Adjective-clitic combinations in the Greek DP
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Artemis Alexiadou
Abstract
Possessive clitics in the DP have not received as much attention as clitics in the verbal domain have. In fact, the few existing accounts of cliticization are either phonological (Nespor & Vogel 1986) or primarily morphological (Kolliakou 1997) or morphosyntactic (Horrocks & Stavrou 1988; Stavrou & Horrocks 1989; Karanassios 1992).
The facts we will discuss here have not been observed in none of the aforementioned studies, and it is our purpose to show that the distribution of nominal clitics in the Greek DP provide evidence for the existence of two possessor positions within the DP. If this hypothesis is correct then it is clear that morphological or even morphosyntactic accounts cannot capture the relevant generalizations.
The paper is structured as follows. In Section 1 we present the distributional pattern of Greek DP-cliticization. In Section 2 we discuss the core data of the present study which show the semantic/interpretational differences between the two cliticization sites, namely on the noun and on the prenominal adjective. In Section 3 we set the ground for our analysis by outlining (a) the main directions in the research of clitics crosslinguistically and (b) our proposal about two possessor/clitic sites in the DP. In 4 we offer an implementation of this basic idea by providing structural analyses which refer to different clitic sites. Our analysis crucially relies on the presence of an elaborated structure DP-internally, as has been suggested in much recent work. In 5 we briefly comment on previous, basically morphological in orientation, analyses of cliticization within the DP by disputing their ability to capture the facts presented here in terms of (morphological) affixation of the clitic onto its host. In 6 we conclude our study by summarizing our main points.
Abstract
Possessive clitics in the DP have not received as much attention as clitics in the verbal domain have. In fact, the few existing accounts of cliticization are either phonological (Nespor & Vogel 1986) or primarily morphological (Kolliakou 1997) or morphosyntactic (Horrocks & Stavrou 1988; Stavrou & Horrocks 1989; Karanassios 1992).
The facts we will discuss here have not been observed in none of the aforementioned studies, and it is our purpose to show that the distribution of nominal clitics in the Greek DP provide evidence for the existence of two possessor positions within the DP. If this hypothesis is correct then it is clear that morphological or even morphosyntactic accounts cannot capture the relevant generalizations.
The paper is structured as follows. In Section 1 we present the distributional pattern of Greek DP-cliticization. In Section 2 we discuss the core data of the present study which show the semantic/interpretational differences between the two cliticization sites, namely on the noun and on the prenominal adjective. In Section 3 we set the ground for our analysis by outlining (a) the main directions in the research of clitics crosslinguistically and (b) our proposal about two possessor/clitic sites in the DP. In 4 we offer an implementation of this basic idea by providing structural analyses which refer to different clitic sites. Our analysis crucially relies on the presence of an elaborated structure DP-internally, as has been suggested in much recent work. In 5 we briefly comment on previous, basically morphological in orientation, analyses of cliticization within the DP by disputing their ability to capture the facts presented here in terms of (morphological) affixation of the clitic onto its host. In 6 we conclude our study by summarizing our main points.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Acknowledgements xi
- Clitics from different perspectives 1
- The tonal phonology of Yoruba clitics 31
- Adjective-clitic combinations in the Greek DP 63
- Free clitics and bound affixes 85
- Clitics and coordination in linear structure 121
- The acquisition of clitics and strong pronouns in Catalan 161
- The prosodic representation of clitics in Irish 181
- Positioning Romanian verbal clitics at PF 219
- Clitic placement in the Romanian verbal complex 255
- Romanian definite articles are not clitics 295
- Clitics in the Srpske narodne pjesme 325
- Verbal clitics in Bulgarian 355
- Operator clitics 387
- Doubling and possession 405
- Name index 433
- Subject index 437
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Acknowledgements xi
- Clitics from different perspectives 1
- The tonal phonology of Yoruba clitics 31
- Adjective-clitic combinations in the Greek DP 63
- Free clitics and bound affixes 85
- Clitics and coordination in linear structure 121
- The acquisition of clitics and strong pronouns in Catalan 161
- The prosodic representation of clitics in Irish 181
- Positioning Romanian verbal clitics at PF 219
- Clitic placement in the Romanian verbal complex 255
- Romanian definite articles are not clitics 295
- Clitics in the Srpske narodne pjesme 325
- Verbal clitics in Bulgarian 355
- Operator clitics 387
- Doubling and possession 405
- Name index 433
- Subject index 437
