This paper discusses two theoretically challenging phenomena concerning the phi-features on plural pronouns: (i) ‘dependent plural pronouns’, i.e. plural pronouns that denote atomic individuals, and (ii) partial binding, i.e. plural pronouns with more than one antecedent. I will offer a novel semantic account of these two phenomena where all occurrences of phi-features are both semantically and...

In Norwegian, possessive pronouns can be prenominal (min bil 'my car') or postnominal (bilen min 'car.DEF my'). In the Principles and Parameters literature, the standard assumption is that possessive pronouns are prenominal in underlying structure, while the postnominal position is a result of N-movement. This paper takes a different approach. The focus is the grammatical differences between th...

An eye-movement reading experiment investigated whether the ease with which pronouns are processed is affected by the lexical frequency of their antecedent. Reading times following pronouns with infrequent antecedents were faster than following pronouns with frequent antecedents. We argue that this is consistent with a saliency account, according to which infrequent antecedents are more salient...

In this paper I argue that anaphoric pronouns should always be interpreted exhaustively. I propose that pronouns are either used referentially and refer to the speaker’s referents of their antecedent indefinites, or descriptively and go proxy for the description recoverable from its antecedent clause. I show how this view can be implemented within a dynamic semantics, and how it can account for...

Today every bien pensant email signature displays the politics of third-person pronoun, but arguably those first-person plural run deeper. The need to decide who ‘we’ are arises at point formation any effectual group, and this makes it a precondition political speech as such. You won't get far without an ‘us’. Of course, is large question for sociology philosophy, not reducible merely lexical t...