The first chapter consists of a theorical description of the Ward & Paradigm analysis model, which is used here to describe the morphological structures of the conditional. The model is b'ased on the idea that lexemes have not only semantic or phonological features, but also purely morphological ones. This model allows a good description of inflected forms formation strategies and offers the possibility to orient among the available diachronie change options.
The second chapter has three main purposes: it deals with the complexity of the conditional forms in the modern Venetan varieties; it presents the conditionals in the old Venetan vernaculars; it clarifies the diachronie morphomic patterns related to the conditional formatives. By the comparison between the old system and the modern one, some generalisations are outlined, as they indicate the general change direction . The Venetan conditional form can be built with an infinitive lexical verb and a past form of the verb habere, that is either HABUI (perfect) or HABEBAM (imperfect), attesting both formations. In the same chapter it is explained why the HABUI-conditional (cantarave) has to be considered the endogenous Venetan type, and it is illustrated how it coexists with the probably exogenous HABEBAM-conditional (cantaria). The paradigmatic distributions of the forms can be explained evoking the replication of the E-pattern, which defines the forms in 1SG-3SG-3PL. Moreover, the two formations have today particular sociolinguistic connotations and areal distributions that can be explained by looking at the old stage, as it shows complex tendencies in terms of literary status and territorial continuity. Eventually, it is argued that even the old and modern cantaressi and cantaressimo forms, found in 2SG-2PL-1PL, can be traced back to the agglutination outcomes of HABUI. The generalisations are schematised at the end of the chapter.
In the third chapter, an analysis of conditional forms of Gallo-italic varieties spoken in Liguria,
Piedmont, Lombardy (and Italian Swizerland), in Emilia-Romagna and in Trentino is put forward. The analysis of modern and, where possible, ancient conditional forms shows that the origins, the development and the distribution of these conditionals can be explained with the same theoretical assumptions and diachronical predictions of Venetan ones. It is demonstrated then that the generalizations made for Venetan varieties hold for Gallo-Italie varieties too. The fourth chapter takes into account Friulian, the only Raeto­ Romance variety to display the synthetical, yet analytical, Romance conditional. Friulian data are particularly interesting, because they present similar characteristics to the Gallo-Italie varieties, and they allow one to re-evaluate some of the hypotheses on conditionals already proposed in the literature.
The fifth chapter overviews the main uses and sentence fonctions of the conditionals, considering both the simple and the compound form. The usages are niainly investigated in the Venetan systems, proposing a comparison between the old and the modern one. A final conclusion sums up the main points investigated in the different chapters and presents open issues and future developments.