Reflexivization and Mình-Exceptional Local Binding by a Monomorphemic Anaphor?

This paper considers the distribution of the anaphor <i>mình</i> in Vietnamese and whether <i>mình</i> can be locally bound in the absence of the reflexivizing element <i>tự</i>. The patterning of Vietnamese <i>mình</i> poses a potential challenge to t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Andrew Simpson, Linh Pham
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Languages
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/3/44
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850090607794454528
author Andrew Simpson
Linh Pham
author_facet Andrew Simpson
Linh Pham
author_sort Andrew Simpson
collection DOAJ
description This paper considers the distribution of the anaphor <i>mình</i> in Vietnamese and whether <i>mình</i> can be locally bound in the absence of the reflexivizing element <i>tự</i>. The patterning of Vietnamese <i>mình</i> poses a potential challenge to theories of binding based on claims that anaphors that are monomorphemic reject local binding and are unable to reflexivize a predicate. The paper reports on an experiment designed to probe judgements of <i>mình</i> in local reflexive interpretations and concludes that, for many speakers from different regions of Vietnam, <i>mình</i> in object position may be interpreted reflexively with the subject of the same clause, without the need for <i>tự</i>. On the basis of patterns involving ellipsis and quantificational subjects, it is further shown that this is a genuine binding relation and not simple co-reference. Such conclusions are noted to have significant consequences for certain approaches to binding.
format Article
id doaj-art-a8a4f69bf23e48b8a4fcdf12e48f1df8
institution DOAJ
issn 2226-471X
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Languages
spelling doaj-art-a8a4f69bf23e48b8a4fcdf12e48f1df82025-08-20T02:42:32ZengMDPI AGLanguages2226-471X2025-02-011034410.3390/languages10030044Reflexivization and Mình-Exceptional Local Binding by a Monomorphemic Anaphor?Andrew Simpson0Linh Pham1Department of Linguistics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USADepartment of Linguistics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USAThis paper considers the distribution of the anaphor <i>mình</i> in Vietnamese and whether <i>mình</i> can be locally bound in the absence of the reflexivizing element <i>tự</i>. The patterning of Vietnamese <i>mình</i> poses a potential challenge to theories of binding based on claims that anaphors that are monomorphemic reject local binding and are unable to reflexivize a predicate. The paper reports on an experiment designed to probe judgements of <i>mình</i> in local reflexive interpretations and concludes that, for many speakers from different regions of Vietnam, <i>mình</i> in object position may be interpreted reflexively with the subject of the same clause, without the need for <i>tự</i>. On the basis of patterns involving ellipsis and quantificational subjects, it is further shown that this is a genuine binding relation and not simple co-reference. Such conclusions are noted to have significant consequences for certain approaches to binding.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/3/44bindingmonomorphemic anaphorsco-referencereflexivizers
spellingShingle Andrew Simpson
Linh Pham
Reflexivization and Mình-Exceptional Local Binding by a Monomorphemic Anaphor?
Languages
binding
monomorphemic anaphors
co-reference
reflexivizers
title Reflexivization and Mình-Exceptional Local Binding by a Monomorphemic Anaphor?
title_full Reflexivization and Mình-Exceptional Local Binding by a Monomorphemic Anaphor?
title_fullStr Reflexivization and Mình-Exceptional Local Binding by a Monomorphemic Anaphor?
title_full_unstemmed Reflexivization and Mình-Exceptional Local Binding by a Monomorphemic Anaphor?
title_short Reflexivization and Mình-Exceptional Local Binding by a Monomorphemic Anaphor?
title_sort reflexivization and minh exceptional local binding by a monomorphemic anaphor
topic binding
monomorphemic anaphors
co-reference
reflexivizers
url https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/3/44
work_keys_str_mv AT andrewsimpson reflexivizationandminhexceptionallocalbindingbyamonomorphemicanaphor
AT linhpham reflexivizationandminhexceptionallocalbindingbyamonomorphemicanaphor