Abstract
The goal of this chapter is to untangle the various factors involved in the interpretation of reflexive pronouns, especially in Chinese and English. Building on proposals developed in Pollard and Xue, the chapter discusses not only syntactic conditions but also nonsyntactic conditions that determine the interpretation of the Chinese reflexive ziji and reflexives in English. The chapter reviews current analyses, demonstrating that any theory positing obligatory binding is empirically inadequate. It revises the binding theory for English developed by Pollard and Sag, focusing on how American and British English reflexive usages differ. The chapter then discusses similarities and differences between English and Chinese reflexives, showing that the notion of obligatory binding is not motivated; at the same time, we will argue that a purely pragmatic or discourse-based account cannot be maintained. It finally focuses on nonsyntactic conditions relevant to Chinese ziji . Keywords: long-distance reflexive (LDR); nonsyntactic reflexive; reflexive pronouns; syntactic reflexive; ziji
Published Version
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