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Chen Yang

Valentina Brunetto

University of Leeds, UK

 

Abstract

This study tackles binding issues of Chinese reflexive ziji, an instantiation of so-called long-distance anaphors. We evaluated a “mixed” approach (Charnavel, 2019; Huang & Liu, 2001; Huang et al., 2009) to long-distance anaphora, by analysing the role of locality and logophoricity on the behaviour of ziji in the long-bei passive, an understudied construction in the domain of Chinese anaphora. Our analysis shows that the “mixed” approach, which claims that a long-distance anaphor is either a plain anaphor or a logophor subject to logophoricity, is not sufficient for capturing ziji’s behaviour in the bei-construction. We argue that when taking antecedence from the matrix subject of the long-bei passive, ziji is neither a plain anaphor as it is not locally bound, nor a logophor as logophoricity effects are absent. We suggest that ziji may have a third status: intermediate binding, i.e., neither local nor long-distance, but rather indirect resulting from the mediation of a null operator. Further research will look into other constructions that may involve intermediate binding, e.g., the ba-construction, and focus on properties of intermediate binding and seek accounts for it.

 

Keywords

Long-distance anaphora, Chinese reflexive ziji, the bei-construction, locality, logophoricity

 

近距、中距与长距约束：以中文反身代词“自己”在长被动句的行为为例

 

杨宸

瓦伦蒂娜·布鲁内托

利兹大学，英国

 

摘要

本研究探讨了中文长距反身代词“自己”的约束问题。通过分析“自己”在长被动句中有关局部性（ locality）和语内传递 (logophoricity) 的表现，我们评估了用以解释长距约束的“混合”方法 (Charnavel, 2019; Huang & Liu, 2001; Huang 等 , 2009)。被动句在中文回指的领域是一个研究不足的结构。我们的分析显示 : 声称可建立长距约束关系的反身代词实质上是普通的回指或语内传递语的“混合”方法不足以完全解释“自己”在被动句中的行为。我们认为，当指代长被动句的最高级主语时，由于局部约束和语内传递效应的缺失，“自己”既不是一个普通的回指，也不是一个语内传递语。我们认为，长距反身代词“自己”可能有第三种状态 ：中距约束。这种约束关系既不是局部的，也不是远距离的，而是由于一个空操作符的调解而间接产生的。后续研究将探索其他可能涉及中距约束的结构，例如把字句，以进一步研究中距约束的性质并寻求其解释。

 

关键词

长距指代，中文反身代词“自己”，被字句， 局部性，语内传递