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Reflexive pronoun
Reflexive pronoun
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A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that refers to another noun or pronoun (its antecedent) within the same sentence.

In the English language specifically, a reflexive pronoun will end in -self or -selves, and refer to a previously named noun or pronoun (myself, yourself, ourselves, themselves, etc.). English intensive pronouns, used for emphasis, take the same form.

In generative grammar, a reflexive pronoun is an anaphor that must be bound by its antecedent (see binding). In a general sense, it is a noun phrase that obligatorily gets its meaning from another noun phrase in the sentence.[1] Different languages have different binding domains for reflexive pronouns, according to their structure.

Origins and usage of reflexive pronouns

[edit]

In Indo-European languages, the reflexive pronoun has its origins in Proto-Indo-European.[dubiousdiscuss]

In some languages, some distinction exists between normal object and reflexive pronouns, mainly in the third person: whether one says "I like me" or "I like myself", there is no question that the object is the same person as the subject; but, in "They like them(selves)", there can be uncertainty about the identity of the object unless a distinction exists between the reflexive and the nonreflexive. In some languages, this distinction includes genitive forms: see, for instance, the Danish examples below. In languages with a distinct reflexive pronoun form, it is often gender-neutral.

A reflexive pronoun is normally used when the object of a sentence is the same as the subject. Each personal pronoun (such as I, you, he and she) has its own reflexive form:

  • I — myself
  • thou — thyself/thyselves (archaic)
  • he — himself
  • she — herself
  • it — itself
  • we — ourselves
  • you — yourself/yourselves
  • they — themself/themselves
  • one — oneself

These pronouns can also be used intensively, to emphasize the identity of whomever or whatever is being talked about:

  • Jim bought himself a book (reflexive)
  • Jim himself bought a book (intensive)

Intensive pronouns usually appear near and/or before the subject of the sentence.

Usually, after prepositions of locality it is preferred to use a personal object pronoun rather than a reflexive pronoun:[2]

  • Close the door after you. (NOT ... after yourself.)
  • He was pulling a small cart behind him. (NOT ... behind himself.)
  • She took her dog with her. (NOT ... with herself.)

Compare:

  • She's very pleased with herself. (NOT ... with her.)

Certain verbs have reflexive pronouns in some languages but not in English:[3]

  • Do you shave on Sundays? (NOT Do you shave yourself on Sundays?)
  • Try to concentrate. (NOT Try to concentrate yourself)
  • I feel strange. (NOT I feel myself strange.)

Compare to French:

  • Te rases-tu le dimanche ? (te is the second person singular reflexive pronoun in French, but it can serve as an object pronoun)
  • Essaie de te concentrer.
  • Je me sens étrange.


The list of such verbs:

  • acclimatize, adapt, behave, complain, concentrate, hide, get up/hot/tired, lie down, meet, move, relax, remember, shave, sit down, undress, wake up, wash...

Non-reflexive usage in English

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Non-reflexive use of reflexive pronouns is rather common in English. Most of the time, reflexive pronouns function as emphatic pronouns that highlight or emphasize the individuality or particularity of the noun. Grammatically, the position of reflexive pronouns in this usage is either right after the noun the pronouns are emphasizing or, if the noun is subject, after-verb-or-object position is also possible. For example, "Why don't you yourself do the job?", "Why don't you do the job yourself?", or "I want to fix my phone itself; I will not fix your watch as well."[4]

Some speakers use reflexive pronouns without local linguistic antecedents to refer to discourse participants or people already referenced in a discourse: for example, "Please, forward the information to myself, Anything else for yourself today?" Within the linguistics literature, reflexives with discourse antecedents are often referred to as logophors. Standard English allows use of logophors in some contexts: for example, "John was angry. Embarrassing pictures of himself were on display." However, within Standard English, this logophoric use of reflexives is generally limited to positions where the reflexive does not have a coargument.[5] The newer non-standard usage does not respect this limitation. In some cases, reflexives without local antecedents may be better analyzed as emphatic pronouns without any true reflexive sense.

It is common in some dialects of English to use standard object pronouns to express reflexive relations, especially in the first and sometimes second persons, and especially for a recipient: for example, "I want to get me some supper." While this was seemingly standard in Old English through the Early Modern Period (with "self" constructs primarily used for emphatic purposes), it is held to be dialectal or nonstandard in Modern English.[6][7]

It is also common in informal speech to use myself in a conjunctive phrase when 'me' would suffice: "She stood by Jane and myself." Also myself is used when 'I' would also be appropriate; for example, Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying, "Hamilton and myself were daily pitted in the cabinet like two cocks."[8]

In languages other than English

[edit]

Chinese

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In Mandarin Chinese, the reflexive pronoun is ()(), meaning "self".[9] The antecedent it refers to can be inferred by context, which is generally the subject of the sentence:

  • (zhào)()(hǎo)()()。(Take care of (your)self.)
  • ()(huì)(zhào)()(hǎo)()()(de)。(I'll take care of (my)self.)

The antecedent can be reiterated before the reflexive pronoun; this can be used to refer to an antecedent that's not the subject:

  • ()(gěi)(le)()()()()(de)(shū)。(I gave him his own book.)
  • ()(gěi)(le)()()()()(de)(shū)。(I gave him my own book.)

Like English, the reflexive can also be used to emphasize the antecedent:[9]

  • ()()()()(zǒu)(le)。(He took it (him)self.)

The reflexive can also be the subject of an embedded clause.

  • ()(jué)()()()(hěn)(cōng)(míng)。 (He considers (him)self very clever. He feels that he is very clever.)

Also unlike English, the reflexive can refer to antecedents outside of the embedded clause. Because of this, it may be ambiguous whether the antecedent refers to the subject of the main clause or the embedded clause, in which case it may be necessary to reiterate the antecedent:

  • ()(jué)()(wáng)(xiān)(shēng)()(huān)()(shèng)(guò)()(huān)()()。(I feel that Mr. Wang likes you more than he likes (him)self.)
  • ()(jué)()(wáng)(xiān)(shēng)()(huān)()(shèng)(guò)()(huān)()()()。(I feel that Mr. Wang likes you more than he likes myself.)

The reflexive pronoun in Cantonese Chinese, jihgéi, cognate to Mandarin zìjǐ (and thus also written as 自己), also follows the same rules.[10] This was also the case in Classical Chinese, which simply used [11] (Old Chinese: *kəʔ[12]).

Danish

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Danish uses the separate reflexive pronoun sig for third person pronouns, and 'selv' to mark intensive.

  • Jeg beskytter mig (selv). (I protect myself)

In Danish, there is also a difference between normal and reflexive genitives, the latter being used only in the singular:

  • Anna gav Maria hendes bog. (Anna gave Maria her [Maria's, or possibly some unknown third person's] book.)
  • Anna gav Maria sin bog. (Anna gave Maria her [Anna's] book.)

In the latter case, sin is a case of a reflexive possessive pronoun, i.e. it reflects that the subject in the phrase (Anna) owns the object (the book).

Esperanto

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The Esperanto third-person reflexive pronoun is si, or sia for the possessive (to which can be added -j for plural agreement and -n for direct object).[citation needed]

  • Li legas liajn librojn. (He reads his (someone else's) books.)
  • Li legas siajn librojn. (He reads his (own) books.)

French

[edit]

In French, the main reflexive pronoun is 'se', with its indefinite form soi.

There are also intensifying reflexive pronouns, such as moi-même, toi-même, lui-même/elle-même/soi-même, nous-mêmes, vous-mêmes and eux-mêmes/elles-mêmes, similar in meaning (but not often used) to myself, yourself, etc.

French also uses reflexive verbs to express actions that somebody is doing to themselves. Many of these are related to daily routine. For example,

  • Je me lave (I get washed, lit "I wash myself")

German

[edit]

In German, the reflexive case is not distinguishable from the accusative and dative cases except in the third person reflexive.[13] As discussed above, the reflexive case is most useful when handling third person because it is not always clear that pronouns refer to the same person, whereas in the first and second persons, it is clear: he hit him and he hit himself have different meanings, but I hit me and I hit myself mean the same thing although the former is nonstandard English.

Because the accusative and dative cases are different, the speaker must know whether the verb is reflexive accusative or reflexive dative. There are very few reflexive dative verbs, which must be memorised to ensure that the correct grammar is used. The most notable one is (sich) weh tun (to hurt oneself): Ich tue mir weh. (I hurt myself.) See also German pronouns.

Hindi/Urdu

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In Hindi, there are two primary reflexive pronouns, the reflexive pronoun खुद (khud) [from PIE *swé] meaning "self" and pronoun अपना (apnā) [from PII *HáHtmā "self"] which is the possessive reflexive pronoun and both these pronouns are used with all the three, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, persons.[14] There is also the pronoun आपस (āpas) which is used with either the inessive case-marker में (mẽ) forming the reflexive pronoun आपस में (āpas mẽ) meaning "among ourselves" or the genitive postpostion का () forming the reflexing pronoun आपस का (āpas kā) meaning "of ourselves". The genitive reflexive pronoun can also be used to emphasise when used with the personal genitive pronouns, so e.g. मेरा (merā) "mine" becomes मेरा अपना (merā apnā) "my very own".[14] Alternatively, using the genitive postposition का () with खुद (khud) gives मेरे खुदका (mere khudkā) meaning the same as मेरा अपना (merā apnā). These reflexive pronouns can be used with case-marking postpositions as shown below in the table to the right.

Reflexive pronouns Singular Plural Singular Plural
Masculine Feminine
Undeclinable Nominative
case
खुद (khud) — "self"

आपस (āpas) — "oneselves"

अपने आप (apne āp) — "by oneself", "automatically"

Oblique
case
with noun
sans noun
Declinable Nominative
case
अपना

apnā

अपने

apne

अपनी

apnī

Oblique
case
with noun अपने

apne

sans noun अपने

apne

अपन

apnõ

अपनी

apnī

अप्नियों

apniyõ

Case Postpositional
case marker
Reflexive
pronoun
Translation
Nominative खुद (khud) self
Ergative ने (ne) खुदने (khudne) self
Accusative को (ko) खुदको (khudko) self
Dative to self
Instrumental से (se) खुदसे (khudse) using, by, with self
Ablative from self
Genitive का () खुदका (khudkā) of self
Inessive में (mẽ) खुदमें (khudmẽ) in self
Adessive पे (pe) खुदपे (khudpe) on self
Terminative तक (tak) खुदतक (khudtak) until, till self
Semblative सा () खुदसा (khudsā) like self

Hungarian

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Hungarian has two primary means of expressing reflexivity.

Mag-

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The most common is by means of the stem mag- which behaves much like standard postpositions and case endings in Hungarian in that it can take the six personal suffixes to form the following personal pronouns:

  • magam (myself)
  • magad (yourself)
  • maga (himself/herself)
  • magunk (ourselves)
  • magatok (yourselves)
  • maguk (themselves)

Thus formed, these reflexive pronouns are in the nominative (i.e. subject) case and can take any case ending or postposition: magamnak (for myself), magunk előtt (in front of ourselves), magát (himself/herself (acc.)). However the accusative case marking -t is often omitted in magamat (myself), and magadat (yourself) remaining magam and magad respectively. This is also the case with possessed nouns using the same personal endings e.g. házam (my house), and kocsid (your car) both of which can be interpreted in less formal language as either nominative or accusative depending on context. Nonetheless, using the accusative ending -t (as in házamat and kocsidat) is still considered formal and correct.

Relfexive pronouns in the nominative case exist but have no logical reflexive function. Rather they have an intensifying purpose and follow the subject (if given):

  • ő maga csinálta (He himself did it)
  • a kutya maga ásta a gödröt (the dog himself dug the hole)
  • magam is így gondoltam (I myself am also of this mind)

note the absence of non-reflexive subject pronoun in the latter case where the verb marking implies the subject. In order to intensify a relfexive pronoun in any other case, i.e. a reflexive pronoun with a genuine reflexive grammatical function the word saját (one's own) is added before the reflexive pronoun:

  • saját magának okoz gondot (he's making trouble for his own self).

