Pronominal Clitics in Old Romanian: The Tobler-Mussafia Law

This study analyzes the position occupied by pronominal clitics in the clause with respect to the verb in old Romanian (OR) on the basis of an extensive corpus analysis of 16th - 18th century texts. The corpus analysis shows that, from the earliest texts, OR pronominal clitics are attested in second, third, fourth, etc. position in the clause, and exceptionally also in first position. Therefore, they do not fully observe the Tobler-Mussafia Law, which was in function in old Romance languages. OR
pronominal clitics are IP-clitics, which can be placed both in pre- and in postverbal position (proclisis and enclisis). Gradually, due to the going reduction of V-to-C movement, pronominal proclisis generalizes.