Italian Punctuation in Translation. A Comparative Analysis of the Italian Constitution in the Original Version and Its Polish Translation

Abstract

How much does a comma weigh in a text? What is the significance of adding or omitting a comma in translation? Can differences in punctuation usage lead to semantic differences? A parallel lecture of the text of the Constitution of the Italian Republic and its Polish translation will serve as a starting point for further reflections on the meaning of this elusive element. The comparative analysis will be preceded by a brief overview of the development of punctuation in Italian and Polish, as well as observations on the different uses of punctuation in both languages. Since Italian punctuation is based on prosodic-syntactic principles, while Polish uses a punctuation system based on strict syntactic rules, this discrepancy between the two systems is also relevant from a translational perspective. Indeed, correct transposition of meaning is also achieved through punctuation. The Constitution of the Italian Republic falls into the category of binding texts and therefore requires the translator to adopt maximum interpretative rigidity. The hypothesis is that, despite differing criteria for comma usage in the two languages, both the source text and the target text express the same meaning without significant deviations. Through examples drawn from the source text, the analysis aims to identify possible points of convergence between the Italian and Polish punctuation systems, as well as to highlight the irreconcilable differences that arise from the distinct concepts of punctuation in each language.