Ön

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The second reflexive mechanism in Hungarian is the word ön (self) which is most commonly used as a prefix with the meaning of (one)self-, For example öngyilkos (suicide victim, lit. "self-murderer") and önfeláldozni (to sacrifice oneself). This can be combined with the reflexive pronouns above to express intensity or formality:

  • önmagam (myself)
  • önmagad (yourself)
  • önmaga (himself/herself)
  • önmagunk (ourselves)
  • önmagatok (yourselves)
  • önmaguk (themselves)

The prefix ön can also be used in the manner of saját, above, but the sense is more formal than intensive.

Formal Pronouns

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Hungarian does not have a T-V distinction as in many European languages, rather it uses third person reflexive pronouns and third person verbs to indicate politeness. The singular pronouns ön (self) and maga (himself/herself) and the plural pronouns önök (selves) and maguk (themselves) are used when addressing one or more people (respectively) in a formal context, whether written or spoken. Largely seen as interchangeable, ön and önök are less common and perceived as somewhat more formal than maga and maguk. The combined forms önmaga and önmaguk are only used to express intensity and genuine reflexivity as laid out above, but are not used as non-reflexive formal/polite pronouns.

Grammatically, when using ön, maga, önök, or maguk as subject pronouns, they will be treated as though they were non-reflexive third person pronouns. This means verbs agree with a third person subject (despite having a second person referent in reality) but unlike a true reflexive object pronoun (which requires a definite verb ending), verbs using formal/polite pronouns conjugate for definite or indefinite objects as that verb's actual object requires. Compare the following:

  • (ti) mostok (you (pl.) are washing [informal])

Here the verb uses the second person plural indefinite ending -tok indicating that the object of the verb is unclear or non-existent.

  • (ti) magatokat mossátok (you (pl.) are washing yourselves [informal])

Here the verb has changed from the second person plural indefinite ending to the definite ending -játok to indicate the reflexive object.

  • (ők) mosnak (they are washing [informal])

Here the verb uses the third person plural indefinite ending -nak

  • maguk mosnak or önök mosnak (you (pl.) are washing [formal])

Here the verb also uses the third person plural indefinite ending -nak as the formal pronoun is third person, but unlike true reflexives, it does not require a definite verb ending.

  • magukat mossák ("they are washing themselves" or "you (pl.) are washing yourselves" [formal])

Here the verb is conjugated with the third person plural definite ending -ják as the pronoun is a genuine reflexive. In this case, it is not possible to tell from the sentence alone whether the intention is third person informal, or second person formal. In reality however when clarity is required an explicit subject pronoun can be used to express informal third person (ők magukat mossák), or more formal language can be used to express formal second person usage (magukat tetszik mosni lit. "it pleases to wash oneselves").

Icelandic

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There is only one reflexive pronoun in Icelandic and that is the word sig. It does not differ between genders nor number.

The reflexive pronouns are as such:

Singular and plural
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative (hann/hún/það/þeir/þær/þau) ("he/she/it/they")
Accusative sig
Dative sér
Genitive sín

Examples

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The reflexive pronoun refers to the third person:

  • Hann talar um sig.(masc. sing.) (He talks about himself)

Italian

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The reflexive pronouns in Italian are:

  • mi (first person singular)
  • ti (second person singular)
  • si (third person singular)
  • ci (first person plural)
  • vi (second person plural)
  • si (third person plural)

Reflexive pronouns are usually employed when the direct object in a sentence is also its subject, thus reflecting the action as expressed in the verb on the subject itself.

This pronoun allows the building of three kinds of reflexive verbal forms: proper, non-proper (or ostensible), and reciprocal.

  • Io mi lavo, or io lavo me (I wash myself): reflexive proper, because the subject is at the same time the object of the sentence.

Notice that the sentence I wash myself could also be translated in Italian as io lavo me stesso, stressing the reflexiveness much more than English.

The complete list of intensifying reflexive pronouns is:

  • me stesso (first person masculine singular)
  • me stessa (first person feminine singular)
  • te stesso (second person masculine singular)
  • te stessa (second person feminine singular)
  • se stesso (third person masculine singular)
  • se stessa (third person feminine singular)
  • noi stessi (first person masculine plural)
  • noi stesse (first person feminine plural)
  • voi stessi (second person masculine plural)
  • voi stesse (second person feminine plural)
  • se stessi (third person masculine plural)
  • se stesse (third person feminine plural)

Japanese

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In the Japanese language, jibun (自分) and jibunjishin (自分自身) are reflexive pronouns that correspond roughly to 'oneself'. They differ from English in some ways; for example, jibun and jibunjishin do not have to agree in gender or number where English reflexives do. Jibun can further be bound locally or long distance where English reflexives must always occur locally. Although both English and Japanese pronouns must be c-commanded by their antecedents, because of the syntactic structure of Japanese, long distance binding is allowed.

Korean

[edit]

In Korean, jagi 자기(自己) and jasin 자신(自身) are used as reflexive pronouns that refer to 'myself', 'himself', 'herself', and 'ourselves'. Jagijasin 자기자신(自己自身) is also a reflexive pronoun but it usually corresponds only to the first person (myself).

Latin

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In the first and second persons, Latin uses the ordinary oblique forms of the personal pronouns as reflexive pronouns. In the third person, Latin uses the special reflexive pronoun se, which is the same for all genders and numbers, and declined in all cases except the nominative and the vocative.

Singular or Plural
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative
Vocative
Accusative , sēsē
Genitive suī
Dative sibi
Ablative , sēsē
Locative , sēsē

Example

[edit]

Macedonian

[edit]
Accusative Dative
Full Short Full Short
себе се себе си

An alternative full form, себеси, is used for emphasis.

  • Ана ѝ ја даде нејзината книга на Марија. (Ana gave her [Maria's] book to Maria.)
  • Ана ѝ ја даде својата книга на Марија. (Ana gave her [Ana's] book to Maria.)

Novial

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(Novial is a constructed language, mostly based on Romance languages.)

  • Lo vida lo. (He sees him.)

Polish

[edit]

Oblique

[edit]
Nominative
Genitive siebie
Dative sobie
Accusative się, siebie
Instrumental sobą
Locative sobie

In Polish the oblique reflexive pronouns is się and it declines as above. It is used with 1st, 2nd and 3rd person:

  • Myję się "I wash myself"
  • Myjesz się "You wash yourself"
  • Piotr się myje "Peter washes himself"

It has been grammaticalized to a high degree, becoming also a marker of medial and/or anti-causative voice:

  • Drzwi się otworzyły "Door opened", lit. "Door opened itself"
  • Przewróciliśmy się "We fell", lit. "We turned ourselves over"

Similarly, the dative sobie gained an additional, volitional/liberative meaning, usually used in informal speech:

  • Idę sobie ulicą, patrzę sobie, a tam leży sobie dziesięć złotych. "So, I'm casually walking down the street and suddenly I see 10 zloty just lying there.", lit. "I'm walking for myself, I'm looking for myself, and there lies for itself 10 zloty"
  • Jestem sobie przedszkolaczek... "I'm a kindergartner" (from children's song)

Moreover, the phrase iść sobie has been lexicalized and means "to leave" (cf. French s'en aller):

  • Nudna ta impreza, idę sobie. "This party's boring, I'm leaving"

Possessive

[edit]

Polish also has a possessive reflexive pronoun swój (swoja, swoje). It assumes the gender of the possessed object, not that of the possessor.

  • Zabrał swoje rzeczy i wyszedł. "He took his (own) things and went out."
  • Spojrzał na swój telefon. "He looked at his (own) phone."
  • Anna oddała Kasi swoją książkę. "Anna gave her (Anna's) book to Cathy."

Not using a reflexive pronoun might indicate the other party's possession of the object:

  • Anna oddała Kasi jej książkę "Anna returned Cathy's book"

Intensive

[edit]

The intensive meaning is done by the pronoun sam (inflecting for case, gender and number):

Nominative sam m samo n sama f sami v pl same nv pl
Genitive samego samej samych
Dative samemu samej samym
Accusative samego, sam samo samą samych same
Instrumental samym samą samymi
Locative samym samej samych

Usually inflected się is added in obliques:

  • Słucham siebie samej (fem.) "I listen to myself"
  • Wierzę sobie samej (fem.) "I believe myself"

Emphatically the accusative can be replaced with dative:

  • Zrobiłem to sam (masc.) "I did it myself", "I did it alone"
  • Zrobiłem to samemu (masc.) "I did it myself", "I did it personally"

Portuguese

[edit]
  • Quando ele o vê. (When he sees him.)
  • Quando ele se vê. (When he sees himself.)

There are two ways to make a reflexive sentence in Portuguese. The first way is by attaching the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos - also vos) to the verb. The second way is by also attaching the words mesmo/a(s) or próprio/a(s), masc/fem. (plural) (="self"), immediately after the verb to add stress/intensity :

  • Eu me magoei. / Magoei-me. (I hurt myself.)

Romanian

[edit]
  • sieşi, sie, îşi, şi- Dative: himself, herself
  • pe sine, se, s- Accusative: himself, herself

Russian

[edit]

In Russian, the pronoun себя sebya universally means "oneself"/"myself"/"himself", etc. It is inflected depending on the case.[15]

When used to indicate that the person is the direct object of the verb, one uses the accusative form, sebya.[16] (It does not have a nominative form.)

  • Он поранил себя. On poranil sebya. ("He has wounded himself.")

Emphasized forms are "sam sebya" - masculine, "sama sebya" - feminine, "sami sebya" - plural. However, the word "sam" usually comes after the noun it is emphasizing.[17]

  • Он сам поранил себя. On sam poranil sebya. ("He has wounded himself." Literally: "He himself has wounded himself.")

This sentence underlines that the subject inflicted the wounds while in the previous example, "sebya" merely indicates that the subject was wounded.

In addition, the reflexive pronoun sebya gave rise the reflexive affix -sya (-ся) used to generate reflexive verbs, but in this context the affix indicates that the action happened accidentally:[18]

  • Он поранился (He has wounded himself by accident.)

There are certain stylistic differences between the three usages, despite being rendered in the same way in English.

When the person is not a direct object of the verb, other cases are used:

  • Он принес с собой бутылку водки. On prines s soboi butylku vodki. ("He brought a bottle of vodka with himself.") - instrumental case
  • Он уронил сумку себе на ногу. On uronil sumku sebe na nogu. ("He dropped a bag on his (own) foot." Literally: "He dropped a bag to himself on the foot.") - dative case

Compare:

  • Он уронил сумку ему на ногу. On uronil sumku emu na nogu. ("He dropped a bag on his (someone else's) foot.")

Russian has a reflexive possessive as well.[19]

  • Он любит свою жену. On lyubit svoyu zhenu. (He loves his wife (his own). - Reflexive possessive)
  • Он любит его жену. On lyubit yego zhenu (He loves his wife (someone else's). - It is ambiguous in English, but less so in Russian.)

Because of the existence of reflexive forms, the use of a non-reflexive pronoun indicates a subject that is different from the object. If it is impossible, the sentence is invalid or at least irregular:

  • Он поранил его. On poranil ego. ("He has wounded him (someone else).")

Serbo-Croatian

[edit]

Serbo-Croatian uses the reflexive pronoun sebe/se, which is the same for all persons, numbers and genders, and declined as follows:[20]

Nominative
Genitive sebe
Dative sebi/si
Accusative sebe/se
Vocative
Instrumental sobom
Locative sebi
  • Ana je dala Mariji njenu knjigu. ("Ana gave her [Maria's] book to Maria.")
  • Ana je dala Mariji svoju knjigu. ("Ana gave her [Ana's] book to Maria.")

The words that modify the reflexive pronoun do show gender and number:[20]

  • Čudio se samom sebi. "He wondered at himself."

The enclitic form of the reflexive pronoun, se, has been grammaticalized to a high degree:[20]

  • Vrata su se otvorila. lit. "Door opened itself" ("Door opened")
  • Prevrnuli smo se. lit. "We turned ourselves over" ("We fell")

Spanish

[edit]

In Spanish, the reflexive pronouns are: me/nos (first person singular/plural), te/os (second person) or se (third person). In Latin America, os is not used, being replaced by se for the pronoun ustedes. For clarity, there are optional intensifying adjuncts for reflexive pronouns, accompanied by mismo/a (masculine and feminine forms for "self"). They are not strictly adjuncts: sí mismo/a (instead of se), ti mismo/a (in the Río de la Plata region, it is replaced by vos mismo/a), mí mismo/a—they usually postpend the genitive.

