Syntax of reciprocals in Japanese

要旨

This article discusses the syntax and logical structure of sentences in Japanese which carry the semantic import of reciprocity. Two types of constructions are considered: one type of sentences involves the reciprocal anaphor otagai, and the other involves the ‘reciprocal verb’ -aw. Firstly, we show that these two types of sentences have distinct semantic properties. Secondly, we argue that the ‘gap’ that appears in the -aw construction has the properties of A-bar bound variables, as evidenced by its behavior with respect to island constraints and parasitic gaps. Thus, we propose that the -aw construction involves movement of an invisible operator at S-structure. Towards the end, we consider the behavior of otagai in light of the insights obtained from the body of the present work.

主題