Clitic Climbing

In generative syntax, clitic climbing is a movement of a clitic out of its local domain.

Examples

As in (ii):

(i)	Gianni	vuole	vederli
	Gianni	wants	see-them

(ii)	Gianni	li	vuole	vedere
	Gianni	them	-wants	see

In (i) the clitic li is in its normal position, cliticized on the infinitive. In (ii) the clitic is moved out of the domain of the infinitive and cliticized on the matrix verb vuole.

Comments

This phenomenon is also common in other Romance languages, but not in French. Clitic Climbing facts have led to the assumption that certain verbs, like volere in Italian, trigger Restructuring.

Link

Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics

References

• Kayne, R. 1989. Null subjects and clitic climbing. In Jaeggli, O. & Safur, K. (eds.) The null subject parameter. Amsterdam: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
• Rizzi, L. 1982. Issues in Italian syntax. Dordrecht: Foris.