Free clitics and bound affixes
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Gloria Cocchi
Abstract
This work argues in favour of a unitary theory for free clitics, such as those we find in Romance languages, and bound affixes, which are typical of Bantu languages. Using a Clitic shell framework, as in Manzini and Savoia’s recent works, I will claim that both Romance clitics and Bantu affixes are best analysed as arguments of the verb rather than agreement markers. Furthermore, I will develop a syntactic analysis of Bantu pre-root verbal affixes, which takes into due account the asymmetrical behaviour shown towards object affixation by languages like Tshiluba and Swahili (the former allowing two or more object affixes, and the latter only one). Last but not least, I will show how from an analysis of Bantu affixes in terms of clitic projection an important insight can emerge, to the effect that the asymmetry in object passivization exhibited by the two Bantu languages is simply a consequence of the asymmetry observed in object affixation.
Abstract
This work argues in favour of a unitary theory for free clitics, such as those we find in Romance languages, and bound affixes, which are typical of Bantu languages. Using a Clitic shell framework, as in Manzini and Savoia’s recent works, I will claim that both Romance clitics and Bantu affixes are best analysed as arguments of the verb rather than agreement markers. Furthermore, I will develop a syntactic analysis of Bantu pre-root verbal affixes, which takes into due account the asymmetrical behaviour shown towards object affixation by languages like Tshiluba and Swahili (the former allowing two or more object affixes, and the latter only one). Last but not least, I will show how from an analysis of Bantu affixes in terms of clitic projection an important insight can emerge, to the effect that the asymmetry in object passivization exhibited by the two Bantu languages is simply a consequence of the asymmetry observed in object affixation.
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
