Theoretical preliminaries

Abstract

The chapter introduces some terminological conventions and a simple representation of sentence structure for the analysis of clitic placement and other syntactic displacements. It elaborates on four key notions: dependencies, nesting, domains, and criteria. The term dependency refers to the relationship between the clitic and the syntactic position where the corresponding argument is (allegedly) projected. The second important factor regarding clitic placement has to do with the identification of the clausal domains where clitics can occur. The third relevant factor in the definition of clitic placement is nesting, i.e. the mechanism whereby clitics are attached to morphosyntactic structures. Lastly, clitic placement is dependent on discourse-driven displacements that are triggered by instructions termed criteria.