Example with "wash oneself":

  • yo me lavo (I wash myself.)

Note that the indirect object "le"/"les" does not override "se" in the reflexive.

Slovene

[edit]

The Slovene language has reflexive pronouns as well:

  • Ana je dala Mariji njeno knjigo. (Ana gave her [Maria's] book to Maria.)
  • Ana je dala Mariji svojo knjigo. (Ana gave her [Ana's] book to Maria.)

Uzbek

[edit]

In Uzbek, the pronoun o'zi (IPA: [ɜzɪ]), refers to oneself and, to create a person specific forms, it requires certain affixes:[21]

myself - o'zi + -mni => o'zimni (IPA: [ɜzɪmnɪ]); to myself - o'zi + -mga => o'zimga (IPA: [ɜzɪmgʌ]); from myself - o'zi + -mdan => o'zimdan (IPA: [ɜzɪmdʌn]);

yourself - o'zi + -ngni => o'zingni (IPA: [ɜzɪngnɪ]); to yourself - o'zi + -ngga => o'zingga (IPA: [ɜzɪngʌ]); from yourself - o'zi + -ngdan => o'zingdan (IPA: [ɜzɪngdʌn]);

himself/ herself/ itself - o'zi + -ni => o'zini (IPA: [ɜzɪnɪ]); to himself/ herself/ itself- o'zi + -ga => o'ziga (IPA: [ɜzɪgʌ]); from himself/ herself/ itself- o'zi + -dan => o'zidan (IPA: [ɜzɪdʌn]);

ourselves - o'zi + -mizni => o'zimizni (IPA: [ɜzɪmɪznɪ]); to ourselves- o'zi + -mizga => o'zimizga (IPA: [ɜzɪmɪzgʌ]); from ourselves - o'zi + -mizdan => o'zimizdan (IPA: [ɜzɪmɪzdʌn]);

yourselves - o'zi + -ngizni => o'zingizni (IPA: [ɜzɪngɪznɪ]); to yourselves - o'zi + -ngizga => o'zingizga (IPA: [ɜzɪngɪzgʌ]); from yourselves - o'zi + -ngizdan => o'zingizdan (IPA: [ɜzɪngɪzdʌn]);

themselves - o'z + -larini => o'zlarini (IPA: [ɜzlʌrɪnɪ]); to themselves- o'z + -lariga => o'zlariga (IPA: [ɜzɪlʌrɪgʌ]); from themselves- o'z + -laridan => o'zilaridan (IPA: [ɜzɪlʌrɪdʌn]);

Emphatic-pronoun use:

myself - o'zi + -m => o'zim (IPA: [ɜzɪm])

yourself - o'zi + -ng => o'zing (IPA: [ɜzɪng])

himself/ herself/ itself - o'zi + - => o'zi (IPA: [ɜzɪ])

ourselves - o'zi + -miz => o'zimiz (IPA: [ɜzɪmɪz])

yourselves - o'zi + -ngiz => o'zingiz (IPA: [ɜzɪngɪz])

themselves - o'z + -lari => o'zlari (IPA: [ɜzlʌrɪ])

Basically, the suffixes change based on the preposition used:[21]

  • Jon o'ziga mashina sotiboldi. (John bought himself a car)
  • Biz futbol o'ynayotib o'zimizni jarohatladik. (We hurt ourselves playing football)
  • Bu holodilnik o'zini o'zi eritadi. (This refrigerator defrosts itself )
  • Men o'zimdan ranjidim. (I'm annoyed with myself)
  • Ular o'zlariga qaradilar. (They looked at themselves)
  • O'zlaringizni ehtiyot qilinglar. (Take care of yourselves)

Vietnamese

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In Vietnamese, the reflexive pronoun is mình whose meaning can be myself, herself, himself, themselves etc. depending on the number/gender of its antecedent.

  • Thằng John tự đánh mình (John hit himself.)

A Pama–Nyungan language, Guugu Yimithirr uses the suffix /-gu/ on pronouns—much like -self in English, to emphasize that the action of the verb is performed by the subject and not someone else. Take for example, the following exchange.

A:

Ngadhu

1SG.GEN.ABS

gudaa

dog.ABS

gunda-la!

hit-IMP

Ngadhu gudaa gunda-la!

1SG.GEN.ABS dog.ABS hit-IMP

Hit my dog!

B:

Nyundu-ugu

2SG.NOM-REF

gunda-la!

hit-IMP

Nyundu-ugu gunda-la!

2SG.NOM-REF hit-IMP

Hit it yourself!

[22]

See also

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Further reading

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
A reflexive pronoun is a that refers back to the subject of the in which it appears, indicating that the subject is also the recipient of the action, thereby establishing co-reference within a local domain such as the same . These pronouns differ from ordinary pronouns by requiring an antecedent in the immediate syntactic , which facilitates easier compared to pronouns that draw from broader discourse referents. In English, reflexive pronouns are formed by adding -self (singular) or -selves (plural) to the possessive form of personal pronouns, resulting in the set: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, oneself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. They primarily function as direct or indirect objects when the subject and object refer to the same entity, as in the sentence "She injured herself during the hike," where herself reflects the action back to she. Additionally, the same forms serve as intensive pronouns for emphasis, placed appositively after the subject or object without altering the core meaning, for example, "The president himself approved the decision." Reflexive pronouns exhibit distinct syntactic behaviors governed by principles like Principle A of Binding Theory in generative , which mandates that they be bound by an antecedent in their local domain, preventing long-distance interpretations in many languages unless specific conditions apply. In English, they cannot serve as subjects, unlike some languages where reflexives may appear in subject positions under certain reflexive constructions. Cross-linguistically, reflexive pronouns vary in form and distribution; for instance, like French often use pronouns such as se in reflexive verbs ("Il se lave" meaning "He washes himself"), while languages like Swedish permit long-distance reflexives that can refer to antecedents outside the immediate . They also play roles in reducing verb valence or marking in some systems, as seen in Swedish examples where the reflexive sig converts transitive verbs to intransitive ones. Children typically master reflexive pronoun interpretation earlier than that of plain pronouns, reflecting an innate sensitivity to local binding constraints.

Definition and Characteristics

Core Definition

A reflexive pronoun is a that refers back to the subject of the clause in which it appears, functioning primarily as an anaphor that requires a syntactic antecedent for its interpretation. In linguistic terms, it expresses a bound variable relationship, where the pronoun is coindexed with and c-commanded by its antecedent, distinguishing it from referential pronouns. These pronouns typically occupy object positions within the , serving as direct objects, indirect objects, or complements to prepositions, thereby indicating that the action or relation described by the or preposition is directed back upon the subject. Across languages, reflexive pronouns exhibit universal traits centered on structural dependency and feature matching with their antecedents. They universally agree in and number, and often in as well, ensuring a precise referential link that enforces within a local syntactic domain. This agreement mechanism underscores their role in binding theory, where reflexives must be bound in their governing category to avoid interpretive failure, as opposed to non-reflexive pronouns that permit freer reference. Reflexive pronouns display typological variation, broadly categorized into simple and complex forms. Simple reflexives consist of a single per person, often functioning as detransitivizing operators that reduce the verb's without occupying full argument positions. In contrast, complex reflexives involve morphologically composite that vary by case, function, or additional features, allowing them to fill slots while maintaining strict local binding and subject-orientation. This distinction highlights how languages encode reflexivity through dedicated forms or affixation, adapting to syntactic needs while preserving the core anaphoric property.

Etymology and Historical Origins

The term "reflexive" derives from Latin reflexivus, meaning "turned back" or "reflective," stemming from the verb reflectere ("to bend back"), and entered English in the late to describe grammatical elements where an action returns to the subject. Reflexive pronouns originated in Proto-Indo-European with the particle *se or *swe, functioning as a reflexive marker, as seen in its early attestations in Hittite (si) and (sva or swe), dating to around 1500 BCE. This particle evolved across Indo-European branches into dedicated forms, such as heautón (ἑαυτόν), a compound of an archaic third-person element and autós ("self"), and Latin se, which directly inherited the PIE root and shaped reflexive systems in descendant Romance and . Non-Indo-European languages show parallel developments, including early reflexive uses in like Akkadian, where reflexivity is often conveyed through the N-stem of verbs (e.g., nalbušum 'to get dressed'), attested around 2000 BCE. Key historical shifts involved the erosion of synthetic reflexive pronouns in isolating languages, such as the transition from Old Chinese's more inflected pronominal system to modern analytic structures relying on particles like zìjǐ instead of dedicated forms. Reflexive pronouns differ from reciprocal pronouns primarily in their semantic interpretation and referential properties. Reflexive pronouns corefer with a single antecedent, typically the subject, indicating that the action affects the same (e.g., "John blamed himself," where "himself" refers solely to John). In contrast, reciprocal pronouns denote a between two or more distinct entities, implying mutual action (e.g., "John and Mary blamed each other," where "each other" refers to the pair). Although both are classified as anaphors under binding theory and often share syntactic distributions, their semantic differences—identity for reflexives versus reciprocity for reciprocals—distinguish them. In some languages, such as French or Italian, a single pronominal form (e.g., "se") serves both reflexive and reciprocal functions, blurring the distinction morphologically but not semantically. Reflexive pronouns also contrast with intensive or emphatic pronouns, which share identical forms but serve distinct syntactic roles. Reflexives function as arguments (e.g., direct objects) that must corefer with the subject, as in "She dressed herself." Intensive pronouns, however, appear appositively adjacent to a noun or pronoun to add emphasis without serving as arguments, as in "She herself dressed quickly," where "herself" intensifies "she" but does not receive the action. This positional and functional divergence highlights that while forms overlap, reflexives are obligatory for coreference in object positions, whereas intensives are optional for rhetorical effect. Unlike possessive pronouns, which indicate or relation and function as determiners or nominal substitutes (e.g., "his car" or "that is mine"), reflexive pronouns act as anaphoric arguments referring back to the clause's subject without denoting possession. For instance, "his own ideas" uses "his" possessively to show belonging, whereas "he expressed himself" employs "himself" reflexively to indicate self-directed expression. derive from markers and replace phrases, whereas reflexives are derived from object pronouns plus intensifiers and require c-commanding antecedents. In certain edge cases, such as logophoric pronouns found in many African languages like Ewe or Yoruba, coreferential elements resemble reflexives but differ in scope and context. Logophors refer to the perspective holder (e.g., the speaker in reported speech) across boundaries without local binding, as in Ewe examples where a special form marks the source of a thought report. Unlike strict reflexives, which demand a local antecedent and syntactic binding, logophors prioritize or attitudinal perspective over argument structure. Theoretically, these distinctions are formalized in generative grammar's binding theory, proposed by Chomsky. Principle A requires that anaphors, including reflexives and reciprocals, be bound by a c-commanding antecedent within their minimal governing category (local domain), ensuring local . This contrasts with Principle B, which mandates that pronominals (e.g., possessives or non-reflexive pronouns) remain free in their local domain to avoid overlap with anaphors. Such principles delineate reflexives from related elements by imposing strict syntactic constraints on interpretation.

Functions in Grammar

Reflexive Usage

Reflexive pronouns primarily function to mark between the subject and object in transitive , indicating that the same performs and receives the action of the . This core role ensures that the reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject within the same , as in constructions where an individual acts upon themselves, such as washing or dressing oneself. Syntactically, reflexive pronouns are subject to strict binding constraints under Principle A of binding theory, requiring them to be locally bound by a c-commanding antecedent—typically the subject—in their minimal governing category, such as the . They cannot refer to non-subject antecedents in the same local domain and are blocked by syntactic islands, like coordinate structures or relative clauses, which prevent long-distance binding. These constraints distinguish reflexives from non-reflexive pronouns, which allow freer reference. Semantically, reflexive pronouns often intransitivize transitive verbs, reducing the argument structure to focus on a single participant while emphasizing the subject's agency in self-directed actions, as seen in expressions like "dress oneself" where the action is performed without an external object. This usage highlights the reflexive's role in conveying self-application without altering the verb's inherent transitivity in all cases. Cross-linguistically, reflexive pronouns exhibit variations; in pro-drop languages, they can appear in constructions with null subjects to maintain , and in like French, they form middle voice constructions, such as "se laver" (to wash oneself), which express spontaneous events or general habits without a distinct agent-patient distinction. In , children typically master reflexive pronouns earlier than reciprocals due to the simpler local binding required for reflexives. This developmental pattern aligns with the cognitive ease of self-reference over mutual relations.

