A dynamic account of clitic positioning in Cypriot Greek

In this paper, a full account of clitic positioning in Cypriot Greek is attempted within the framework of Dynamic Syntax. Firstly, it is shown that the existing approaches dealing with CG clitic positioning are inadequate to deal with the full range of clitic positioning phenomena as these are described by Pappas (2010) and Chatzikyriakidis (2010). Then it is argued that this complex system can be effectively captured assuming a lexical entry where three generalized parsing strategies, i.e. ways of structure building, function as lexical triggers for parsing CG clitics. Variation in positioning with the non-factive complementizer oti as well as the causal subordinator epidi are accounted for assuming that these elements can be parsed as either subordinators or coordinators. Furthermore, the challenge of providing an account for complex markers/subordinators formed with the coordinator tze is provided, arguing that the unexpected enclisis caused in these cases is due to the fact that these elements provide two separate linked domains where the first acts as the context in which the second is parsed (e.g. a negative context). Lastly, the account proposed will be shown to be grounded in historical considerations as well, arguing that the transition from a descriptively simpler system (that of Medieval Cypriot Greek, MCG) to a more complex one (CG) is only epiphenomenal, showing that the transition from MCG to CG involves simplification of the lexical entry for clitics.