Research

Ohio State Dissertations in Linguistics (OSDL)

Karin Golde (1999)

Binding Theory and Beyond: An Investigation Into The English Pronominal System

Advisor: Carl Pollard

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Abstract:

This thesis investigates self-pronouns in English (himself, herself, etc.) from a number of angles, emphasizing empirical methods of data collection. The analysis of these data includes a new version of the binding theory principles in Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar (HPSG) which correctly predict the distribution of self-pronouns (spros, also known as "reflexives") with respect to personal pronouns (ppros) in virtually all linguistic environments. In addition, this thesis offers a new look at the emphatic use of spros, and shows how the present day use of spros can be better understood in a historical perspective.

The new binding theory principles take as their basis Pollard and Sag's original HPSG formulation, which correctly predict the syntactic restrictions on binding of spros and ppros. Based on data involving relational nouns, these principles are augmented to correctly predict binding constraints on a semantic level.

Grammaticality judgments on binding into a semantically contentful PP argument are controversial, but here they are tested with a survey of native speakers. Results show that the more physically involved the pronoun's referent is in the action denoted by the clause, the more likely it is to be reanalyzed as a directargument of the verb. Attested data suggest that the same phenomenon occurs with pronouns in PP adjuncts.

Finally, a non-locally bound spro must be coindexed with a "cognizer," one who is aware of the information being presented; the binding theory principles are again revised accordingly. Outside the scope of the binding theory are the hypercorrective use of spros, and the literary uses of spros as logophors or pronominal emphatics.

The thesis then turns to a discussion of the adnominal and adverbial uses of emphatics. With a good grasp of their function, it is possible to see how spros originated in Old English as a ppro followed by the mphatic word self. From a historical vantage point, the present day pronominal system comes into sharper focus.