Emphatic or Intensive Usage

In emphatic or intensive usage, reflexive pronouns function as rather than core arguments, serving to highlight or intensify the antecedent without altering the sentence's basic syntactic structure. This adnominal or appositive role emphasizes the identity or agency of the , often in contrast to alternatives, as in the English example "I myself baked the cake," where "myself" underscores the speaker's personal involvement excluding others. Such forms, also termed intensive reflexives, can appear in two primary configurations: adnominal, modifying a directly (e.g., "The president himself announced the decision"), and , following the to stress sole responsibility (e.g., "She fixed the car herself"). Positionally, emphatic reflexives exhibit flexibility, typically occurring immediately after the antecedent or at the end of the , but they are not bound by strict positions and can even stack with other focus markers for added intensity, such as "even I myself did it." Semantically, they introduce nuances of focus, contrast, or exclusivity; for instance, adnominal uses evoke alternatives like "not someone else," while ones imply independence, as in "without assistance," often requiring volitional agents and contrastive intonation (e.g., L+H* pitch accent). This usage aligns with a discourse-based semantics of , unifying their interpretive range across contexts without invoking . Pragmatically, emphatic reflexives signal unexpected agency or heightened self-involvement in , enhancing prominence and guiding toward exclusivity or surprise, such as in narratives where they mark a shift in responsibility. Cross-linguistically, this intensive function appears in approximately 60% of languages using reflexive pronouns for emphasis, though forms vary; in German, for example, the compound "sich selbst" provides stronger intensification than the simple "sich," as in "Er hat sich selbst geholfen" (He helped himself) for contrast, where "sich selbst" adds focus particle properties to the reflexive base. In varieties of English, such as Irish English, intensive self-forms like "himself" can stand alone pronominally (e.g., "Is himself home?"), reflecting regional pragmatic adaptations for emphasis.

Reciprocal and Other Derived Uses

In many languages, reflexive pronouns or markers can derive reciprocal interpretations when co-occurring with antecedents, expressing mutual actions among multiple participants rather than self-directed ones. For instance, in Italian, the si serves both reflexive and reciprocal functions, as in Si vedono ("They see themselves/each other"), where the plural subject enables the reciprocal reading. This derivation is not universal; English reflexives like themselves do not typically allow reciprocal senses, with dedicated reciprocals like each other preferred for clarity. Similarly, in like Hehe, the reflexive prefix -i- has grammaticalized to encode reciprocity with plural subjects, as in Va-ka-i-huungíl-íle ("They greeted each other"), while singular antecedents restrict it to pure reflexive meanings. Cross-linguistically, this pattern requires plural antecedents to imply mutuality, as singular subjects block reciprocal ambiguity, a constraint observed in languages from Warlpiri to Dutch. Theoretical analyses unify these under frameworks like Synchronous Tree Adjoining Grammar, where semantic operators (REFL for self-relation, RECP for mutual) adjust for derived reciprocity without altering core syntax. Beyond reciprocity, reflexives exhibit derived possessive functions in some languages, emphasizing ownership tied to the antecedent, such as Latin suus ("his own") deriving from reflexive roots to denote inalienable possession. In modern contexts, this extends to constructions like English my own book, where the reflexive intensifies personal affiliation. Ethical datives, another extension, use reflexive pronouns to mark affectedness or beneficiary status for the speaker or antecedent, as in Spanish Me compré un libro ("I bought myself a book," implying personal benefit), without literal self-action. Adversative passives employ reflexives to convey unintended or adverse outcomes, notably in German with sich lassen + infinitive, as in Das lässt sich nicht ändern ("That can't be changed," lit. "That lets itself not be changed"), framing the event as imposed on the reflexive subject. Theoretically, reflexive binding varies by language type: strict locality in English confines reflexives to clause-mate antecedents, while free-binding languages like Chinese permit long-distance reflexives such as ziji ("self"), which can corefer across embedded clauses, as in Ta shuo Lisi piping ta-ziji ("He said Lisi criticized him-self," where ziji binds to the matrix subject). This contrast highlights typological differences in anaphoric domains, with Chinese ziji allowing non-local antecedents due to reduced restrictions. Rare derivations include impersonal uses, as in French se for middle voice impersonals (Il se mange bien ici, "One eats well here"), and verbal prefixation in , where reflexive prefixes like Russian -sja form iterative or collective verbs beyond core reflexivity. These extensions underscore the reflexive's role as a versatile marker in deriving relational and voice-like functions across languages.

English Reflexive Pronouns

Forms and Formation

English reflexive pronouns are formed by combining the objective form of a personal pronoun with the suffix -self in the singular and -selves in the plural. The singular forms include myself, yourself, himself, herself, and itself, while the plural forms are ourselves, yourselves, and themselves. This morphological structure derives from the accusative or objective case of the personal pronoun serving as the base, to which the element self (or its plural variant) is appended; for instance, him + self yields himself, diverging from possessive-based patterns in some other languages. Historically, reflexive functions in Old English were primarily expressed through personal pronouns alone or with self as a postposed adjective, as in constructions like ic me self ("I myself"), without dedicated compound forms. The modern compound reflexives emerged in Middle English through the fusion of these elements, with full standardization occurring in Early Modern English around the 1500s, replacing simpler pronominal uses to reduce ambiguity. In contemporary usage, a gender-neutral singular form themself has gained traction since the 2010s, particularly as the reflexive counterpart to , aligning morphologically with the (e.g., myself) and showing increasing acceptance among speakers familiar with nonbinary pronouns. Dialectal variations include nonstandard forms like hisself, which analogizes to his + self and appears in , especially Southern dialects, though it is considered ungrammatical in standard usage. For non-human referents, itself is the standard reflexive, but emphatic constructions such as its own self may occur for intensification, where own self functions as a separable phrase rather than a fused compound. Orthographically, in reflexive pronouns is written as a single word without hyphenation, but in adjectival or nominal compounds like self-made or , a hyphen is typically used to indicate the combined meaning and prevent misreading.

Standard Reflexive Examples

Reflexive pronouns in English typically function as objects that refer back to the subject of the same clause, ensuring coreference within the sentence structure. This usage is essential for clarity and grammatical accuracy, as it avoids ambiguity in expressing self-directed actions or relations. As direct objects, reflexive pronouns receive the action of the verb directly from the subject. For instance, in "The cat groomed itself," the pronoun "itself" refers back to "the cat," indicating the subject performs the grooming on itself. Similarly, "Frank rewarded himself" shows the subject "Frank" as the recipient of the reward. These constructions are standard for transitive verbs where the agent and coincide. Reflexive pronouns can also serve as indirect objects, benefiting from the verb's action alongside a direct object. In "She bought herself a ," "herself" is the indirect object, denoting that the subject "she" is the of the purchase. Another example is "I baked myself a chocolate cake," where "myself" indicates the subject as the recipient. This placement follows the typical indirect object position after the and before the direct object. In prepositional phrases, reflexive pronouns act as the object of the preposition when referring to the subject. For example, "They talked about themselves" uses "themselves" to show the subject "they" as the topic of discussion. Likewise, "Would you like to pour yourself a ?" employs "yourself" as the prepositional object, reinforcing self-reference. This usage is obligatory when the preposition's complement matches the clause's subject, distinguishing it from non-reflexive pronouns. With certain intransitive verbs that idiomatically imply self-control or manner, reflexive pronouns appear as complements to emphasize the subject's relation to the action. A classic case is "He behaved himself," where "himself" underscores the subject's self-regulation, though the verb "behave" lacks a direct object. This pattern is common with verbs like "pride" or "perjure," as in "She perjured herself," but remains tied to local subject reference. Reflexive pronouns are subject to binding constraints under Principle A of binding theory, requiring a local antecedent that c-commands them within the same governing category, typically the minimal clause. Thus, "John said Mary likes himself" is ungrammatical because "himself" lacks a local binder and cannot refer to the matrix subject "John" across the embedded clause; instead, it must be "*John said Mary likes him" for non-local reference or rephrased for locality, such as "John likes himself." This locality ensures reflexives cannot bind long-distance, preventing ambiguity in complex sentences. A frequent error involves overusing reflexive pronouns in coordinated structures, where they replace simple object pronouns. For example, "John and I saw him and myself" is incorrect; the proper form is "John and I saw him and me," as "myself" requires singular self-reference and cannot coordinate with a non-reflexive pronoun. This error is part of a broader pattern of hypercorrection in compound constructions involving first-person pronouns. In compound subjects (the doers of the action), the nominative case "I" is required: "John and I are going" is correct, whereas "John and me are going" is incorrect (as "me" is objective) and "John and myself are going" is also incorrect, as reflexive pronouns do not function as subjects. Similarly, in compound objects or prepositional phrases (the receivers of the action), the objective case "me" is used: "Give it to John and me" is correct, not "Give it to John and I" (a hypercorrection to avoid "me") or "Give it to John and myself" (incorrect use of reflexive). Reflexive pronouns like "myself" are reserved for true reflexive or intensive uses and should not substitute for "I" or "me" in such compounds; using them there is considered incorrect in standard English. Such misuse often stems from hypercorrection for formality but violates reflexive binding rules and pronoun case conventions.

Non-Reflexive and Idiomatic Applications

In English, reflexive pronouns frequently appear in idiomatic expressions where their literal reflexive meaning is absent or extended, conveying meanings such as or general action without strict co-reference to the subject. For instance, "by itself" indicates something operating independently or without external influence, as in "The machine started by itself," where "itself" emphasizes self-sufficiency rather than a direct reflexive action. Similarly, phrases like "enjoy oneself" denote experiencing pleasure in a broad , not limited to solitary activity, as in "They enjoyed themselves at the concert," highlighting collective or general enjoyment. Non-reflexive applications include standalone emphatic uses, where the pronoun stands alone for emphasis without an antecedent or co-referential subject, such as "Myself? I would never agree to that!" to underscore personal stance or contrast. Another example is "suit yourself," an idiomatic dismissal meaning "do as you please," as in "If you want to leave early, suit yourself," where "yourself" does not imply self-directed action but permission for independent choice. In certain dialects, particularly variants, reflexive pronouns appear in non-strictly co-referential contexts, such as "help yourself" in settings to mean "serve yourself," as in "Help yourself to the buffet," where the pronoun facilitates polite invitation rather than literal . This usage deviates from core reflexivity by addressing an implied or general without precise antecedent matching. Historically, English reflexive pronouns derived from "self" forms originated as intensives in without obligatory reflexive antecedents, serving to emphasize the subject independently, as in constructions like "me sylf" (myself) for focus rather than , a pattern that persisted into before reflexive specialization. In , the singular reflexive "themself" has emerged for non-binary or gender-neutral singular "they," with acceptance in some major style guides to align with practices; for example, has permitted "themself" since its 2017 edition (17th ed.) for singular references. As of 2025, acceptance varies across guides, with the Stylebook continuing to favor "themselves" for singular "they" reflexives while endorsing singular "they" overall since 2017.

