Constraining Optimality: Clitic Sequences and Feature Geometry

Abstract

Clitics are ordered from left to right according to increasing markedness. Markedness is evaluated in terms of complexity of feature representation Feature representation adapted from Harley & Ritter. Variable clitic ordering always involve se and singular me and te. ⬚Se⬚ is the least specified but is compatible with some specifications; if it is specified then it becomes as marked as ⬚me⬚ or ⬚te⬚ and thus can be ordered to their right as opposed to their left.