Catalan pronominalization and information structure: the role of primary accent

Abstract

Certain aspects of Catalan pronominalization cannot be described without taking into account how informational content is mapped onto sentence structure. In this paper, some data previously considered in the literature (mainly from Todolí's 'Els pronoms') will be (re)analyzed considering the effects of information packaging articulation in Catalan in order to provide a more unified account. Information structure requirements are relevant for the analysis of the restrictions on pronominalization since, in Catalan, position in sentence structure reflects the pragmatic import of constituents. Viewing clitic binding as a result of a thematization procedure allows for a wider and more coherent approach to pronominalization, since proforms substitute not only for thematic material that is omitted but also for thematic material that is located in dislocated slots.