Perspectival reflexives and event semantics

Abstract

This paper presents a unified semantic theory of long-distance reflexivity inside and outside of indirect discourse. Long-distance reflexives are argued to be discourse anaphors with presuppositional restrictions to (shifted) perspective holders. Perspective-shift is analyzed in the event semantics: In indirect discourse, the perspective is assigned to the agent/experiencer of the attitudinal event. By modelling the analysis in the event semantics instead of the modal semantics of indirect discourse, it is possible to generalize it to non-attitudinal cases of long distance binding, using other event types and thematic roles.