Unit 3 - 1. Clitics - Introduction: Accusative and Dative - Part 1

Name: Unit 3 - 1. Clitics - Introduction: Accusative and Dative - Part 1
Uploaded: 2021-11-12T23:00:47.000Z
Duration: 3 h 46 min 17 s

Understanding Clitics in Spanish Grammar

Introduction to Clitics

Clitics are integral to understanding Spanish grammar and present unique challenges when compared to English.

The term "clitic" originates from ancient Greek, meaning "to lean," highlighting their intermediate status between full words and affixes.

Nature of Clitics

Clitics are syntactically independent but phonologically dependent, requiring a host word for attachment.

They can attach before or after their host and can connect with any part of speech, distinguishing them from traditional affixes.

Examples of Clitic Attachment

The possessive form in English illustrates clitic behavior; it can attach to different elements within noun phrases (e.g., "the father's hat" vs. "the father of the bride's hat").

This flexibility shows how clitics can bind to various lexical categories, unlike affixes that are more rigidly attached.

Bound Morphemes vs Affixes

While clitics share some characteristics with bound morphemes, they differ significantly from affixes which are fully integrated into the base they attach to both phonologically and semantically.

Affixes cannot be attached to other constituents within a sentence, whereas clitics can interact with multiple parts of speech.

Types of Spanish Clitics

Some Spanish clitics are referred to as pronominal clitics; however, not all serve as pronouns or referential elements in sentences.

Non-argumental clitics express grammatical features like possession or location without representing specific entities in the sentence structure.

Functions of Non-Argumental Clitics

Non-argumental clitics may indicate aspects such as possession or ethical markers regarding actions perceived positively or negatively by individuals. They also play roles in forming middle constructions and passive structures.

Middle Constructions

Middle constructions lack an explicit agent and reflect inherent qualities of the subject (e.g., “camisas wash easily”). This construction type is prevalent in both Spanish and English contexts.

Impersonal Constructions

Understanding Clitics and Their Functions in Spanish

Delimiting Actions and Ethical Meanings

The speaker discusses the concept of delimiting actions, indicating that certain expressions cannot be used interchangeably due to their indefinite nature.

An example is provided regarding "ethical meaning," where the term "me" expresses a participant not part of the argument structure, highlighting its role as an ethical dative.

Doubling Phenomena in Spanish

The discussion shifts to ergative changes of state in Spanish, noting how certain constructions signal a change of state but are not always consistent.

The phenomenon of doubling is introduced, where nominal or prepositional phrases can co-index with clitics, often sharing theta roles and case features.

Examples of Clitic Usage

An example illustrates how "tu abuelo de los avos" demonstrates a dative argument expressed through both a clitic and a prepositional phrase.

Another instance shows how third-person dative clitics morphologically change when adjacent to accusative forms, emphasizing the need for allomorphy.

Restrictions on Doubling

The speaker notes restrictions on doubling clitics; for instance, pronominal direct objects must be doubled in River Plate Spanish.

It is explained that while some constructions allow optional doubling, others make it obligatory depending on whether the indirect object is pronominal or non-pronominal.

Case Clitics and Their Distinctions

A distinction between accusative and dative case clitics is made, with each expressing different meanings within sentence structures.

Understanding Clitic Climbing in Syntax

Overview of Argument Structures

The discussion begins with the identification of verbs within argument structures, emphasizing that each structure contains one lexical verb alongside auxiliary verbs that contribute grammatical meaning.

It is highlighted that only one lexical verb exists per argument structure, which serves as the syntactic host for clitics.

Clitic Attachment and Independence

The concept of clitic climbing is introduced, where a clitic can attach to various hosts, including lexical verbs and auxiliary verbs expressing different meanings (e.g., continuative or epistemic).

Clitics are described as syntactically independent but phonologically dependent on their hosts; they cannot bear stress themselves.

