Introduction

In chapter 1, I said that the canonical conception of switch-reference assumes that it satisfies the Functional Condition, which (in the context of a further assumption made, that of the Subject Condition) stipulates that the function of switch-reference markers is to indicate obligatory co/disjoint reference between the two surface syntactic subject NPs of the related clauses. Thus canonical switch-reference assumes both a particular definition of the switch-reference pivot (as surface syntactic subject, or A + S in Dixon's 1979 terms) and a particular conception of the nature of the anaphoric link indicated by the switch-reference marker as holding between the pivot NPs (as a stipulated reference relation). However, I pointed out that in at least some languages with switch-reference systems, there is not an absolute correlation between SS marking and co-referential subjects, DS marking and subjects with disjoint reference. Although a few of these apparent anomalies of marking are the result of historical changes and other peculiarities, most can be understood as resulting from functional extensions of the system. Clearly, this presents problems for an account in terms of syntactic binding such as is proposed by Finer (1985a, b). If we take it to be a defining characteristic of a switch-reference system that it should satisfy the Functional Condition, then a number of otherwise absolutely prototypical systems fail to meet this criterion. In this chapter, we will explore switch-reference systems which manifest particular types of violations of the Functional Condition.