P05 – The Role of Self in Pronominal Coreference
Project description
This subproject investigates why intensified pronouns (IntPros) tend cross-linguistically to grammaticalize into reflexive anaphors. It proposes that binding operates through information-structural roles: topics bind foci. The intensifier drives this relation as a focal reflexive bound by a topic. In compositional IntPros, this structure is transparent; redundant and deficient interface operations can instead license local rather than sentential topics as binders and make interpretation of the bindee’s focus feature optional. These processes yield reflexivization at the vP and DP levels and may culminate in a grammaticalization cycle from IntPros through anaphors to reflexives, followed by renewed compositional IntPros.
Although IntPros are structurally strong pronouns, their focal reflexive component requires local topic binding, countering the usual relation between pronominal strength and binding domain. The project compares Malayalam, English, German, and BCMS, which represent different stages and configurations of this development. Its hypotheses treat binding as a central instance of redundancy and deficiency through which grammar exploits pragmatic structure to economize expressed information.
Team
Boban Arsenijević
Principal Investigator
University of Graz
Boban Arsenijević studied linguistics at the universities of Niš, Belgrade, and Leiden, where he completed his PhD. His research focuses on syntax–semantics and syntax–phonology interfaces, particularly verbal aspect, morphology, clausal embedding, and the relationship between intensified and reflexive pronouns. Read more
Aleksandra Milosavljević
PhD Student
University of Graz
Aleksandra Milosavljević holds MA degrees in Linguistics and Communication Studies from the University of Belgrade and is pursuing her PhD at the University of Graz. Her research focuses on syntax and semantics, particularly expletive and defective pronouns, clause structure, and verb complements. Read more
Joeri Vinke
PhD Student
University of Graz
Joeri Vinke studied linguistics at the universities of Groningen and Utrecht, where his master’s research examined Differential Object Marking in heritage languages, particularly Sarnámi Hindustani. His research interests include argument structure, adpositional syntax, binding, inalienable possession, intensification, and head movement. Read more
Cluster membership
Output
Publications
2026
Arsenijević, B., Milosavljević, A., & Milosavljević, S. (2026). Anaphoricity as the source of multifunctionality in confirmational particles. Proceedings of the Conference Referential Expressions in Discourse (RED) 2025.
author={Arsenijević, B. and Milosavljević, A. and Milosavljević, S.},
title={Anaphoricity as the source of multifunctionality in confirmational particles},
year={2026},
booktitle={Proceedings of the conference Referential Expressions in Discourse (RED) 2025} }
Milosavljević, S., & Milosavljević, A. (2026). The expletive-like pronoun to ‘that’ in Serbo-Croatian as a topic-situation correlative pronoun. Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2024-0197
author={Milosavljević, S. and Milosavljević, A.},
title={The expletive-like pronoun to ‘that’ in Serbo-Croatian as a topic-situation correlative pronoun},
year={2026},
month={June},
ISSN={0024-3949, 1613-396X},
url={https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/ling-2024-0197/html},
DOI={10.1515/ling-2024-0197},
journal={Linguistics} }
2025
Arsenijević, B. (2025). Overt, Omitted and Cliticized Structural Arguments in Preschool Speakers of Serbian Dialectal Varieties. Balcania et Slavia, 5(2), 1–13.
author={Arsenijević, B.},
title={Overt, Omitted and Cliticized Structural Arguments in Preschool Speakers of Serbian Dialectal Varieties},
year={2025},
volume={5},
number={2},
journal={Balcania et Slavia},
pages={1–13} }
Talks
2026
Arsenijević, B. (2026). Redundancy and Deficiency in Distributed Syntax [Course].
author={Arsenijević, B.},
title={Redundancy and Deficiency in Distributed Syntax},
year={2026},
venue={University of Nova Gorica} }
Vinke, J. (2026). Diagnosing intensifiers in Dutch [Poster]. TABU 46, Groningen.
author={Vinke, J.},
title={Diagnosing intensifiers in Dutch},
year={2026},
eventtitle={TABU 46},
venue={Groningen} }
Vinke, J. (2026). Modelling intensifiers and reflexives [Invited talk]. Linguistisches Kolloquium, University of Graz.
author={Vinke, J.},
title={Modelling intensifiers and reflexives},
year={2026},
eventtitle={Linguistisches Kolloquium},
venue={University of Graz} }
Vinke, J. (2026). Towards a typology of intensifiers and reflexives. Berlin-Brno-Vienna Workshop 4, Brno.
author={Vinke, J.},
title={Towards a typology of intensifiers and reflexives},
year={2026},
eventtitle={Berlin-Brno-Vienna Workshop 4},
venue={Brno} }
2025
Kaur, G., Vinke, J., & Zeijlstra, H. (2025). Two accounts of person-based honorifics? [Poster]. Bielefeld Leiden Comparative Syntax Conference, Bielefeld.
author={Kaur, G. and Vinke, J. and Zeijlstra, H.},
title={Two accounts of person-based honorifics?},
year={2025},
eventtitle={Bielefeld Leiden Comparative Syntax Conference},
venue={Bielefeld} }
Vinke, J. (2025). Towards an interface-theory of Binding (and related phenomena) [Poster]. Salzburg ReDeFi Days, Salzburg.
author={Vinke, J.},
title={Towards an interface-theory of Binding (and related phenomena)},
year={2025},
eventtitle={Salzburg ReDeFi Days},
venue={Salzburg} }
Zeijlstra, H., Kaur, G., & Vinke, J. (2025). The φ-features of U. Linguistics in the Netherlands, Utrecht.
author={Zeijlstra, H. and Kaur, G. and Vinke, J.},
title={The φ-features of U},
year={2025},
eventtitle={Linguistics in the Netherlands},
venue={Utrecht} }
2024
Arsenijević, B. (2024). From intensification to reflexivization and back [Invited talk].
author={Arsenijević, B.},
title={From intensification to reflexivization and back},
year={2024},
venue={Utrecht} }
Heidinger, S., & Arsenijević, B. (2024). SFB: Language between redundancy and deficiency [Invited talk]. Linguistisches Kolloquium, University of Graz.
author={Heidinger, S. and Arsenijević, B.},
title={SFB: Language between redundancy and deficiency},
year={2024},
eventtitle={Linguistisches Kolloquium},
venue={University of Graz} }
Milosavljević, A. (2024). How many ‘selves’ are there in the adnominal domain? The case of BCMS [Invited talk]. Linguistisches Kolloquium, University of Graz.
author={Milosavljević, A.},
title={How many ‘selves’ are there in the adnominal domain? The case of BCMS},
year={2024},
eventtitle={Linguistisches Kolloquium},
venue={University of Graz} }
Milosavljević, A., & Milosavljević, S. (2024). The expletive-like pronoun to ‘that’ in Serbo-Croatian as a Topic Situation correlative pronoun [Poster]. Syntax, Phonology and Language Analysis 17 (SinFonIJA 17), University of Nova Gorica.
author={Milosavljević, A. and Milosavljević, S.},
title={The expletive-like pronoun to ‘that’ in Serbo-Croatian as a Topic Situation correlative pronoun},
year={2024},
eventtitle={Syntax, Phonology and Language Analysis 17 (SinFonIJA 17)},
venue={University of Nova Gorica} }
2023
Arsenijević, B. (2023). Intensified pronouns and reflexivization. Austrian Linguistics Conference, University of Graz.
author={Arsenijević, B.},
title={Intensified pronouns and reflexivization},
year={2023},
eventtitle={Austrian Linguistics Conference},
venue={University of Graz} }