Types of Clitics: Enclitics vs. Proclitics

Two types of clitics are discussed: enclitics, which lean on preceding words (part of the morphological matrix), and proclitics, which appear before the verb without being part of it.

The order in which clitic pronouns appear relative to other elements depends on the type of verb used as their host.

Fixed Order in Ditransitive Constructions

In ditransitive constructions, the order of clitic pronouns is fixed based on grammatical roles (dative before accusative), indicating a structured relationship between them.

It is noted that all clitics function as functional elements rather than lexical ones, reinforcing their role within sentence structure.

Lexical Material Between Clitics and Verbs

The presence or absence of lexical material between clitic sequences and main verbs is examined; certain constructions do not allow such material to intervene.

Understanding Clitics and Their Functions in Spanish

The Nature of Clitics

Critics can attach to verbs even when they are nominalized, indicating that present participles can also form constituents without a finite verb.

It is noted that no intermediate material exists between the critic and the verb, allowing for pronominalization even when the host does not function as a verb.

Nominalized Verbs and Clitic Hosting

Nominalized verbs inherit properties that allow them to host clitics, which are functional items representing arguments rather than lexical items.

Comparing Pronominal Systems: Spanish vs. English

A comparison of the pronominal systems of Spanish and English is encouraged; Spanish has morphological distinctions in pronouns for accusative and dative cases, unlike English's objective form.

This distinction is crucial for analyzing clitics in Spanish, revealing underlying structures within constructions.

Accusative vs. Dative Distinctions

The presence of dative or accusative clitics indicates specific properties of entities expressed by critics; this distinction is strong in Spanish but absent in English.

Understanding how dative forms express various meanings will be essential as discussions progress.

Argumental Clitics

Some clitics serve as argumental substitutes for verbal complements; they reference arguments semantically while being non-lexical.

Pronominalization Examples

In transitive constructions, both direct objects (e.g., "la nota") and indirect objects (e.g., "el lada") can be pronominalized using clitics like "lo" or "le."

Exceptional Case Marking

An example of exceptional case marking illustrates how a clitic may bear an accusative case while referring to a subject entity, highlighting differences from typical case functions.

Accusative and Reflexive Clitics in Spanish

Understanding Accusative Clitics

The discussion begins with the concept of accusative clitics, highlighting their role as critics in Spanish. The speaker notes that these clitics can function reflexively or reciprocally.

Reflexive Clitics Explained

Reflexive clitics are defined as accusative clitics that are co-indexed with a lexical item, typically the matrix subject. Examples illustrate this concept.

An example provided is "leo," which carries accusative case features of third person singular, demonstrating how reflexives operate within mono-transitive and di-transitive constructions.

Characteristics of Reflexive Constructions

The speaker emphasizes that reflexive constructions usually involve agents, contrasting them with non-agent subjects like "la ventana cerron pio."

It is noted that the accusative can express a reflexive nature related to the matrix subject, prompting comparisons to English reflexive pronouns.

English vs. Spanish Reflexives

In English, examples such as "I shave myself" illustrate how reflexives function similarly but also differ in terms of syntactic positioning and morphological features.

Dative reflexives are introduced through examples like "Jean wrote herself a letter," showcasing their distinct roles compared to nominative intensives.

Nominative Intensives and Their Function

Nominative reflexes serve an intensive purpose, reinforcing agency in sentences (e.g., "Franz himself wrote the play"), indicating limited inventory for these forms in English.

Reciprocal Clitic Usage

Distinction Between Reflexive and Reciprocal

The speaker transitions to discuss reciprocal meanings associated with accusatives, noting they differ from reflexives by representing mutual actions between entities.

Examples of Reciprocal Constructions

Examples include phrases like "each other" or "mutual," illustrating how reciprocal relations can be expressed using specific structures in both languages.

Co-indexing in Reciprocal Sentences

In sentences featuring reciprocal constructions, the clitic is co-indexed with both subjects involved (e.g., “Marcos does not understand each other”), emphasizing its grammatical role.

