An Optimal Distinction of Reflexives and Logophors

In thihs paper, I investigate the different usage of a reflexive-anaphor or logophor. Some African languages which have a morphologically independent set of logophors give a clue to this dichotomy. English which does not have morphologically independent logophors employs a reflexive-self form to be used as a logophor. However, the logophors in English occur in restricted environments. On the other hand, Korean is freer than English in that it allows areflexive to be interchanged with a logophor. With this assumption, I deal with the binding in Optimality Theory. I set up the constraints-MAXlog,ana,MINlog,ana, and Ølog,ana. With these constraints, the binding in various languages are explained through constraint ranking. In addition, the long-distance binding in English is dealt with properly of we assume the dichotomy and constraint-ranking in Optimality Theory. Furthermore, this gives an explanation to reflexive and pronoun alternation in English. Also, I borrow from phonology the idea of Obligatory Contour Principle to explain the similar phenomenon in syntax. I compare English with Korean in dealing with the possessive reflexive with the recourse to The Emergence of the Unmarked Pronoun Bresnan 1997. Fnmally, the reconstruction phenomenon is accounted for with the same device.