Reflexivization Strategies in Georgian
This dissertation investigates Georgian (Kartvelian) reflexivization strategies within the Government and Binding (Chomsky 1981) and Reflexivity framework (Reinhart and Reuland 1993). It argues that Georgian possesses one simplex and one complex nominal reflexivization strategy, based on a grammaticalized body-part noun. This strategy interacts with a verbal reflexivization strategy.
This dissertation discusses a non-anaphoric use of the phrase formally identical with the complex nominal reflexivization strategy in Object Camouflage (Harris 1981). The contrasting behavior of the phrase as an anaphor and as a pronominal is argued to illustrate the grammaticalization process the body-part has undergone.
The present study observes several problems for the Binding and Reflexivity frameworks, such as the subject use of the Georgian complex nominal reflexivization strategy. If Himself is killing him is ungrammatical in English, its Georgian equivalent is grammatical with the “aspect/property of” reading. This study discusses Madame Tussaud's and similar contexts that allow a proxy reading of Georgian anaphors in subject position. This use is a problem also for various other proposals in the generative literature that aim to explain the absence/presence of subject anaphors cross-linguistically.
Reflexivization Strategies in Georgian is of relevance to scholars in the fields of syntax, language typology and Georgian linguistics.