Incorporation of Oblique Phrases

The discussion highlights how oblique phrases interact within these constructions, requiring specific conditions for proper grammatical structure.

Dative Case Exploration

Overview of Dative Functions

Understanding Datives and Reflexives in Spanish

Overview of Datives

The speaker introduces the concept of datives, emphasizing their role in expressing various meanings within sentences.

Datives typically appear with verbs of communication or transmission, where they denote the recipient. The allomorph changes occur when clitics are nominalized alongside accusative forms, specifically in third-person contexts.

Reflexives and Their Interaction with Datives

Reflexive clitics refer back to the subject or a c-commanding element, indicating self-reference (e.g., "Mary told herself something").

Ambiguity arises in constructions involving reflexives; for instance, "Mary told herself" can be interpreted as either reflexive or dative depending on context.

Location Expressions with Datives

Datives can express location, which is one of their primary functions. For example, "al cafe" indicates that the café is both a recipient and a location.

Locations expressed through datives can be goal-oriented (destination) or source-oriented (origin), often seen in accusative constructions.

Source vs. Goal Orientation

Accusative constructions may indicate source locations but can also represent goals. This duality highlights how datives function across different verb types.

The occurrence of dative expressions is restricted by what Bling refers to as "goal restrictions," necessitating a central coincidence between theme and location arguments.

Argument Structure and Location Requirements

Not all locations are mandatory; some are minimally required by the verb's argument structure. Absence of these elements renders sentences ungrammatical.

Instances exist where no explicit goal or source is present—these cases involve orientation adjuncts rather than argumental locations.

Conceptual Differences in Orientation

Orientation implies that an entity does not change location despite being marked with an accusative case; it merely indicates direction without displacement.

Examples illustrate how dative clitics convey direct orientation without implying spatial relations like goals or sources.

Implicit Locations and Argument Structures

Even verbs typically requiring locations may imply them without explicitly stating them; this distinction affects how we interpret sentence structures.

In transitive constructions, certain verbs necessitate location arguments as part of their inherent structure to maintain grammatical integrity.

Further Examples from Masulo's Work

Understanding the Dative in Spanish

The Role of Dative as a Source Locative

The dative can function as a source locative, often paired with a prepositional phrase. This construction indicates that the dative is co-indexed with the locative entity.

In this context, the term "puerto proceento" provides additional information about the source of displacement related to the dative.

Dative and Possession

The dative can also express possession, which is frequently discussed in literature, particularly in relation to Tonya Blin's article on double object constructions.

Examples illustrate how possession is conveyed through datives in Spanish, contrasting with English where genitive determiners are used instead.

Overlap Between Orientation and Possession

There exists an overlap between orientation and possession within negative constructions; for instance, "le tim la la manos" suggests both ideas simultaneously.

Inalienably possessed objects or bodily processes demonstrate this relationship between orientation and possession effectively.

Argument Structure Implications

The argument structure may indicate that certain constructions imply both location (source or goal) and possessive meanings when using datives.

Specific genitive determiners can help clarify whether a sentence expresses possession or merely location.

Nuances of Meaning in Datives

When discussing examples like "robaron juan," it becomes evident that Juan may not be a source location but rather a possessor of an object (e.g., wallet).

Understanding these nuances requires recognizing how syntactic frameworks interpret relationships established by sentences involving datives.

Ethical Dimensions of Datives

Understanding Ethical Datives in Language

The Nature of Ethical Meaning

One participant discusses that ethical meaning is tied to our knowledge of the world, emphasizing that sentences themselves are not inherently negative or positive.

Ethical data relates to expressive and emphatic values, often connected to colloquial registers rather than formal language, reflecting the speaker's desires and attitudes.

The speaker's connection to events can be categorized as male effective (disadvantageous) or benefactive (advantageous), adding a subjunctive aspect to their statements.

