Constructions with relative adverbs of place in different Romance languages: Spanish, French and Italian. Comparative study in three current editions of "El Quijote"

Abstract

In this paper we aim to study how relative adverbs of place function in different Romance languages, such as Spanish (donde), French (où) and Italian (dove). With the common Latin origin of these terms as a starting point, we will aim to show their evolution until now and we will analyze the grammatical workings of the constructions in which they intervene. Several procedures are identified for the expression of locative details –location, origin, direction or path– and not locative – temporal, consecutive or final senses, among others– based, mainly, on the placement of prepositions before the adverb or the existence of different adverbs associated with certain values. The study carried out will allow us to know if the procedures described in the reviewed descriptive and normative grammars reflect the functioning of these relative adverbs in a literary work translated into current Spanish, French and Italian.