quellargomento

Quell'argomento is the Italian demonstrative noun phrase meaning "that topic" or "that argument." It is formed by the determiner quell' (a contraction of quello before a vowel) attached to argomento, a masculine singular noun meaning topic or subject of discussion. The contracted form quell'argomento is standard in written and spoken Italian; the non-contracted form "quello argomento" is generally not used in contemporary usage.

Etymology and formation: Quell'argomento derives from quello ("that") and argomento ("topic" or "subject"). The combination illustrates a common pattern in Italian where demonstratives attach to nouns to specify referents within discourse. The apostrophe indicates elision before a vowel, a typical feature of Italian orthography.

Grammatical role and usage: It functions as a noun phrase referring to a previously mentioned or presumed topic. It can serve as subject, direct object, or object of a preposition, depending on sentence structure. For example: "Abbiamo discusso quell'argomento ieri." "Non cambiamo argomento; torniamo a quell'argomento." "Quell'argomento è stato sollevato durante la riunione." The phrase can convey a sense of referential distance or topical focus.

Discourse and nuance: The choice between quell'argomento and questo argomento signals referential distance or emphasis in conversation. Quell'argomento typically refers to something already introduced or presumed known, whereas questo argomento points to the current or imminent topic. In formal writing, quell'argomento is commonly used when reasserting a previously discussed matter.

See also: Argomento, Dimostrativi italiani, Quello, Questo.