Characteristics of Ethical Data

Ethical datives are considered agents rather than arguments within sentence structures; they can be removed without affecting grammaticality.

These datives provide an ethical dimension but do not alter the core argument structure of a sentence, functioning more like adjuncts.

Examples and Implications

Clitics in ethical data reference participants outside the argument structure, indicating additional meanings without being part of the main argument.

Male effective datives express dissatisfaction for a referenced participant, while benefactive datives indicate a positive effect on behalf of someone else.

Translation Challenges

In English translations, male effective examples often use "on" (e.g., "Don't quit on me"), whereas benefactive examples typically use "for" (e.g., "I’ll call the cops for you").

The presence of deontic meaning implies willingness from the speaker regarding actions taken on behalf of others.

Argument Structure Considerations

Differences between source and possession can complicate understanding; verb argument structures dictate basic values associated with ethical data.

Understanding Ergative Constructions and Argument Structure

Ambiguity in Meaning

The ergative construction limits the spatial reading of the critic, as the final state is already indicated by the verb's root.

An example illustrates ambiguity: "Did I do that for Roberto?" versus "Did I do that to Roberto?" highlights different interpretations based on context.

English Language Nuances

English uses prepositions like "for" and "on" to clarify meaning, e.g., "I closed the door for Roberto" vs. "I closed the door on Roberto."

Expressions can blend meanings such as possession, location, and ethical implications, necessitating clarity in argument structure.

Dative Clitics and Orientation

Dative clitics express orientation rather than benefactor or manufacturer roles; understanding this requires contextual knowledge.

The subject's role in a sentence indicates its argument structure; misinterpretation can lead to confusion about ethical implications.

Ethical vs. Spatial Orientation

The interpretation of dative clitics often leads to ethical readings based on world knowledge rather than explicit grammatical cues.

Both negative verbs and dative clitics convey orientation; however, they may also imply possession depending on context.

Contextual Interpretation Challenges

Sentences like “the baby ate the rice” can be interpreted variably based on context—good or bad outcomes are inferred from situational understanding.

Dative clitics appear with negative verbs related to admission or intake, further complicating their interpretation due to overlapping meanings.

Clarifying Argument Structures

A solid framework for argument structure is essential for interpreting Spanish clitics accurately; ambiguity arises without clear syntactic information.

Verbs indicating location may shift meaning when interpreted through different constructions (e.g., accusative vs. dative).

Examples of Genitive Interpretations

Two types of genitives exist: secondary and ethical; these can indicate source or possessive meanings depending on context.

Discussion on Nominative and Clitic Constructions

Overview of Nominative Arguments

The speaker introduces the topic of nominative arguments, indicating that there will be a discussion on certain constructions interpreted as having critics expressing these arguments.

Mention of passive and personal constructions with clitics, highlighting that some critics may represent an agent or initiator that is not explicitly stated.

English Language Examples

The speaker provides examples of how to express impersonal constructions in English, such as "people work very little in this office" or "one works very little," emphasizing the necessity for overt subjects in English sentences.

Insights on Clitic Functionality

A brief overview of nominative pronoun analytics is presented, noting that further analysis will occur later. The focus is on whether these pronouns are pronominal or not.

Systematization of Clitics

The speaker summarizes key differences between critics and affixes, stating that critics express case (specifically accusative case), can undergo doubling and climbing, and change morphology when combined with accusatives.

Types of Clitics Discussed

Discussion about argumental versus non-argumental clitics reveals their syntactic independence. They can attach to verbs either as enclitics or proclitics. Focus remains on accusative, dative, and nominative accusative clitics.

Dative Case Exploration

Datives are described as mostly argumental, expressing themes for direct objects. They can also have reflexive or reciprocal meanings but are not limited to those functions.

Non-Argumental Datives

Some datives serve non-argumental roles (ethical datives), which convey benefactive or malefactive meanings. Additionally, datives can indicate location but do not function as arguments themselves.

Genitive Readings