The grammar of identity

Meer over het boek

English self-forms and related words from other Germanic languages serve two main functions: as ‘intensifiers’ (e.g., The president himself made the decision) and as markers of reflexivity (e.g., John criticized himself). This book explores why these seemingly different functions can be expressed by the same term through a comparative syntactic and semantic analysis. It argues that both intensifying and reflexive self-forms represent the concept of ‘identity.’ The first part surveys the distribution of intensifiers in Germanic languages, providing a detailed analysis that shows all instances can be viewed as expressions of an identity function. The second part focuses on reflexive self-forms, incorporating recent theories of reflexivity while modifying them in significant ways. It explains the distribution of reflexive forms based on the semantic properties of their sentential environments, demonstrating that they, too, can be interpreted as expressions of identity. This work not only offers a comprehensive description of the underexplored area of intensifiers in Germanic languages but also addresses a longstanding question in linguistics about the dual functions of self-forms. By employing analytical methods from syntax, lexical semantics, and sentence semantics, the study enhances our understanding of the interplay between structure, meaning, and context in lexico-grammar.