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What is the difference between the two sentences below?

  • Arriva un poliziotto provinciale.
  • Un poliziotto provinciale arriva.

Is emphasis the only difference, as mentioned in Frase interrogativa: "È corretto ...?", "... è corretto?" oppure "È ... corretto?" ? If so, I'd appreciate if someone could explain the exact difference in meaning of both sentences when the emphasis is on "arriva" (2nd sentence?) and when the emphasis is on "un poliziotto provinciale" (1st sentence?). I can't see any by myself.

I have tried reading the sections about focalization and new/old data in Treccani. They are huge and too complex for my level of Italian, but I understood that usually the already known information comes before and the new information afterwards, so I guess that's what happens here.

Alan Evangelista
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  • See in this answer what Coletti explains about the use of "Mario canta" versus "canta Mario". – Charo Nov 15 '19 at 23:05
  • Per i madrelingua italiani: la frase "Un poliziotto provinciale arriva" non suona piuttosto innaturale? (perlomeno così, senza nessun contesto...) – Charo Nov 16 '19 at 11:22
  • Confermo, @Charo. – DaG Nov 16 '19 at 17:25
  • @Charo maybe because "arriva" has no adverbial complement? "Un poliziotto provinciale arriva presto sulla scena del crimine" seems fine to me. Anyway, the focus of my question is the word order. I'm checking the link you provided. – Alan Evangelista Nov 16 '19 at 17:50

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