On the (non)isomorphism of Romance definite articles and clitic pronouns: a diachronic perspective

Authors

  • Judy Bernstein William Paterson University
  • Francisco Ordóñez Stony Brook University
  • Francesc Roca Universitat de Girona

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18148/hs/2025.v9i2-10.220

Keywords:

definite articles, accusative clitics, DP structure, isomorphism, Romance languages, Latin

Abstract

The observed isomorphism of Romance definite articles and 3rd person clitic pronouns, both typically l-forms descended from Latin ILLE, suggests a shared syntactic structure (Uriagereka 1995, Roca 1996). Less-studied Romance varieties such as Balearic Catalan, which displays s-articles descended from Latin IPSE as well as ILLE-derived 3rd person clitics, invite further consideration. The historical development, distribution, and function of the forms are accommodated via a multilayered structure for DP, one that encodes different features in a higher DP projection (for IPSE-derived s-articles) than in a lower one (for ILLE-derived l-clitics). Properties of these forms in the modern languages can be traced back to their Latin ancestors (Vincent 1997, Ledgeway 2012). In the uniform Romance languages (l-forms for articles and clitics), the same multilayered approach applies, though the evidence is masked.

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Published

2025-02-04