Object Coreference in German: The Reflexive sich as a Problem for Derivational Approaches to Binding

• Published in: Philosophies (Basel) Vol. 7; no. 1; p. 5
• Main Authors: Lee-Schoenfeld, Vera, Twiner, Nicholas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.02.2022
• Subjects: double-object construction; inherent dative case; inherent reflexivity; object coreference; Patients; reflexive binding; structural accusative case
• ISSN: 2409-9287; 2409-9287
• DOI: 10.3390/philosophies7010005

Despite Grewendorf’s well-known German binding data with the double-object verb zeigen ‘show’, where one object reflexively binds the other and which suggests that the direct object (DO) is generated higher than the indirect object (IO), this paper argues for the canonical surface order of IO > DO as base order. We highlight the exceptional status of Grewendorf’s examples, build on scope facts as well as a quantitative acceptability rating study, and exploit the fact that zeigen can also be used as inherently reflexive with idiomatic meaning. Appealing to the base configuration of the pieces of idiomatic expressions and considering different Spell-Out possibilities of coreferential objects in German, we show that the case, number, and gender underspecification of the anaphor sich poses a previously unnoticed problem for derivational approaches to binding.