Feature Checking and Object Clitic Omission in Child Catalan and Spanish

Abstract

In this paper we set out to substantiate by reference to two closely related languages, Catalan and Spanish, the claim that object clitic omission in child grammar has a non-accidental correlation with participle agreement. We argue that the correlation follows from the fact that in participle agreement languages objects need to double check with two functional projections; this double checking is at the source of clitic omission, following Wexler’s (1998, to appear) Unique Checking Constraint (UCC). Catalan and Spanish constitute a relevant term of reference as their grammars are very similar except that Catalan is a participle agreement language while Spanish is not. Therefore, if our assumptions on participle agreement are correct, the UCC leads us to expect differences between the two in object clitic omission in child language development. According as our expectations are born out, we are able to claim that variation in the development of the two languages under scrutiny can be accounted for on the grounds of a universal principle, the UCC, together with the parroquial properties of the languages the child is exposed to.