Against a uniform treatment of second position effects as force markers

This paper investigates two constructions, Verb Second and second position cliticization. These constructions involve placement of a certain element (a finite verb or clitics) in the position following the clause-initial constituent, with seemingly few restrictions as to what this constituent might be. A common way of accounting for V2 is to assume that it is a force marker. This paper challenges this view. It investigates the history of V2 and second position cliticization as well as different environments in which both constructions are found. The investigation leads to the conclusion that second position effects encompass a number of different operations, only some of which can be argued to mark force.

Published online: 27 June 2012
https://doi.org/10.1075/la.190.15mig