Reflexive Pronouns in

German

In German, reflexive pronouns are used with reflexive verbs to indicate that the subject performs an action on itself, and they inflect for case but not for or number in the third . The form sich serves as the invariant reflexive pronoun for third-person singular (er/sie/es) and plural (sie/Sie) subjects in both the accusative and dative cases, distinguishing it from the person-specific forms in the first and second persons. For emphasis, the selbst (or colloquially selber) can be added to highlight the reflexive nature of the action, as in Ich habe mich selbst gewaschen ("I washed myself"). Reflexive pronouns appear in the accusative case when functioning as the direct object of the verb, such as in Ich wasche mich ("I wash myself"), where the action directly affects the subject. In the dative case, they serve as indirect objects, often with body parts or when the verb implies benefiting the subject, as in Ich kaufe mir ein Buch ("I buy myself a book") or Er freut sich ("He is glad"). Common reflexive verbs include sich freuen ("to be glad") and sich waschen ("to wash oneself"), which require the pronoun to complete their meaning. The choice between accusative and dative depends on the verb's valency: accusative for verbs with no additional direct object, and dative when an accusative object is present, like Ich wasche mir die Hände ("I wash my hands"). In terms of positioning, reflexive pronouns typically follow the directly in main clauses, as in Sie setzt sich hin ("She sits down"). In subordinate clauses, they appear after the subject but before the or , maintaining proximity to the antecedent for clarity, for example, ...dass ich mich vorbereite ("...that I prepare myself"). Long-distance reflexives, where sich binds to an antecedent outside its immediate , are rare in , as sich generally requires local binding within the same or argument domain. With plural subjects, sich can also express reciprocity, indicating mutual action without needing a separate pronoun like einander, as in Die Geschwister umarmen sich ("The siblings hug each other"). In dialects such as Bavarian, reflexive forms show variation from the standard, with first-person plural sometimes using forms like eana instead of uns in certain reflexive constructions.

Danish

In Danish, reflexive pronouns are primarily realized through two distinct forms: the non-possessive sig, which functions as the third-person object reflexive, and the possessive reflexives sin (common gender singular), sit (neuter singular), and sine (plural), which agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. These forms are used exclusively in the third person, with first- and second-person reflexives employing ordinary object pronouns like mig (myself) or dig (yourself). Unlike unified systems in some , Danish maintains this separation between object and possessive reflexives to ensure clarity in self-reference. The object reflexive sig appears as a direct or indirect object coreferential with the subject, typically in the or , as in "Han skylder på sig" (He blames himself). It is bound by the subject within the minimal finite and cannot refer to non-local antecedents without additional marking like sig selv. In contrast, the reflexives denote ownership tied to the subject, as in "Han tænker på sin mor" (He thinks about his ), where sin agrees with the common-gender mor (). These possessives follow binding constraints similar to sig but function as determiners, emphasizing the subject's own possession and distinguishing from non-reflexive forms like hans (his). Reflexive verbs in Danish frequently incorporate sig to indicate that the subject acts upon itself, often with a prefix like re- for inchoative or iterative senses, such as "Han rejser sig" (He stands up). This construction is common in everyday verbs like vaske sig (to wash oneself) or klæde sig på (to get dressed), marking inherent reflexivity. For reciprocity, dedicated pronouns like hinanden or hverandre (each other) are used, as in "De ser hinanden" (They see each other). While sig is strictly reflexive, in mediopassive constructions (e.g., "de ses"), it can imply reciprocal interaction among subjects. Historically, Danish sig descends from sik, the third-person accusative/dative reflexive pronoun used for self-directed actions across genders and numbers, while sin/sit/sine evolved from sín, a agreeing with the possessed in case, , and number. This distinction persisted through Middle Danish, with phonetic simplifications like the loss of inflectional endings, but sin developed additional logophoric functions in embedded clauses to refer to the perspective of a reported speaker, as in contexts of . The system's retention of separate object and possessive forms reflects continental Scandinavian traits, diverging from more synthetic structures.

Icelandic

In Icelandic, reflexive pronouns are used to indicate that the subject of a is also its object, preserving a rich inflectional system inherited from . Unlike in many other , these pronouns are inflected for case but lack a nominative form, as they do not function as subjects. The third-person reflexive pronoun is unmarked for and number, applying to both singular and plural contexts, while first- and second-person reflexives use the ordinary oblique forms of the personal pronouns (e.g., mig for "myself" in accusative). The core forms of the third-person reflexive are sig (accusative), sér (dative), and sín (genitive, also serving as the possessive reflexive). The possessive sín further inflects for gender, number, and definiteness, following the paradigm of adjectives like minn ("my"), yielding forms such as sinn (masculine nominative singular), sín (feminine nominative singular), sitt (neuter nominative singular), and sínir (masculine nominative plural). This full paradigm allows precise agreement in complex sentences. For instance, in Hann þvoði sér ("He washed himself"), sér appears in the dative as required by the verb þvoða; similarly, Bókin er hans eigin, en hennar sín illustrates the possessive use of sín to emphasize "her own." A complex reflexive variant, sjálfan sig (accusative), can be employed for emphasis, inflecting fully for case, gender, and number (e.g., sjálfum sér in dative).
CaseSimple ReflexivePossessive Reflexive (Indefinite Forms)
NominativeMasculine sg: sinn; Feminine sg: sín; Neuter sg: sitt; Masculine pl: sínir; Feminine pl: sínar; Neuter pl: sín
AccusativesigMasculine sg: sinn; Feminine sg: sína; Neuter sg: sitt; All pl: sína
DativesérMasculine/Neuter sg: sínum; Feminine sg: sinni; All pl: sínum
GenitivesínMasculine/Neuter sg: síns; Feminine sg: sinnar; All pl: sinna
Reflexive pronouns in Icelandic typically occupy a clitic-like position immediately following the finite verb in main clauses, adhering to the language's verb-second (V2) word order. This placement underscores their syntactic integration, as seen in Ég kemst sjálf ("I get there myself"), where the reflexive follows the verb. Icelandic distinguishes two main classes of reflexive verbs: inherently reflexive ones, which obligatorily require the pronoun (e.g., mælast til "to speak up," as in Þeir mældust til "They spoke up"), and naturally reflexive ones, where the pronoun is optional for self-directed actions (e.g., baða sig "to bathe oneself"). The case of the reflexive matches that assigned to non-reflexive objects, most commonly accusative but also dative or genitive depending on the verb. A distinctive feature is the middle voice, marked by the suffix -st, which incorporates reflexive semantics without an overt and often conveys reciprocal, passive, or inchoative meanings. This ending derives historically from a reduced form of the reflexive sik (modern sig), evolving in to form mediopassive constructions. Examples include kallaðist ("was called," from kalla "to call") or búast ("to prepare oneself," from búa "to prepare"). In modern Icelandic, this system remains robust, maintaining the full case-based inflection and verbal derivations of , in contrast to the simplified, largely invariant forms (sig and sin) in Danish.

Reflexive Pronouns in Romance Languages

French

In French, reflexive pronouns primarily function as clitics that precede the verb, with forms including me (or m' before a vowel), te, se, nous, vous, and se again for third-person plural. These clitics integrate closely with verb conjugation, marking the subject as the recipient of the action in pronominal verbs, such as se laver ("to wash oneself"), where the full form is Je me lave ("I wash myself"). For emphasis, tonic or intensive forms are used, such as moi-même ("myself"), toi-même ("yourself"), lui-même or elle-même ("himself" or "herself"), nous-mêmes ("ourselves"), vous-mêmes ("yourselves"), and eux-mêmes or elles-mêmes ("themselves"). These emphatic pronouns reinforce the reflexive meaning but are not obligatory, appearing in constructions like Je l’ai fait moi-même ("I did it myself"). Reflexive clitics also serve dative functions, indicating an indirect object coreferential with the subject, as in se parler ("to talk to oneself"), exemplified by Il se parle ("He talks to himself"). The position of these clitics is strictly preverbal in affirmative declarative sentences, as in Tu te défendras ("You will defend yourself"), but they undergo inversion in yes/no questions, placing the clitic before the subject pronoun after the verb, such as Se lave-t-il? ("Is he washing himself?"). In imperatives, clitics follow the verb, yielding forms like Lave-toi ("Wash yourself"). For reciprocal uses, the same clitics apply with plural subjects to denote mutual actions, as in Ils se voient ("They see each other") or Nous nous parlons ("We talk to each other"). Historically, French reflexive pronouns evolved from the Latin reflexive se, which retained case distinctions in but simplified in Modern French due to the loss of inflectional richness, becoming obligatory markers in many pronominal verbs. This evolution is evident in verbs like s'en aller ("to go away"), where se combines with the en ("from it/them") to form an idiomatic expression, as in Il s'en va ("He is leaving"), transforming a simple motion verb into one requiring the reflexive clitic. Such obligatory usage distinguishes French pronominal verbs from non-reflexive counterparts in other languages.

Italian

In Italian, reflexive pronouns primarily appear as clitics that precede the verb or attach to infinitives and gerunds, functioning to indicate that the subject performs an action on itself. The unstressed reflexive clitics are mi (first-person singular), ti (second-person singular), si (third-person singular and plural), ci (first-person plural), and vi (second-person plural). These clitics derive historically from the Latin reflexive pronoun se and its dative form sibi, which evolved into enclitic forms in and later standardized in like Italian during the medieval period. For emphasis or in isolation, stressed forms are used, such as sé stesso (masculine singular, "himself"), sé stessa (feminine singular, "herself"), sé stessi (masculine plural, "themselves"), and sé stesse (feminine plural, "themselves"), often combining the invariant with the intensifier . Reflexive pronouns in Italian serve both direct and indirect object functions, integrating closely with verbs to form reflexive constructions. For direct reflexes, the clitic indicates the action rebounds on the subject, as in Mi lavo le mani ("I wash my hands," literally "I wash myself the hands"), where mi reflects the action back to the first-person subject. For indirect reflexes, they denote actions benefiting or affecting the subject indirectly, such as Mi parlo spesso ("I talk to myself"). The clitic si also plays a key role in impersonal constructions, expressing indefinite or general subjects equivalent to English "one" or passive voice, as in Si dice che sia vero ("It is said that it is true") or In Italia si mangia bene ("In Italy, one eats well"). These impersonal uses expand beyond strict reflexivity, allowing si to impersonalize transitive or intransitive verbs without specifying an agent. Positionally, reflexive clitics precede finite s in declarative sentences, as in Ti alzi presto ("You get up early"), but attach as enclitics to infinitives (alzarsi, "to get up") and gerunds (alzandosi, "getting up"). In questions or with modal verbs, they may shift positions while maintaining adjacency to the verb stem. Reciprocal meanings arise with si in plural contexts, indicating mutual actions among subjects, such as I ragazzi si vogliono bene ("The boys love each other," literally "want good to each other"). A special interaction occurs with the partitive clitic ne, which replaces quantified or partitive phrases and can combine with reflexives in verbs implying partial self-reference, as in Me ne pento ("I regret it [some of it]," from the reflexive pentirsi, "to repent," where ne extracts from a partitive complement). This combination highlights Italian's pronominal verb system, where reflexives often lexicalize idiomatic expressions.

Spanish

In Spanish, reflexive pronouns are clitic forms that attach to verbs to indicate that the subject performs an action on itself, or to express reciprocal, passive, or other related functions. The standard reflexive pronouns are me (first person singular), (second person singular), se (third person singular and plural), nos (first person plural), os (second person plural), and se (third person plural). These pronouns derive from Latin reflexive , which initially functioned as a full but evolved into bound clitics in , expanding in Spanish to mark not only true reflexives but also middle voice and impersonal constructions. For emphasis, reflexive constructions often incorporate (same) to intensify the self-reference, as in mí mismo ("myself"), ti mismo/a ("yourself"), sí mismo/a ("himself/herself"), nosotros mismos/as ("ourselves"), vosotros mismos/as ("yourselves"), or ellos/ellas mismos/as ("themselves"). This emphatic form underscores the reflexive nature, particularly in contrastive or focused contexts, such as Yo mismo me lo dije ("I told myself"). Reflexive pronouns primarily indicate actions where the subject affects itself, as in Me lavo las manos ("I wash my hands"), where me shows the washing is self-directed. They also express reciprocity among plural subjects, like Se quieren ("They love each other"), where se denotes mutual action. In passive or impersonal usages, se functions as a marker of middle voice, depersonalizing the agent, as in Se vende la casa ("The house is sold" or "For sale"), which conveys that the action occurs without specifying the doer. This polyfunctional se has broadened from its Latin origins, where it was strictly reflexive, to encompass these non-reflexive roles through processes observed in medieval Spanish texts. As enclitics or proclitics, reflexive pronouns typically precede finite verbs in declarative sentences (Se lava) but attach as suffixes to infinitives, gerunds, or imperatives (lavarse, lavándose, ¡Lávate!). In idiomatic expressions, they appear in fixed phrases like lo que se dice ("so to speak"), where se adds a modal or evidential nuance without strict reflexivity. Regional variations occur, particularly with voseo in parts of (e.g., , ), where the second-person singular vos replaces but retains te as its reflexive form, as in Vos te levantás temprano ("You get up early"). Similarly, the second-person plural os is largely absent in Latin American Spanish, replaced by se with ustedes, reflecting a shift from Iberian norms. This evolution from Latin —a phrasal determiner phrase in Classical Latin—to a verbal head in Modern Spanish illustrates a "reflexive object cycle," where the pronoun grammaticalized into a valency reducer, enabling passive and impersonal structures absent in Latin. By the Old Spanish period (circa 10th–15th centuries), se began separating from full noun phrases and fixing as a pre-verbal clitic, a change documented in corpora like CORDE.

