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ROA:277
Title:Restrictions on Clitic Sequences and Conditions on the Occurrence of Clitics in Romance
Authors:Birgit Gerlach
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Length:33
Abstract:Restrictions on Clitic Sequences and
Conditions on the Occurrence of Clitics in Romance

Birgit Gerlach
Heinrich-Heine University, Duesseldorf


This paper compares how object clitics combine and which clitics are
chosen under restricted circumstances in six Romance languages. I will
show that clitic sequences form a morphological unit with a fixed
order of clitics. For each case, the optimal sequence results from
interacting constraints on the morphology and phonology of clitic
sequences within an Optimality Theoretic account. Furthermore, certain
object clitics cannot combine because of equally high ranked
morphological constraints. In these cases, only one of the object
clitics, respectively the direct object clitic, is chosen. This choice
of clitics is at first glance contradictory to the choice of clitics
under morphologically unrestricted circumstances where the indirect
object clitic is strongly preferred. However, I will show that a
unique account can be given for all instances of object clitics in the
Romance languages. The interaction of morphological, phonological, and
syntactic constraints is responsible for the different clitic choices.
Finally, I will suggest a tentative ranking for these types of
constraints.
Type:Paper/tech report
Area/Keywords:
Article:Version 1