Linguistic Parameters

Abstract

The previous chapter provided a detailed and coherent description of the facts about weak object pronoun placement. In this chapter, the pattern of variation is examined more closely in order to determine whether there are any linguistic parameters that affect the position of pronouns in the clause. Evidence is provided that certain lexical items, such as ἄν and ὅλος alter the expected pattern of variation when they appear in specific constructions, and explanations are sought for these types of interactions. On the other hand, it is demonstrated that previously proposed parameters such as emphasis or discourse constraints do not have a demonstrable effect on the variation. The last section presents an in-depth analysis of weak object pronoun placement with non-finite forms—an issue that has not been fully examined until now.