Clitics: one type of morphemes in linguistics done by Mehboob Shah, Institute of English language & literature, University of Sindh Pakistan

1. Presented by: Mehboob Ali Shah
Department of English

2. Definition
In morphology and syntax,
a clitic is a morpheme that has
syntactic characteristics of a
word, but depends
phonologically on another word
or phrase.

3. There is a class of bound
morphemes which are attached
at the margins of words but
which are not affixes, such
morphemes are called Clitics .
There are two classes of clitics.

4. Class 1
These always occur as appendages/
member/ partner to words. They are
totally incapable of appearing on their
own as independent words.
The genitive “ ‘s ” ( as in a farmer’s
tractor) is the only example of this
kind of clitic in English

5. Class 2
 These are forms which are capable of
appearing as independent words in some
cases but are also used as dependent
appendages to words. Which are ‘re, ‘m, ‘ll,
‘d ( as in they’re, I’m, I’ll, they’d). which are
derived from are, am, will, and had. Also
similar is the reduced negative n ’t (as in
hadn’t) which is short for not.

6. The thing that all clitics have in
common that phonologically they
cannot function as independent words.
in English, it is necessary for
phonological words to have vowel.
Clitics do not qualify for words status
because they don’t carry vowels.
The word to which a clitic is appended
is called host.

7. A. Possessive genitive
The farmer’s cattle.
The cattle owned by the farmer.
Mehboob’s mobile.
The mobile owned by the Mehboob.
Ma’m Quratlain’s student.
The student of Ma’m Quratlain

8. B. Genitive of origin
The Director’s messenger.
The messenger sent by the director.
The Maham’s story.
The story told by the Maham.

9. C. Genitive of measure
Two years’ imprisonment.
imprisonment lasting for two years.
A day’s journey.
A journey lasting one whole day.

10. Auxiliary verbs and their clitics
• Many have full and contracted forms
– is, ‘s
– are, ‘re
– am, ‘m
– has, ‘s
– have, ‘ve
– had, ‘d
– would, ‘d
– will, ‘ll

11. Freedom of host selection
 • Auxiliary clitic “ is “
– Host = N: The cup’s in the garbage.
– Host = V: The cup you broke’s in the
garbage.
– Host = Adv: The cup you broke yesterday’s
in the garbage.
– Host = P: The cup you drank out of’s in the
garage.

12. Summary/Conclusion
Clitics constitute a class of bound
morphemes which are attached at the
periphery of words. Some of them are
contracted forms of full words, while
others are particles that always appear
as bound morphemes and lack a fuller
form.

13. Thank you
Any question please?