ABSTRACT

"Pragmatics without syntax is empty; syntax without pragmatics is blind". This generalization applies to a wide range of language phenomena, including reference and the function and structure of referring expressions, such as pronouns. Pronouns are an intriguing component of natural language and have posed a long-standing puzzle for linguistics. The chapter presents a descriptive analysis of Lebanese Arabic (LbA) personal datives (PDs) in terms of their pragmatic function and structural distribution. It highlights the division of labor between pragmatics and syntax in relation to PDs. The chapter demonstrates that the interpretation of PDs relies crucially on contextual factors and the speaker's intentions. It provides groundwork for the interpretation in the syntax by identifying the structural and distributional properties of PDs that make them distinct from other pronominal elements. The chapter presents several issues pertaining to PDs: their interpretation and function as pragmatic contributors; and their status in relation to the truth conditions of utterances.