Dr. Cinzia Russi

Biography

Cinzia Russi is a Professor of Romance Linguistics and Italian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, where she also serves as the Program Director for the Graduate Portfolio Program in Romance Linguistics. She holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Washington, achieved in 2003, as well as an M.A. in Linguistics from San Jose State University in 1998 and another from the University of Washington in 2000. Her primary research focuses on historical (socio)linguistics and morpho-syntax. Dr. Russi is currently studying the development of Italian discourse markers and their origins in verbs from a comparative Romance perspective. She has secondary research interests in contemporary Italian crime fiction and the application of Cognitive Grammar in teaching Italian as a foreign language. Her publications include significant contributions to the field, such as her co-authored monograph on iconicity and analogy in language change and an introductory textbook on Italian Linguistics. Dr. Russi is highly regarded for her expertise in the pragmatic aspects of language and has contributed to the field through various editorial and co-translation efforts, further enhancing her academic profile.

Research Interests