stanza (Torelli, I mariti, 19th c.) ‘Baron… it’s cold in this room.’ (the Baron answers: Vi faccio un bel fuoco, aspettate… ‘I’ll make you a nice fire, wait…’) | |||
| Modifiers | Internal | Upgraders | Ascolta ascolta (Aretino, La Talanta, 16th c.) ‘Listen listen’ | |
| Downgraders | Vi supplico dirmelo per cortesia (Goldoni, La bottega del caffè, 18th c.) ‘I beg you to tell me, please’ | |||
| External | Upgraders | Fermatevi, vi dico (Goldoni, La locandiera, 18th c.) ‘Stop, I’m telling you’ | ||
| Downgraders | Abbia pazienza, vada senza di me (Giacosa, Tristi amori, 19th c.) ‘Please be patient, go without me’ | |||
| Precommitment | Padre,m’avete a fare un’altra grazia, di perdonare a Cappio (Della Porta, La tabernaria, 17th c.) ‘Father, you must grant me another favor: to forgive Cappio’ | |||
| Motivation | Mi vuoi accompagnare in camera mia, comincia a fare freschetto (De Filippo, Sabato, domenica e lunedì, 20th c.) ‘Would you accompany me to my room? It’s starting to get a bit chilly’ | |||
| Ritual apologies | Scusa, Matilde, mandami qui Giulia (Torelli, I mariti, 19th c.) ‘Sorry, Matilde, send Giulia here’ | |||
Figure 1
Distribution of direct, conventionally indirect, and non-conventionally indirect strategies in the requests of the dataset.