Wan (Mande) Reciprocal and Logophoric Fragment #

@cite{dalrymple-haug-2024}

Wan (a Mande language, ISO 639-3: wan) uses logophoric pronouns in complement clauses of speech-act verbs. These logophoric pronouns can serve as the local antecedent of a reciprocal.

Key Data (@cite{dalrymple-haug-2024} §6) #

When the antecedent of the reciprocal is a logophor, only a narrow scope reading is available. In the scenario where each animal says "I will eat the others," the hare can report this with a logophor + reciprocal construction. But crucially, the wide scope reading — where the reciprocal scopes out of the embedded clause — is unavailable, because the logophoric pronoun must be interpreted inside the report context and the reciprocal cannot drag its antecedent out.

This pattern is correctly predicted by the relational analysis (the logophor is inside the report, so the reciprocal's R-relation is confined to the embedded clause) but not by the quantificational analysis (the quantifier should be able to scope out independently of whether its binder is logophoric).

Connection to Logophoricity Theory #

The logophoric pronoun in Wan satisfies the self role in @cite{sells-1987}'s hierarchy: it refers to the individual whose mental state is reported.

source

def Fragments.Wan.Reciprocals.logPl :

Core.Pronouns.PronounEntry

Wan logophoric plural pronoun mɔ̄ (LOG.PL), realized in complement of speech-act verb gé 'say'.

In (28): "wì mù tēŋ gé mɔ̄ á ē ɔ̄ŋ lɔ̄ lé" Gloss: animal PL all say LOG.PL COP REFL RECIP eat PROG 'All the animals say they-LOG will eat each other.'

Note: ē in the same example is the reflexive marker (REFL), not the logophoric pronoun. The reciprocal reading arises from the combination of REFL ē + RECIP ɔ̄ŋ.

Equations

Fragments.Wan.Reciprocals.logPl = { form := "mɔ̄", person := some UD.Person.third, number := some Number.pl }

Instances For

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def Fragments.Wan.Reciprocals.refl :

Core.Pronouns.PronounEntry

Wan reflexive marker ē (REFL). Combines with reciprocal marker ɔ̄ŋ to form the reciprocal construction.

Equations

Fragments.Wan.Reciprocals.refl = { form := "ē", person := some UD.Person.third }

Instances For

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def Fragments.Wan.Reciprocals.recip :

Core.Pronouns.PronounEntry

Wan reciprocal marker ɔ̄ŋ (RECIP). Appears after reflexive ē to yield the reciprocal reading.

Equations

Fragments.Wan.Reciprocals.recip = { form := "ɔ̄ŋ", person := some UD.Person.third, number := some Number.pl }

Instances For

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def Fragments.Wan.Reciprocals.ordinaryPl :

Core.Pronouns.PronounEntry

Wan 3pl ordinary (non-logophoric) pronoun à (low tone). In (32): "wì mù tēŋ tú gé à ɔ̄ŋ lɔ̄ lé" Gloss: animal PL all completely say 3PL RECIP eat PROG 'They all say they-3PL are going to eat each other.' (reciprocal, no logophor — wide scope IS available)

Note: tú in the same example is an adverb 'completely', not a pronoun. The 3PL pronoun is à (grave accent), tonally distinct from copula á (acute accent) in (28).

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