The Syntax of Reflexive Binding in Mongolian
Chigchi Bai
March 2025 

The Standard Binding Theory predicts that anaphors are the hallmark of reflexivity as well as binding and this is indeed the case for many languages. However, in Mongolian, reflexivity and binding do not require an anaphor be present as an overt marker. The hallmark of reflexive binding in Mongolian is the reflexive-possessive suffix -aa instead. In many ways, -aa displays properties of Binding Principle A on the one hand and has an important implication that reflexivity is a more general notion than formerly identified on the other hand. The specific proposals in this paper are as follows. First, reflexivity, which is conditioned by binding, is a Spec-Spec (subject-subject or subject-possessor) relation, rather than a Spec-Comp (subject-object) relation. Second, reflexive binding is not simply a dependency between clausemates but a dependency between Specs in a local domain. Third, [phi] on D as a bare phrase in Spec of the possessive D head is valued by that on a local subject, instantiating Agree as binding. Fourth, anaphors are formed in a unified way — the portmanteau fashion. Fifth, a first phase derivation comes into play in forming and interpreting anaphors, especially body(part) anaphors.

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Reference:	lingbuzz/008712 (please use that when you cite this article)
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keywords:	reflexive, reflexivity, binding, possessive, possessor, anaphor, conjoint reference, disjoint reference, switch reference, clitic, mongolian, english, typology, semantics, morphology, syntax
previous versions:	v1 [December 2024]
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