Clitic Doubling, Reflexives, and Word Order Alternations in Yagua

Bibliographic Data

ID2864260
AuthorsDaniel L Everett (0000-0002-3727-8765, corresponding author)
Year1989
Volume65
Issue2
Pages339
Publication date1989-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0097-8507 • E-ISSN: 1535-0665
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/415336
OpenAlexW2024985554
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited14

Complementary distribution between SVO and clitic-VSO word orders in Yagua receives a natural explanation from independent principles of Case and X'-theories of the Principles-and-Parameters theory of grammar. Word-order variation in Yagua results from the fact that both clitics and arguments compete for a single Case. This conflict is resolved by moving the head of the phrase to the phrase-internal AGR[eement] position and allowing the clitic to acquire morphological visibility via incorporation into the head. Independent justification for this analysis is adduced from reflexives: all and only those arguments whose heads raise to AGR (subject, genitive, and oblique, but not direct objects) may serve as antecedents for reflexive clitics. This is explained if we require that the indices of the head, AGR, and the argument be connected. This analysis sheds new light on phrase structure, Case theory, and clitics in Universal Grammar

Clitic · Linguistics · Word (group theory) · Word order · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Philosophy · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation