questaquestiqueiquelli

Questaquestiqueiquelli is a coined term used in linguistic discussions to describe a hypothetical technique for expressing referents by multiplying demonstratives in a single noun phrase. The term denotes a theoretical concatenation of Italian demonstratives questa, questi, quei, e quelli to signal a gradient of proximity and distance within the same referent set. It is not attested in standard Italian and remains a speculative construct used mainly in typological or stylistic analysis.

Etymology: The coinage blends the four demonstratives in a sequence that mirrors proximity distinctions: questa (this, feminine singular), questi (these), quei (those), quelli (those). The combined form—questaquestiqueiquelli—serves as a portmanteau illustrating how multiple determiners might be merged into one unit.

Concept and potential usage: In theoretical discussions, questaquestiqueiquelli illustrates how deixis could be extended beyond single determiners, suggesting a system where several referential cues are linguistically realized within one phrase. Possible functions include disambiguation in highly structured discourse, emphasis, or stylistic effect in poetry or experimental prose. In practice, Italian typically employs a single determiner per noun phrase, with context providing the necessary disambiguation; this term remains purely hypothetical.

Examples (stylized): A stylized example might read as “Questaquestiqueiquelli rapporto richiede una conferma” to indicate a four-layer referent in a compact form. In narrative description, a speaker might index referents from near to far within one noun phrase for rhetorical effect. These usages are hypothetical and not normative Italian.

See also: deixis, demonstratives, polydeixis, referential expression, linguistics.