Abstract
This paper examines the distribution and interpretation of nanak in Atayal from the vantage point of comparative syntax, pointing out that both its reflexive and focus construals involve exclusiveness, while its distribution is relatively free at adjunct positions in various syntactic layers. On the other hand, as a reflexive adverbial, nanak also pattern with its pronominal counterpart in displaying the effect of argument reduction, though the relevant Theta-role has shifted from Theme to either Causer or Comitant according to its scope, resulting in distinct types of selfhood (i.e., anti-causality vs. anti-comitativity). This leads to our conclusion that the hierarchical distribution of nanak determines its scope of modification and quantification, and, as a consequence, the relevant syntax-semantics correspondences range from lexical to functional according to its ＂height of interpretation＂, strictly conditioned by anaphoricity, exclusiveness, comitativity, causality and speaker-orientedness according to the syntactic cartography.