Lack of iteration: A problem for accusative clitic doubling

Abstract

In this paper I show that accusative clitic doubling in Spanish affects the aspectual interpretation of the VP in that it blocks iterative readings of eventive predicates. The addition of the aspectual problem to the more traditional problems (how can there be two DPs and only one thematic role; why not all DPs can be doubled; and what is the role of the preposition a that appears with the doubled DP) reduces to a large extent the space of possible solutions to the clitic doubling problem. More specifically, solutions that treat accusative clitic doubling as simply a case of object agreement will have to be discarded, since they are unable to account for the aspectual effect. Instead, I will argue that accusative clitic doubling is best analysed as an identificational small clause in which the clitic occupies the position of a pleonastic subject. This structure will provide a unified account for the traditional problems of accusative clitic doubling in Spanish and will shed some light on the iteration problem.