A corpus-based study on the anaphoric relation of Chinese reflexive “ziji”

Abstract

This study explores the conditions under which ziji refers to either a local or long-distance antecedent, and when ambiguity arises within the construction “N1 + V1 + N2 + V2 + ziji/ziji de + Noun”. It demonstrates that when ziji appears as the object or as a modifier in the object position, its binding is significantly influenced by the verb’s selection for its object. In this construction, ziji tends to bind to the more prominent noun (NP), which is typically the noun more likely to be selected as the verb’s object. Key elements—such as the embedded verb, matrix subject, embedded subject, matrix verb, and their modifiers—affect ziji’s anaphoric relation by influencing V2’s object selection. In this context, ziji performs feature scanning across different governing levels when determining its antecedent, revealing intricate connections between these elements. The study argues that ziji’s unique syntactic behavior stems from the differences in how English and Chinese realize self-directed and others-directed features. While English syntactically distinguishes these features, Chinese does not, leading to ziji’s binding properties being influenced by both lexical-level and discourse-level distinctions between these features.