clitic (n.)

A term used in GRAMMAR to refer to a FORM which resembles a WORD, but which cannot stand on its own as a normal UTTERANCE, being PHONOLOGICALLY dependent upon a neighbouring word (its host) in a CONSTRUCTION. (The term ‘clitic’ comes from the Greek word for ‘leaning’.) Examples of cliticized forms are the CONTRACTED forms of be, such as I’m and he’s. The ARTICLES of English, French, etc., are sometimes referred to as clitics: a form like the cannot stand on its own in normal utterance, but it would be called a word none the less by NATIVE-SPEAKERS. Such clitic words (‘clitics’) can be classified into proclitics (i.e. they depend upon a following word, as in the case of the articles) and enclitics (i.e. they depend upon a preceding word, as in the attachment (cliticization) of some PRONOUNS to the end of a VERB form in Italian or Spanish). The processes are also referred to as proclisis and enclisis respectively. Clitic-climbing occurs when a clitic moves from its local domain to a higher constituent, as in Italian Maria lo vuole vedere (‘Maria wants to see him’), where the lo has moved from the infinitive to before the first verb. Clitic-doubling occurs when a clitic is used despite the existence of an element with the same meaning and function in the same clause, as in Spanish Maria me visito a mi (‘Maria visited me’).