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In:Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 14: Selected papers from the 46th Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages (LSRL), Stony Brook, NY
Edited by Lori Repetti and Francisco Ordóñez
[Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 14] 2018
► pp. 21–34

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Chapter 2
Long-distance binding of French reflexive soi

First-person oriented logophoricity

 | Harvard University
Published online: 13 August 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/rllt.14.02cha
Abstract
This paper aims at showing that long-distance binding can be reduced to logophoric exemption from Condition A based on the case study of French soi. Soi is usually treated as a long-distance anaphor similar to Icelandic sig. But once the relevant factors are disentangled, it turns out that soi is a standard anaphor that must be locally bound unless the relevant logophoric conditions are met, which exempt soi from binding requirements. First, soi is a first-person oriented generic, expressing a generalization based on the discourse participants’ identification with the antecedent. Second, this determines its logophoric conditions of exemption (speaker-orientedness): soi is exempt from Condition A when its antecedent includes the speaker and is the perspective center of its clause.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.French soi as a first-person oriented generic
    • 2.1Background about soi
    • 2.2Genericity of soi
  • 3.French soi as an anaphor exempt under logophoric conditions
    • 3.1Exemption of soi
    • 3.2Logophoricity of soi
  • 4.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (31)
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