Switch-Reference

Abstract

The term ‘switch-reference’ refers to a kind of grammatical system available in some languages involving an obligatory distinction marked on the verb for indicating whether adjacent syntactically related clauses share the same major protagonist. The definition of switch-reference has been considered controversial, partly because the systems so-labeled differ in their formal characteristics depending on the geographical location of the language, and partly because of the difficulty of providing a proper delimitation of the meanings and functions of switch-reference systems. This article surveys the distribution, origins, and typology of switch-reference; considers problems of defining its fun..