1. 1 French clitics and cognition Dick Hudson Oxford, November 2012

2. 2 Plan 1.Cognition in Word Grammar 2.Clitics in Word Grammar 3.French clitics 4.Conclusions

3. 3 1. Cognition in Word Grammar Language is part of cognition –both competence and performance. All of general ability is available –so let's assume language can use it all. Maybe language needs nothing else? –This is a question for research. So what does general cognition offer?

4. 4 General cognition A variety of units: –concepts, e.g. 'cat' –percepts, e.g. cat purring –motor-programs, e.g. how to stroke –feelings, e.g. liking for cats A network structure –linking units –defining concepts cat

5. 5 Networks and activation The brain is a 'neural' network –which carries activation. The mind is a 'mental' network –built on the neural network –and therefore affected by activation. But the mental network has special properties too.

6. 6 is-a The mental network Nodes are classified in 'is-a' hierarchies Properties are links to other nodes. All links are classified. These hierarchies allow generalisations –so a token X inherits properties by default bird robin flying flier X

7. 7 Default inheritance Penguins are birds. A typical bird flies. –flying is expected –quantity (#) = 1 But for penguins, there's no flying –# = 0 –i.e. They don't fly. So X doesn't fly. bird penguin flying flier X 0 # 1 # 0 #

8. 8 Types of link in cognitive networks Basic (?innate?) links –is-a (classification) –quantity (how many? true/false?) –identity (binding – more later) –argument, value Relational concepts –in an is-a hierarchy –e.g. 'flier' is-a 'actor' # = flier actor argument value

9. 9 Binding To 'find' a node, bind it to another one. Q. Who is John? A. He's the cook. Follows activation: –choose the most active candidate. John ? = cook

10. 10 Limitless cognitive networks Limitless creation of relations as needed –e.g. for kinship Limitless creation of properties as needed –e.g. for people Limitless exceptionality as needed –e.g. for birds Limitless binding as needed

11. 11 2. Clitics in Word Grammar By default, a word is realized by a word-form. But a clitic is realized by an affix. Default inheritance allows this. word-form word realization form affix clitic

12. 12 Default morphology Base is-a realization. Top is-a realization. –Top is fully inflected. By default, Base = Top. But for inflections: –Top is a 'variant' of Base. word-form word realization base variant top inflection

13. 13 Affixes and hosts By default, an affix has a host –the wordform it defines. Every affix has a position within its host –at least as prefix or suffix –but the position may be defined by a template –e.g. Latin am-a-b-i-t-ur { } {s} host 2 1 { } {ur} host 6 { } 1 2 3 4 5 6 { } 1 2 3 4 5 s-variant second part fourth part 'he/she will be loved'

14. 14 Clitics and hostforms A clitic is fully realized by an affix. The affix needs a host. So the host is a special 'hostform'. Maybe this inherits a template structure from inflections? –special clitics always combine with complex morphology? affix clitic top hostform host part e.g. third part wordform

15. 15 John is/'s late. realization JOHN BE,3sg LATE {John} {i-z} {late} realization JOHN BE,3sg, clitic LATE {John} {z} {late} {John-z} host part 2 part 1 hostform Bound to realization of previous word.

16. 16 The entry for {z} {z} is-a suffix. So it has a host. Its host is-a hostform whose part2 it is and part1is bound to the preceding wordform. form host suffix hostform {z} 2 1 next =

17. 17 Summary of apparatus Rich relations –realization –host –part 1/2/… Forms –hostforms Default inheritance Activation Binding

18. 18 3. French clitics Je ne me les y ai pas mis. I not for-me them there have not put. Clitics combine in an order which is –rigidly fixed –different from full NPs: J'ai mis les lettres sur la table. I have put the letters on the table clitics underlined

19. 19 The football team 1234567 subjneg1/2/ref3 dir3 indyen je tu il/elle nous vous ils/elles ne me te se nous vous le la les lui leuryen

20. 20 The challenges of French clitics A. Positive imperatives: Verb + clitics. Donnez-le-moi! (*Me le donnez!) "Give it to me!" B. Only one per column. *Je te me présenterai. "I'll introduce myself to you" C. *3 + 5 (*1/2/ref + 3 ind) *Je me lui présenterai. "I'll introduce myself to her." D. and …

21. 21 Clitic climbing Je ai donné. I have given him it. le lui le aux 'make' Je te ferai manger. I'll make you eat it. Je te laisserai le manger. I'll let you eat it. Je te laisserai manger. I'll let you eat it. le Or … 'let', 'send' or perception Je le lui donne. I give him it.

22. 22 Classifying clitics Clitics are classified. –'subj', 'neg', etc. One item per class. '1/2/ref' is-a 'obj' –so *me lui –and Donnez-le-moi –= Donnez-le-lui clitic subj ne obj 3dir y en 1/2/ref

23. 23 Adding hostforms Each clitic brings its own hostform. Each clitic class has a position. Each verb also has its own hostform. Hostforms bind together. hostform 3dir host 4 hostform imperative host <4 ? =

24. 24 Classifying hostforms Positive imperatives have ordinary order. Compare: –Donnez-le-moi –Donnez le livre à Jean! But other verbs are different… imperative host <4 obj 3dir y en 4 7 6 5 hostform1 hostform2 3dir en Give it to me! Give the book to John!

25. 25 The paradoxes hostform2 verb host >7 imperative host <4 hostform1 4 3dir en 7 1 subj 1/2/ref 3 5 obj Positive imperatives are exceptional verbs, but they have default hostforms. Why? Order shows function (direct/indirect) in hostform1, but person in hostform2. Why? 2 neg

26. 26 Why positive imperatives? Why do positive imperatives have default order? Because they don't include subjects and negatives. subjects contrast before/after verb. negatives contrast ne ….. pas. So subj and neg drag hostword1 before the verb.

27. 27 Why function > person? Pos imperatives: Donnez-le-moi/lui! –follows non-clitic order: Donnez le livre à Jean! Others: Il me le donne ~ Il le lui donne –follows semantic link to subject: reflexive > non-reflexive –also animacy hierarchy: 1 > 2 > 3

28. 28 Je les fais manger. I them make eat How do clitics climb? Each clitic brings a hostform. But so does each clitic-available verb. Then the various hostforms merge. Je les mange. I them eat host hf host hf host hf host hf = =

29. 29 Binding again Binding in parsing, and in semantics, and in clitic climbing. He hurt himself. subj = referent = Je les ai mangés. host =

30. 30 4.Conclusions French clitics require only: –default inheritance –binding –unlimited relations All these tools are available in general cognition. So clitics are ordinary cognition.

31. 31 Thank you This show is available at www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/dick/talks.htm