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Abstract Abstract: Studies on reflexives have been carried out mostly from formal linguistics, leaving their conceptual basis neglected. To address this problem, this study contrasts the conceptual basis of English and Chinese Reflexives. The results show that while the primary function of English reflexives is to indicate the separation of the Subject (the locus of consciousness) from the Self (the objective aspect of a person), Chinese lacks the reflexive constructions which embody the separation of the Subject from the Self. “Ziji” often functions as subject and genitive NP in Chinese sentences, suggesting that the Subject is usually contained in the Self in Chinese. The conceptual differences between Chinese and English reflexives, viewed from the cognitive theory of anaphora, can give a natural and unified account of the referential properties of Chinese reflexives which have long been controversial in syntax, such as long distance binding, sub-command binding, and blocking effects.
Key words: reflexive; conceptual basis; Subject; Object; binding
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