Syntax of reciprocals in Japanese

This article discusses the syntax and logical structure of sentences in Japanese which carry the semantic import of reciprocity. Two types of constructions are considered: one type of sentences involves the reciprocal anaphor otagai, and the other involves the ‘reciprocal verb’ -aw. Firstly, we show that these two types of sentences have distinct semantic properties. Secondly, we argue that the ‘gap’ that appears in the -aw construction has the properties of A-bar bound variables, as evidenced by its behavior with respect to island constraints and parasitic gaps. Thus, we propose that the -aw construction involves movement of an invisible operator at S-structure. Towards the end, we consider the behavior of otagai in light of the insights obtained from the body of the present work.