In 2004 he achieved a B.A. in Modern Languages and Cultures at the University of Padua with a dissertation entitled Divinità Germaniche negli incantesimi metrici anglosassoni e nei Merseburger Zaubersprüche [Germanic deities in the Anglo-Saxon metrical charms and the Merseburg Charms] (Supervisors: Prof. Giuseppe Brunetti, Prof. Paola Mura).
In 2005 he achieved an M.A. in Linguistics, curriculum General and Applied Linguistics, at the University of Padua with the dissertation Tipologia morfologica di alcune lingue polisintetiche asiatiche e nordamericane [Morphological typology of some Asian and North American polysynthetic languages] (Supervisors: Prof. Alberto M. Mioni, Prof. Danilo Gheno).
In 2009 he completed his Ph.D. programme in Linguistics at the University of Padua with the dissertation Noun Incorporation: A New Theoretical Perspective (Supervisors: Prof. Cecilia Poletto, Prof. Danilo Gheno).
In July 2013 he received a research grant at the University of Padua within the PRAT (Progetto d’Ateneo) University Project Slavic verbal aspect: grammaticalization in a comparative and typological perspective, with special reference to prefixation (coordinated by Prof. Rosanna Benacchio).


His main interest is the description (and theoretical interpretation) of macro-variation in morphosyntax, especially in the field of the morphological structure of verbal complexes. How do languages vary in the morphology of verbs and the expression of their arguments? What functional categories are morphologically represented in verbal forms? Is there a principled reason for their co-occurrence and the restrictions on unattested morpheme combinations? During his doctoral programme, special attention was paid to the phenomenon of noun incorporation, especially as found in selected families of Native American and Siberian languages. This work emphasized the importance of looking into the internal structure of verbal roots, in that it put forth the hypothesis that factors internal to such roots may play a key role in triggering the compounding process we see in noun incorporation constructions. Broadening the scope of his inquiries to other domains of verb structure, at present he is focusing on verbal aspect and its morphological expression in a typological perspective, taking as a starting point the exceptionally elaborate aspectual systems displayed by Slavic languages, especially Bulgarian. Alessio Muro is also interested in the comparative study of subordinating structures, especially those displayed by rigid OV languages (mainly Korean).

Muro, A. (forthcoming). “Lost in Translation” between typologically different grammars. In: E. Miola & P. Ramat (eds.), New perspectives on Translations. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Muro, A. (2014, a). On the Form and Meaning of Double Noun Incorporation. In: Rainer, F., Dressler, W. U., Gardani, F., Luschützky, H. C. (eds.). Morphology and Meaning: Selected Papers from the 15th International Morphology Meeting (Vienna, February 9-12, 2012). Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

Muro, A. (2014, b). Incorporazione nominale: novità e implicazioni teoriche. “Atti del Sodalizio Glottologico Milanese” VII (2011-2012): 226-236.

Muro, A., Park, J.K. (2012). Note sulla relativizzazione in italiano e coreano. “Atti del Sodalizio Glottologico Milanese” VI (2010-2011): 187-196.

Noun Incorporation: A New Theoretical Perspective