Portuguese

In Portuguese, reflexive pronouns function as clitics that agree in person and number with the subject, taking the forms me (first-person singular), te (second-person singular), se (third-person singular and ), nos (first-person plural), and vos (second-person plural). These pronouns attach to the to indicate that the action reflects back on the subject, distinguishing reflexive constructions from non-reflexive ones. For emphasis, an intensified form si mesmo (or a si mesmo/a si mesma for agreement) can follow the or object, as in Eu me machuquei, mas foi a si mesmo que ele feriu ("I hurt myself, but it was himself that he hurt"). Reflexive usage is common in verbs describing self-directed actions, such as personal care or emotional states, where the subject and object are identical; for example, Eu me lavo ("I wash myself") or Nós nos divertimos ("We amuse ourselves"). The pronoun se also serves reciprocal functions in plural contexts to denote mutual actions, as in Eles se abraçaram ("They hugged each other"). Additionally, se appears in inchoative constructions to signal the inception or change of state, often with verbs of motion or emotion, such as Ele se pôs a rir ("He began to laugh") or A porta se abriu ("The door opened"). These pronouns typically occupy a preverbal position (proclisis) in most affirmative sentences, as in Ela se veste rapidamente ("She dresses quickly"), but enclisis follows the verb in infinitives or imperatives, like Veste-se! ("Dress yourself!"). In future and conditional tenses, mesóclisis places the pronoun between the verb stem and its ending, a formal feature more preserved in than in Brazilian varieties; for instance, Eu me lavaria becomes lavar-me-ia ("I would wash myself"). Placement rules differ regionally: favors enclisis in affirmative main clauses, while predominantly uses proclisis. Brazilian Portuguese exhibits notable divergences from European Portuguese in reflexive systems. The second-person plural vos has largely fallen out of use in Brazil, supplanted by você (treated as third person, thus using se), reflecting a broader shift toward informal tu/te in some regions or você/se nationwide. For passives, Brazilian Portuguese prefers the ser + past participle construction (e.g., A casa foi construída "The house was built") over the se passive, which survives mainly in formal writing and is more robust in European Portuguese (e.g., Construiu-se a casa "The house was built"). These variations highlight ongoing divergence in clitic systems across Portuguese dialects.

Romanian

In Romanian, reflexive pronouns are primarily clitics that precede the verb in most declarative contexts, deriving from Latin reflexive forms but adapted through analytic structures typical of Eastern Romance languages. The accusative reflexive clitics are (first person singular), te (second person singular), se (third person singular and plural), ne (first person plural), and (second person plural). For example, the sentence Mă spăl translates to "I wash myself," where indicates the action reflects back on the subject. These clitics can also appear in the dative case as îmi, îți, își, ne, and , used for indirect reflexives such as benefiting oneself, as in Îmi cumpăr o carte ("I buy myself a book"). For emphasis, the însuși (or însăși for feminine) combines with the reflexive to stress self-involvement, yielding constructions like Mă spăl eu însumi ("I myself wash myself"). In imperatives, clitics postpose to the , as in Spală-te! ("Wash yourself!"), though some dialects extend postposing to non-imperative contexts for stylistic variation. Reflexive dative clitics often convey possession, where the possessed noun implies relation to the subject, such as Îmi spăl mâinile ("I wash my hands"). Reciprocal interpretations arise with se in plural subjects, for instance Se iubesc ("They love each other"), without requiring additional markers. Romanian reflexives exhibit unique analytic traits influenced by the , including impersonal constructions with se that express general or passive-like actions, such as Se muncește ("One works" or "It is worked"). This feature, shared with neighboring Slavic and other Balkan languages, stems from contact effects rather than direct inheritance, promoting convergence in syntactic patterns like placement and mood usage. While the core system traces to Latin se and related forms, potential Daco-Thracian substrates may have contributed to the pronominal system's flexibility and verb-reflexive integration, though evidence remains indirect through broader Balkan analytic evolution.

Reflexive Pronouns in Slavic Languages

Polish

In Polish, the primary reflexive pronoun is the invariant się, which functions as a verbal particle and is used across all persons and numbers without for , number, or . It appears in oblique cases—specifically genitive, dative, and accusative—to express between the subject and the object, as in Myję się ("I wash myself"), where się indicates the reflexive action. Unlike full pronouns, się cannot occur in the , reflecting Polish's synthetic structure where subjects are typically unmarked. The reflexive possessive swój (with forms swoja for feminine and swoje for neuter, inflecting for case, , and number) is restricted to third-person contexts and binds exclusively to the subject, distinguishing reflexive possession from non-reflexive alternatives like jego ("his"). For instance, in Marek odwiedza swojego brata ("Mark visits his own brother"), swojego emphasizes that the brother belongs to the subject Marek, not someone else. This often appears in for possession, underscoring subject-oriented anaphora in Polish syntax. Positionally, się typically enclitizes to the or occupies the second position in the , varying by register: post-verbal in formal writing and pre-verbal in colloquial speech, as in Oskarżony bronił się w sądzie ("The accused defended himself in court"). The full reflexive form siebie (inflecting as sobie in dative, sobą in instrumental, etc.) serves as a stressed independent for oblique objects or prepositional phrases, but it shares the nominative . Się also conveys reciprocal meanings with plural subjects, as in Przyjaciele widzą się ("The friends see each other"), where it implies mutual action without needing a separate form. For intensification, reflexive constructions emphasize self-reference, such as Tylko siebie widzę ("I see only myself"), using siebie for focus, while possessive intensification can involve emphatic structures highlighting , like sam swój in contexts reinforcing personal possession (e.g., "his very own"). These features align with broader Slavic case systems, where reflexives operate in non-nominative slots to mark valency changes.

Russian

In Russian, the primary reflexive pronoun is sebya, which serves as the accusative form and lacks a nominative case. Its declension across cases is as follows: accusative sebya, genitive sebya, dative sebe, instrumental soboj, and prepositional sebe. This pronoun is used to indicate that the subject of the sentence acts upon itself, typically appearing as a direct or indirect object following the verb, as in On umyval sebya ("He washed himself"). The full form sebya is less common in everyday speech and often carries emphasis or appears in constructions where the reflexive action is not fully incorporated into the verb, such as with transitive verbs like ubit' sebya ("to kill oneself"). A parallel reflexive element is the possessive pronoun svoj ("one's own"), which declines like a possessive adjective (e.g., nominative masculine singular svoj, feminine svoja, neuter svoe, plural svoi) and refers back to the subject for possession. It is used when the possessed item belongs to the subject performing the action, as in On prodal svoj dom ("He sold his own house"), contrasting with non-reflexive possessives like ego dom ("his house," where "his" may refer to someone else). Unlike sebya, svoj integrates with nouns rather than verbs and is obligatory in third-person contexts to avoid , though it is optional in first- and second-person sentences where clarifies possession. Reflexive meanings are most frequently expressed through verbs suffixed with -sja (or its reduced form -s' after vowels), which derives historically from sebya and attaches directly to the conjugated stem, always appearing post-verbally as part of the verb form. This suffix transforms transitive verbs into reflexive ones, indicating the subject as both agent and , as in Ja umyva jusja ("I wash myself"), equivalent to Ja umyval sebya but more idiomatic and concise. The -sja suffix also extends to other functions, but in reflexive contexts, it denotes self-directed actions like grooming or bodily processes (e.g., brit' sja "to shave oneself," ku pat' sja "to bathe oneself"). For reciprocal interpretations, the -sja suffix is employed with subjects to show mutual action, often without needing the full sebya, as in Oni vstre čajut sja ("They meet each other") or Anna i Mixail celujutsja ("Anna and Mikhail each other"). In such cases, sebya can appear in plural-like constructions for emphasis, but special reciprocal verbs (e.g., druzit' sja "to befriend each other") or alternatives like drug druga ("each other") may substitute, particularly in imperfective aspects. The integration of reflexives with verbal aspect is notable, as -sja verbs are predominantly imperfective to express ongoing or habitual self-directed actions, such as smotret' sebya ("to look at oneself," imperfective) versus the perfective posmotret' sebya ("to glance at oneself"). However, perfective reflexives exist for completed events, like zastr elit' sja ("to shoot oneself") or uvid et' sja ("to see each other" reciprocally), where the does not alter the aspect but combines with perfectivizing prefixes. This aspectual preference underscores the verbal embedding of reflexivity in Russian, distinguishing it from more nominal uses in other .

Serbo-Croatian

In , reflexive pronouns demonstrate significant uniformity across the Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian standards, with minimal dialectal variations in form and usage. The core reflexive pronoun is sebe in its stressed form, primarily used in the accusative and genitive cases to refer back to the subject, while its enclitic counterpart se functions as an unstressed accusative marker attached to verbs. The employs the stressed sebi and the enclitic si. These forms lack a , as reflexives do not function as subjects. Additionally, the reflexive pronoun svoj (with feminine svoja, neuter svoje, and plural svoji) agrees in , number, case, and with the it modifies, indicating possession by the subject itself. Reflexive usage typically involves the enclitic se to form reflexive verbs from transitives, where the action reflects back on the subject, as in pere se ("washes oneself") or nosi sebe ("carries oneself," with the stressed form for emphasis). The possessive svoj clarifies subject-oriented possession, avoiding ambiguity with non-reflexive possessives like njegov ("his"), for example, Marija vidi svoj dom ("Marija sees her own home"). Positionally, the clitic se or si adheres to Serbo-Croatian's second-position clitic rule, appearing after the first stressed word in the clause but often post-verbally in simple sentences (e.g., On se pere) or pre-verbally in questions or with auxiliaries (e.g., Da li se pere?). For reciprocals, the same reflexive forms apply to plural subjects, conveying mutual action without dedicated markers, as in Oni se vole ("They love each other"). A special function of se appears in passive-like constructions, depersonalizing the agent and focusing on the action or result, such as se piše ("is written") or knjiga se čita ("the book is read"). This uniformity persists despite orthographic differences (e.g., Latin vs. Cyrillic scripts), ensuring consistent grammatical behavior across variants.

Slovene

In Slovene, reflexive pronouns are marked primarily by the se, which is invariant and used for accusative and genitive cases to indicate that the object refers back to the subject. The dative enclitic is si, while full stressed forms include sebe (accusative/genitive) and sebi (dative). These clitics attach enclitically to the , typically following it in main clauses, as in umijem se ("I wash myself"). Additionally, the reflexive svoj functions as an agreeing in , number, and case with the it modifies, emphasizing possession by the subject, as in Peter sovraži svoj značaj ("Peter hates his [own] "). Reflexive usage is common in verbs denoting self-directed actions, such as umiti se ("to wash oneself"), where se reflects the action back to the subject: Otroci se umivajo ("The children are washing themselves"). In dative contexts, si or sebi indicates benefit or interest, as in Peter si je kupil knjigo ("Peter bought himself a book") or Ona govori sama sebi ("She is talking to herself"). Like other , Slovene reflexives often derive new lexical meanings when combined with verbs, such as inherent reflexives in intransitive constructions like smejati se ("to laugh"). Reciprocal meanings are expressed by se with plural subjects, indicating mutual action: Sosedje se sovražijo ("The neighbors hate each other"). For more explicit reciprocals, especially in dual or to avoid ambiguity, the phrase drug drugemu ("one another") is used, as in Drug drugemu umivata roke ("They are washing each other's hands"). A of Slovene reflexives is their compatibility with the language's , where se remains invariant but applies to dual subjects without alteration, unlike personal pronouns that inflect for dual: for instance, Dva prijatelja se umijeta ("The two friends wash themselves"). This number-neutral form of sebe supports the dual's syntactic and semantic integration in reflexive constructions.

