Article published In: Journal of Historical Linguistics: Online-First Articles
Interaction of scope and cliticization domain
The case of Hittite enclitic markers
Published online: 10 March 2026
https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.24008.sid
https://doi.org/10.1075/jhl.24008.sid
Abstract
The paper deals with how syntax of coordination interacts with the second position constraint. It is claimed, on
the basis of Hittite data, that the cliticization scope of the enclitic coordinator can be limited to its complement with the
exclusion of its (inner) specifier. This aspect of the interaction of coordination syntax and second position constraint has not
been observed previously. Besides, Hittite broadens the dataset of the few languages with the “too-low” position of coordinators.
Moreover, it is shown that the same type of cliticization domain is available for another extraCP clitic in Hittite — the direct
speech particle. This is in stark contrast to CP bound clitics that take both the complement and the specifier of the head they
target (C0) as their cliticization domain. Thus, we see a non-trivial correlation of the position the clitic is
generated in (or targets) and its distribution. This compares to a similar (yet different in detail) correlation in Ancient Greek
between sentential and clausal clitics.
Keywords: Hittite, syntax, coordination, second position, clitics
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Hittite enclitic coordinators
- 2.1Coordinating -(y)a ‘and’
- 2.1.1Coordinating -(y)a vs discourse marker -(y)a vs information structure-related marker -(y)a
- 2.1.2Finer-grained distribution of -(y)a
- 2.2-(m)a
- 2.2.1Three varieties of -(m)a in detail
- 2.2.1.1Information structure-related particle -(m)a3
- 2.2.1.2Coordinator -(m)a1
- 2.2.1.3Discourse marker -(m)a2
- 2.2.1.4Summary of -(m)a: Syntactic construals
- 2.2.2Finer-grained syntax of -(m)a1 and -(m)a2
- 2.2.1Three varieties of -(m)a in detail
- 2.3Coordinators and clause connectives
- 2.1Coordinating -(y)a ‘and’
- 3.Quotative -wa(r)
- 4.Coordinating conjunctions and the quotative particle: Synopsis
- 5.Coordinating conjunctions and the quotative particle vs Wackernagel clitics
- 6.Conclusions
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Notes
References
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