Abstract
We investigated the comprehension of the Chinese reflexive ziji, which is typically subject to long-distance binding. However, this preference can be overridden by verb semantics (some verbs require local binding) as well as by subtle feature combinations of intervening noun phrases (NPs) (e.g., 1st/2nd person pronouns block dependencies with more distant 3rd person antecedents). The processing of ziji was examined in sentences containing two verb types (local/self-oriented, distant/other-oriented) and three different intervening NPs (1st, 2nd , 3rd person). The event-related potential data revealed an early interaction of verb and intervener: other-oriented verbs showed more processing effort for 1st and 2nd person interveners (blocking), while self-oriented verbs showed a disadvantage for 2nd person (associated with directive speech acts). We argue that two distinct animacy hierarchies are the source for these early verb-specific patterns. The blocking effect showed an additional later effect independent of verb semantics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Burkhardt, P.: The Syntax-Discourse Interface: Representing and Interpreting Dependency. John Benjamins, Amsterdam (2005)
Carminati, M.N.: Processing Reflexes of the Feature Hierarchy (Person >Number >Gender) and Implications for Linguistic Theory. Lingua 115, 259–285 (2005)
Chomsky, N.: Lectures on Government and Binding. Foris, Dordrecht (1981)
Croft, W.: Typology and Universals. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2003)
Dixon, R.M.W.: Ergativity. Language 55, 59–138 (1979)
Dixon, R.M.W.: Ergativity. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1994)
Friederici, A.D., Mecklinger, A., Spencer, K.M., Steinhauer, K., Donchin, E.: Syntactic Parsing Preferences and Their on-Line Revisions: A Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Event-Related Brain Potentials. Cognitive Brain Research 11, 305–323 (2001)
Greenberg, J.H.: Language Universals, With Special Reference to Feature Hierarchies. Mouton, The Hague (1966)
Haiman, J.: Natural Syntax. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1985)
Harris, T., Wexler, K., Holcomb, P.J.: An Electrophysiological Investigation of Binding and Coreference. Brain and Language 75, 313–346 (2000)
Huang, Y.: The Syntax and Pragmatics of Anaphora. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1994)
Huang, C.T.J., Liu, C.S.L.: Logophoricity, Attitudes, and Ziji At the Interface. In: Cole, P., Hermon, G., Huang, C.T.J. (eds.) Long-Distance Reflexives, pp. 141–196. Academic Press, San Diego (2001)
Hu, J., Pan, H.: NP Prominence and the Chinese Reflexive Ziji. Modern Linguistics 4, 46–60 (2002)
Jin, Z.-H.: Verb Restraint Function to Ziji Long-Distance Binding. Chinese Language Learning 4, 9–12 (2003)
König, E., Vezzosi, L.: The Role of Predicate Meaning in the Development of Reflexivity. In: Bisang, W., Himmelmann, N., Wiemer, B. (eds.) What Makes Grammaticalization?: A Look From Its Fringes and Its Components, pp. 213–244. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin (2004)
Kuno, S.: Functional Sentence Perspective: A Case Study From Japanese and English. Linguistic Inquiry 3, 269–320 (1972)
Li, X.Q., Zhou, X.L.: Who is Ziji? ERP Responses to the Chinese Reflexive Pronoun During Sentence Comprehension. Brain Research 1331, 96–104 (2010)
Molinaro, N., Barber, H.A., Carreiras, M.: Grammatical Agreement Processing in Reading: ERP Findings and Future Directions. Cortex 47, 908–930 (2011)
Osterhout, L., Mobley, L.A.: Event-Related Brain Potentials Elicited By Failure to Agree. Journal of Memory and Language 34, 739–773 (1995)
Osterhout, L., Bersick, M., McLaughlin, J.: Brain Potentials Reflect Violations of Gender Stereotypes. Memory and Cognition 25, 273–285 (1997)
Reuland, E.: Anaphors, Logophors and Binding. In: Cole, P., Hermon, G., Huang, C.T.J. (eds.) Long-Distance Reflexives, pp. 343–370. Academic Press, San Diego (2001)
Schumacher, P.B.: Definiteness Marking Shows Late Effects During Discourse Processing: Evidence From ERPs. In: Lalitha Devi, S., Branco, A., Mitkov, R. (eds.) DAARC 2009. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 5847, pp. 91–106. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)
Sells, P.: Aspects of Logophoricity. Linguistic Inquiry 18, 445–479 (1987)
Silverstein, M.: Hierarchy of Features and Ergativity. In: Dixon, R.M.W. (ed.) Grammatical Categories in Australian Languages, pp. 112–171. Australian National Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra (1976)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Schumacher, P.B., Bisang, W., Sun, L. (2011). Perspective in the Processing of the Chinese Reflexive ziji: ERP Evidence. In: Hendrickx, I., Lalitha Devi, S., Branco, A., Mitkov, R. (eds) Anaphora Processing and Applications. DAARC 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 7099. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25917-3_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-25917-3_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-25916-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-25917-3
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)