Macedonian

In Macedonian, the reflexive pronoun is primarily expressed through the invariant clitic se in the accusative case and si in the dative case, with a longer emphatic form sebe(si) available for both cases but rarely used in clitic positions. These clitics attach proclitically to the verb, typically in the second position of the clause, as in Jas se umivam ("I wash myself"), where se indicates that the subject performs the action on itself. The possessive reflexive is realized as svoj, which inflects like the standard possessive moj and agrees in gender, number, and case with the possessed noun, as in Direktorot dojde so svojata supruga ("The director came with his own wife"). Adding the long form sebe(si) to clitic constructions often results in ungrammaticality, emphasizing the clitic's obligatory role in core reflexive structures. The se functions not only for direct reflexives, where it marks actions directed back to the subject (e.g., Toj se gleda vo ogledaloto "He looks at himself in the mirror"), but also for subject reflexives that render the intransitive by merging agent and roles, as in Ne se prekrstivme ("We didn't cross ourselves"). It also expresses reciprocity in plural contexts, equivalent to "each other," such as Se sretnaa ("They met each other"), aligning briefly with broader Slavic patterns of reciprocal marking. In dative uses, si appears before the to indicate benefit or possession for the subject, like Si go zemam ("I take it for myself"). Special applications of se include its role in marking or impersonality, as in Se gleda deka... ("It can be seen that..."), where it imparts a middle voice interpretation common across Balkan languages. This usage extends to reflexive passives, a shared Balkanism with Albanian and Greek, where se combined with transitive verbs yields passive-like meanings without dedicated passive morphology, such as constructions implying "the book reads easily" via reflexive middles. Additionally, se appears in nonconfirmative or renarrative moods, particularly with the l-participle bil to convey reported or inferential events, enhancing evidential nuance in narratives.

Reflexive Pronouns in Other Language Families

Indo-Aryan (Hindi/Urdu)

In Hindi-Urdu, reflexive constructions primarily rely on the possessive reflexive apnā (and its inflected forms apnī for feminine singular and apne for oblique or plural cases), which agrees in gender, number, and case with the noun it modifies, functioning more as an adjective than a true pronoun. This form derives from Prakrit appaṇaya ("own"), ultimately tracing back to Sanskrit ātmanaka ("of the self"), evolving from earlier possessive structures into a versatile reflexive element in modern analytic syntax. For emphasis or standalone reference, invariant forms like khud (of Perso-Arabic origin, meaning "self") or the more formal/archaic svayam (from Sanskrit svayam, an indeclinable "self") are used, often combined with for intensification, as in khud hī ("oneself"). A complex form, apne āp (or apne aap), serves as a local reflexive object, strictly bound to the subject in the same clause and exhibiting subject orientation. Usage of these reflexives typically involves oblique marking for direct objects, where the subject acts upon itself, as in Maiṁ apne āp ko dhoyā ("I washed myself"), with ko as the dative postposition required for the . The possessive apnā precedes the noun it qualifies to indicate self-possession relative to the subject, avoiding the standard possessives like merā ("my") when the possessor is the subject; for example, Vah apnī kitāb parh rahā hai ("He is reading his own book," where apnī agrees with feminine kitāb). In contrast, apnā permits long-distance binding in non-finite or embedded s, allowing antecedents outside the immediate , unlike the strictly local apne āp, as in Rām ne Sītā ko apnī tārīf karte sunā ("Ram heard Sita praising herself"). These forms agree with the tense/agreement features of the via syntactic operations, without requiring movement, reflecting the language's head-final structure. Positionally, apnā and its variants appear immediately before the modified noun or as a pronominal object with ko, integrating seamlessly into the SOV word order; for instance, Vo apne ghar jā rahā hai ("He is going to his own home"). Standalone reflexives like khud or apne āp follow the subject for emphasis, as in Maiṁ yah kām khud karūṁgā ("I will do this work myself"). Reciprocal meanings, distinct from pure reflexives, are expressed analytically using phrases like ek dusre ko ("to each other") or āpās meṁ ("among themselves"), often with postpositions for directionality, as in Ve ek dusre ko pyār karte haiṁ ("They love each other"). These constructions highlight mutual action without dedicated reciprocal pronouns, aligning with the language's preference for postpositional phrases over synthetic forms. The evolution from Sanskrit's heterogeneous reflexives—such as the indeclinable svayam or nominal ātman ("self")—to Hindi-Urdu's analytic system marks a shift toward possessive-based constructions, with apnā emerging as the core element by the medieval period through Prakrit intermediaries, while svayam persists in formal registers. This development reflects broader Indo-Aryan trends toward periphrastic expression, reducing inflectional complexity in pronouns.

Uralic (Hungarian)

In Hungarian, a Uralic language, reflexive constructions do not employ a dedicated standalone reflexive pronoun but instead utilize the primary reflexive element maga ('self'), which functions as a grammaticalized body-part term derived from mag ('body'). This element inflects for and number to form the reflexive object, such as magam (1st singular, 'myself'), magad (2nd singular, 'yourself'), maga (3rd singular, 'himself/herself/itself'), and corresponding forms like magunk ('ourselves'). For accusative objects in reflexive verbs, it combines with the accusative -t or -at, resulting in forms like magam-at. The reflexive maga typically appears as a postverbal accusative object in analytic constructions, particularly for actions involving inalienable possession or body-related activities, where it emphasizes self-directedness. For instance, mos magad means 'wash yourself', and fésülöm magam translates to 'I comb my ' (implying self-grooming). This usage is restricted to contexts of physical self-contact or inherent attributes, distinguishing it from alienable possession, which uses standard personal pronouns or possessives. In formal or polite registers, the variant önmaga ('oneself') replaces maga, as in önmagát mos ('he washes himself' politely), while önmaga also serves emphatic purposes in broader syntactic positions. Reciprocal meanings are expressed separately using egymást ('each other'), which inflects similarly and appears as the object in mutual action verbs, such as szeretik egymást ('they love each other'). Unlike reflexives, egymást applies to plural subjects and does not derive from body-part semantics. Hungarian also features synthetic reflexive verbs formed with suffixes like -kodik or -kedik (e.g., mosakszik 'to wash oneself'), which obviate the need for maga in many everyday contexts, highlighting the language's agglutinative preference for integrated morphology over analytic pronouns.

Sino-Tibetan (Chinese)

In Chinese, a Sino-Tibetan known for its analytic structure, reflexive constructions typically lack a dedicated morphological reflexive pronoun, unlike many . Instead, between a subject and object is frequently achieved through zero anaphora, where the direct object position is left empty when it refers back to the subject, as in Tā xǐ le ('He washed [himself]'), relying on context to infer the reflexive meaning. When explicit marking is needed, the form zìjǐ ('self') serves primarily as an emphatic anaphor rather than a strict reflexive, often combining with personal pronouns to form complex reflexives like tā-zìjǐ ('himself'). This approach aligns with Chinese's pro-drop characteristics, where arguments are omitted based on salience. A distinctive feature of zìjǐ is its capacity for long-distance binding, allowing it to corefer with antecedents outside its immediate , as exemplified in Zhāngsān rènwéi Lǐsì xǐhuān zìjǐ ('Zhangsan thinks Lisi likes [himself/ziji]'), where zìjǐ may bind to either the embedded subject Lǐsì (local binding) or the matrix subject Zhāngsān (long-distance binding). This flexibility contrasts with stricter locality constraints in languages like English and enables logophoric uses, where zìjǐ refers to a perspective holder or speaker, often in reported speech or attitude contexts, such as Wǒ rènwéi nǐ bù xǐhuān zìjǐ (' you don't like [yourself/ziji]'), emphasizing the speaker's viewpoint. Positionally, zìjǐ appears post-verbally as a direct object or post-nominally as a modifier, e.g., Zhāngsān de zìjǐ ('Zhangsan's self'), facilitating its emphatic or intensifying role without altering basic . Reciprocal relations in Chinese are expressed through dedicated forms rather than reflexives: hùxiāng functions adverbially, typically pre-verbally to indicate mutual action, as in Tāmen hùxiāng xǐhuān ('They like each other mutually'), reducing arguments while conveying full reciprocity. In contrast, bǐcǐ operates nominally, often as a direct object, and decomposes reciprocity into distributivity and otherness, permitting scope ambiguities like split interpretations in embedded clauses, e.g., Tāmen rènwéi tāmen xǐhuān bǐcǐ ('They think they like each other'), where bǐcǐ can take wide or narrow scope. These forms differ in sensitivity to and , with hùxiāng enforcing symmetric reciprocity more rigidly than bǐcǐ. Chinese's analytic typology underscores its reliance on syntactic position, contextual inference, and lexical items like zìjǐ for reflexivization, eschewing inflectional morphology common in synthetic languages; this results in frequent zero forms and pragmatic disambiguation over explicit marking. Such strategies highlight how and discourse structure govern anaphoric relations in the absence of dedicated reflexive paradigms.

Japonic (Japanese)

In Japanese, reflexive pronouns primarily manifest through the form zibun (自分), which functions as a subject-oriented anaphor capable of long-distance binding, and jibun (also 自分), which exhibits agentive or logophoric properties tied to the speaker's perspective or empathy hierarchy. Zibun typically binds to the subject of the immediately governing clause or higher clauses, reflecting subject orientation, while jibun often corefers with agents or logophors in contexts emphasizing personal viewpoint, such as first- or second-person reference. These forms lack inherent phi-features like gender or number, allowing flexible reference but constrained by syntactic and pragmatic factors. A hallmark of zibun is its ability to participate in long-distance binding, where strict locality is optional, enabling antecedents beyond the local . For instance, in the sentence Tarō-wa Hanako-ga zibun-o semeta to omotteiru ("Taro thinks that Hanako blamed himself"), zibun can refer to Taro as the matrix subject antecedent, crossing boundaries. This binding occurs when zibun appears as an object or, less commonly, as a subject within embedded , often facilitated by verbs of or speech that license logophoric interpretations. In contrast, jibun tends toward shorter-range or perspective-driven , avoiding broad anaphoric binding. Japanese expresses reciprocity through the dedicated anaphor otagai (お互い, "each other"), which requires a antecedent and typically binds locally within the , functioning as an object or adjunct. For example, Gakusei-tati-ga otagai-o semeta ("The students blamed each other") illustrates otagai's , distinct from reflexive uses. Unlike zibun, otagai does not permit long-distance antecedents and is incompatible with singular or non-mutual contexts. The choice between zibun and jibun is influenced by contexts, with zibun serving as a neutral form suitable for third-person or non-personal references, while jibun aligns with personal or first-/second-person perspectives but conflicts with subject honorification due to feature mismatches. In constructions, such as those involving o-V-ni naru forms, zibun binds to antecedents compatible with the vP-level head, whereas jibun's personal connotation restricts its use, favoring avoidance in elevated registers. This distinction underscores Japanese reflexives' integration with the language's system.

