Towards a Typology of Endoclitics

This is a draft of my conference talk prepared for the 'Typology of Morphosyntactic Parameters 2016' conference (Moscow, 12-14 October 2016). I discuss the perspectives of developing a parametric theory of endoclitics and offer empiric generalizations made on the basis of Udi (two dialects), Degema, Gban, Pashto, Ossetic, Gothic, Archaic Latin, European Portuguese, Modern Russian, Old Czech. I also discuss Warlpiri converbs. The main claim is that endoclitics exist, but endoclisis is not triggered by any inherent features of clitics per se. Endoclisis is triggered by deviating behaviour of some morphological clitic bases in dedicated clausal positions where they are subject to reanalysis. In this case, insertion of endoclitics from the set {Cl-} is possible. With other clitic basis and in different syntactic positions the clitics from {Cl-} exhibit the features of ordinary proclitics vs enclitics in the same language. Endoclitic-only languages do not exist.