Equative and similative constructions in two Walser German linguistic islands of North-Western Italy

Abstract Equative and similative constructions have never been investigated in the Germanic varieties spoken in small linguistic islands of the northwestern Italian Alps. They are particularly interesting because of the extended contact situation in which these communities are immersed, regularly using up to four different languages in their repertoire. In the paper, the focus will be on the two Walser German varieties spoken in Gressoney and Issime. The equative and similar constructions reflect the state of affairs observed in Swiss German, although small differences do appear between the two varieties, which stem in part from peculiar developments and reflect the different relationship with French as a contact language.