Koreanic (Korean)

In Korean, a with subject-object-verb (SOV) , reflexive pronouns exhibit distinct forms and binding constraints that interact with syntactic structure and pragmatic factors. The primary reflexive form is caki, a long-distance anaphor that is subject-oriented, typically requiring a subject antecedent within the same or embedded clauses and showing sensitivity to the speaker's perspective or logophoricity. Unlike stricter local reflexives in many languages, caki allows antecedents across clause boundaries but is constrained by subjecthood, as non-subject antecedents lead to infelicity or ungrammaticality. For first-person reference, the pronouns na (informal 'I') and uri (informal 'we') function reflexively, often intensified with casin ('self') as in na-casin ('myself') or uri-casin ('ourselves'), emphasizing self-reference in contexts like self-praise or introspection. Local reflexives in Korean include casin and the compound caki-casin, which exhibit stricter locality constraints, binding primarily within the immediate clause and disfavoring long-distance antecedents. These forms adhere to Principle A of binding theory more rigidly than caki, requiring a c-commanding antecedent in the local domain. A representative example is Caki-ka caki-lul tayswuha-ess-ta ('He praised himself'), where caki in marked by the particle -lul corefers with the subject, illustrating strict locality for self-directed actions. Reflexives typically appear with case particles such as -lul () for objects or -ey (dative/locative) for indirect roles, aligning with Korean's agglutinative morphology and SOV order, which delimits binding domains to finite clauses or topics. subjects impose additional limits, as caki binding is blocked or degraded when the antecedent is a superior expressed with marking, reflecting hierarchies in antecedent selection. Reciprocals in Korean are expressed via the dedicated pronoun selo ('each other'), which functions as an anaphor permitting both local and long-distance binding, similar to reflexives but denoting mutual relations. For instance, Nayong-kwa -i selo-lul sarangha-ess-ta ('Nayong and Taemin loved each other') shows selo with -lul marking reciprocal action within the clause. The SOV typology influences these binding domains, as or can extend antecedent access but maintains sensitivity to hierarchical structures like or perspective. In contrast to Japanese zibun, which permits non-subject antecedents more freely, Korean caki enforces stricter subject orientation, highlighting family-specific variations in anaphora.

Turkic (Uzbek)

In Uzbek, a spoken primarily in , reflexive pronouns are formed using the base word o'z ('self'), which combines with possessive suffixes to indicate person and number. These forms include o'zim (myself), o'zing (yourself, singular informal), o'zi (himself/herself/itself), o'zimiz (ourselves), o'zingiz (yourselves, formal or plural), and o'zlari (themselves). As an , Uzbek attaches case suffixes directly to these pronouns; for example, the accusative form o'zini (o'zi + -ni) is commonly used as the direct object in reflexive constructions. Reflexive pronouns typically function as objects referring back to the subject, often positioned after the or as part of the verbal . For instance, U o'zini yuvadi translates to "He washes himself," where o'zini serves as the accusative object. In possessive contexts, the structure involves o'z + genitive -ning + ending, such as o'zining (his/her/its own), as in o'zining uyini ("his own "). Additionally, Uzbek employs a reflexive -in or -un (varying by ) on verbs to form reflexive verbs, omitting the need for a separate in some cases; examples include yuvinmoq ("to wash oneself") and kiyinmoq ("to dress oneself"). For reciprocal actions, Uzbek uses o'zaro ('mutually' or 'each other'), which functions adverbially to indicate mutual relations between subjects, as in Ular o'zaro gaplashadi ("They talk to each other"). This system derives from Proto-Turkic öz, evident in ancient texts like Kutadgu Bilig (11th century), and shows similarities to other Central Asian Turkic languages such as Turkish, where reflexive suffixes like -in also appear.
PersonReflexive Form (Nominative)Accusative Example
1st singularo'zim (myself)o'zimni
2nd singular informalo'zing (yourself)o'zingni
3rd singularo'zi (himself/herself/itself)o'zini
1st pluralo'zimiz (ourselves)o'zimizni
2nd plural/formalo'zingiz (yourselves)o'zingizni
3rd pluralo'zlari (themselves)o'zlarini

Austroasiatic (Vietnamese)

In Vietnamese, an of the Austroasiatic family, there are no dedicated reflexive pronouns comparable to those in ; instead, reflexivity is expressed through analytic markers and contextual cues, often relying on for resolution. The primary reflexive markers include tự, which functions as a versatile prefix or particle indicating self-action, and emphatic forms such as chính mình (literally "very " or "oneself") or bản thân (meaning "own body" or "self"), used to emphasize the reflexive interpretation. These forms are not inflected for , number, or , reflecting Vietnamese's monosyllabic and analytic typology where are conveyed primarily through invariant particles and syntactic position rather than morphological changes. Reflexive usage typically involves placing the marker or immediately after the to signal with the subject, distinguishing it from non-reflexive readings. For instance, in the sentence Nói nghĩ Mai đã làm tổn thương chính mình ("He/she thought Mai had hurt herself very much"), chính mình serves as the reflexive object bound to the embedded subject Mai. Similarly, tự can prefix the for actions performed on oneself, as in constructions like tự làm ("do oneself"), though basic reflexives may omit overt markers and rely on pronouns like mình ("body/") in post-verbal position when disambiguates , such as Anh ấy rửa mình ("He washes himself"). Reciprocals, by contrast, employ the dedicated form lẫn nhau ("each other"), positioned after the to denote mutual action, as in Họ giúp đỡ lẫn nhau ("They help each other"). Vietnamese's reflexive system aligns with its isolating traits, similar to those in Chinese, where topic prominence facilitates flexible without strict subject-verb agreement. Unlike , it lacks canonical binding constraints such as Principle B, which prohibits local between pronouns and antecedents; instead, pronouns like mình can be bound non-locally but may be blocked by intervening first-person pronouns like tôi in a phenomenon known as the . This topic-driven structure enhances referential ambiguity resolution through context, allowing reflexives to operate across boundaries more permissively than in subject-prominent languages.

Reflexive Pronouns in Classical and Constructed Languages

Latin

In , the reflexive pronoun is primarily expressed through the third-person forms se (accusative and ablative), sibi (dative), and sui (genitive), which serve to refer back to the subject of the or sentence. These forms are invariant for and number, applying uniformly to singular and plural third-person subjects, as the context determines the (e.g., sui means "himself," "herself," "itself," or "themselves" depending on the antecedent). Unlike personal pronouns, there is no distinct nominative form for the reflexive, since the subject cannot reflexively refer to itself in that case; instead, Latin relies on agreement for subject . The corresponding possessive adjective is suus, -a, -um (e.g., suus filius "his own son"), which agrees in , number, and case with the noun it modifies and also refers back to the subject. For first- and second-person reflexives, Latin does not employ a dedicated pronoun but uses the oblique forms of the personal pronouns ego (me, mihi, mei) and tu (te, tibi, tui), often combined with verb endings for emphasis (e.g., me in lavō me "I wash myself"). The third-person reflexive typically appears in the predicate to indicate actions directed back at the subject, as in se lavat ("he/she/it washes himself/herself/itself"), where se functions as the direct object. Indirect object uses include sibi dat ("he/she/it gives to himself/herself/itself"), while genitive sui appears in expressions like sui memores ("mindful of themselves"). These pronouns can also carry intensive or reciprocal senses in certain contexts, though the core function remains anaphoric to the subject. Positionally, the reflexive pronoun often follows the it relates to, reflecting Latin's flexible , though it may precede in emphatic or poetic constructions (e.g., Puella sē spectat "The girl sees herself"). In relative clauses, se or its forms can refer back to the antecedent outside the clause, maintaining the reflexive link (e.g., vir quem sibi commendāvit "the man whom he recommended to himself"). The Latin reflexive system, lacking a nominative form and relying on invariant third-person pronouns, forms the foundational model for reflexive constructions in the Romance languages, where se evolves into clitic forms like French se or Spanish se.
CaseSingular/Plural (3rd Person)Example Usage
Nominative(None)N/A
GenitivesuiSui causa (for his/her own sake)
DativesibiSibi emit (buys for himself/herself)
AccusativeseSe videt (sees himself/herself)
Ablative (or se)Sē abstersit (wipes himself/herself)
Possessivesuus, -a, -umSua domus (his/her own house)

Esperanto

In Esperanto, the reflexive pronoun system was designed by in 1887 as part of his effort to create an with simplified , averaging features from Romance and while avoiding irregularities. The core reflexive pronoun is si, an invariant form used exclusively for third-person references (covering li "he", ŝi "she", ĝi "it", and ili "they"), with no distinctions for gender, number, or case beyond the standard accusative ending -n. This contrasts with the personal pronouns for first and second persons (mi "I", vi "you", ni "we"), which double as reflexives in those contexts, such as Mi lavas min ("I wash myself") or Vi helpas vin ("You help yourself"). For emphasis on the reflexive action, the adverb mem ("self") is added, as in Li mem lavas sin ("He himself washes himself"). The pronoun si functions only as an object referring back to the third-person subject of the clause and cannot serve as a subject itself, ensuring unambiguous coreference without the complexities of logophoric or long-distance binding found in natural languages. In direct object position, it appears after the verb with the accusative -n to form sin, as in Ŝi pentras sin ("She paints herself"). For indirect objects or with prepositions, it remains si, positioned after the preposition: Ili parolas pri si ("They talk about themselves"). This post-verbal placement aligns with Esperanto's strict word order for clarity, and the lack of gender marking in si supports the language's gender-neutral design for nouns and pronouns. Reciprocal relations, which indicate mutual actions among subjects, are not handled by si but by the fixed phrase unu la alian ("one the other"), inflected as needed for case. In accusative form, it follows the verb: Ili helpas unu la alian ("They help one another"). This construction, often combined with the adverb reciproke ("reciprocally") for added emphasis, provides a straightforward alternative to reflexives in contexts like or interaction.

Novial

Novial, a constructed created by Danish linguist in 1928, incorporates reflexive pronouns in a form inspired by for simplicity and familiarity. The reflexive pronoun is the invariant se, used for all persons to indicate that the object refers back to the subject of the clause. This design draws from Romance structures like Latin se, while integrating English and other influences for vocabulary, aiming for natural expression in international communication. In usage, se functions as a direct object to indicate actions directed back at the subject, placed after the verb. For example, Me lava se translates to "I wash myself," and Lu admira se to "He admires himself," where se serves as the reflexive object regardless of person. The word self (borrowed from English) can be used separately for emphasis or intensification, placed after the personal pronoun, as in Me self opine ke... ("I myself opine that..."), highlighting the subject's personal involvement or contrast. This flexibility allows speakers to adjust emphasis without altering core grammar, contributing to the language's intended naturalness. For reciprocal actions, Novial employs the pronoun mutu (derived from "mutual"), which acts similarly to a direct object and applies to two or more participants. An example is Les odia mutu ("They hate each other"), where mutu replaces more cumbersome phrases like un altre ("one another"). This uninflected form simplifies mutual relations, with a genitive mutun for possession, as in Les envia mutun feliseso ("They envy each other's "). Jespersen's choice reflects a blend of analytic English patterns and efficient Romance derivations, prioritizing clarity in .

Guugu Yimithirr (Language Without Reflexives)

Guugu Yimithirr is a Pama-Nyungan language of the Australian Aboriginal family, spoken traditionally in the Hopevale region of , . Documented extensively by linguist John B. Haviland beginning in the , it exemplifies a typological pattern where dedicated reflexive pronouns are absent. Instead, co-reference between subject and object is achieved primarily through morphological marking on verbs, rendering explicit pronominal reflexives unnecessary. Reflexive constructions in Guugu Yimithirr involve suffixes attached to stems, converting them into intransitive forms that encode self-directed action. For L-conjugation verbs, the reflexive is marked by -dhi in the , -ya in the non-past, and -yi in the imperative; other conjugations use derived stems with auxiliary elements like ngarra- or ngadha-. For instance, the gunda- "hit" becomes gundaadhi in the past reflexive, yielding nyutu gundaadhi "he hit himself," where nyutu is the third-person singular nominative and the reflexive interpretation arises from the suffix and context. An emphatic variant adds the suffix -ugu to the for focus, as in nyutuugu gundaadhi "he (himself) hit (himself)." In some cases, the absence of an object with a potentially implies reflexivity through zero marking, relying on contextual inference for co-reference. Intransitive verbs often inherently convey self-action without additional morphology, while a subset of verbs occurs exclusively in reflexive forms. Reciprocal meanings are expressed using the same reflexive suffixes, without distinct markers, as the verbal morphology signals mutual action among subjects; for example, a form like bathalgal gundaadhi can mean "they hit each other" depending on context. The language's elaborate system of absolute cardinal directions—using terms like ngampu "north" and yarrba "east" for all spatial reference—eliminates egocentric deictics like "left" or "my side," which in turn diminishes the need for or body-part constructions that might otherwise overlap with reflexive functions in other languages. This structural approach to reflexivity in Guugu Yimithirr challenges assumptions of universal reflexive categories in human , demonstrating that such expressions emerge from language-specific morphology and typology rather than innate linguistic universals.

References

  1. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Novial/AIL_Pronouns
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