Syntactic effects of cliticization

This chapter discusses the syntax of clitic pronouns and compares them to strong and weak pronouns and full DPs. The peculiar properties of clitic pronouns will be presented, which concern all modules of grammar. To account for these peculiar properties, it will be argued that clitic pronouns are merged as reduced maximal projections which are further reduced to heads during the derivation. Clitic placement is a local movement operation, which places the pronoun in one of the two clitic areas available in the clause and most visible in restructuring contexts allowing clitic climbing. The hosts of clitic pronouns and their mode of attachment (proclisis, enclisis, mesoclisis) are also discussed. Finally, some motivations for the obligatory movement of clitic pronouns will be presented.