Abstract

We show that reduced personal argument pronouns in Dutch and Gerrnan surface in a proper subset of the positions accessible to füll argument DPs. Therefore, we argue for a unified syntactic analysis, which takes both types of DPs to be subject to the same phrase structural principles and the same positioning rules, namely, XP-scrambling and XP-'topicalization'. Our argument here rests a.o.t. on the observation that the case for a subject-/nonsubject-asymmetry w.r.t. fronting into Spec,CP has been overstated. Instead we diagnose what we call 'Conditional Syrnmetry'. We thus suggest that a more insightful account can be developed if Dutch and Gerrnan possess exactly one target-position for fronted XPs. We further argue that degrees of constituent perrnutability and frontability should be derived under a multifactorial account, drawing on independently motivated principles from the syntax-discourse interface and (morpho-) phonology as they interact with the system of pronouns. lt follows that, as far as syntax goes, reduced pronouns in Dutch and Gerrnan must not be treated as 'special clitics'. Neither should they be analyzed as bare X 0 -categories. Thus, no syntactic argument for the existence or directional orientation offunctional heads can be based on these elements.