Autoréflexifs

Autoréflexifs is a term used in linguistics and philosophy to describe words or phrases that refer back to the subject or an earlier part of the same sentence. These are often reflexive pronouns like "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," "ourselves," "yourselves," and "themselves" in English. The function of an autoréflexif is to indicate that the action of the verb is directed back to the performer of the action. For example, in the sentence "He hurt himself," the word "himself" refers back to "He," the subject of the sentence.

The concept of autoréflexifs is not limited to pronouns. Certain verbs can also be inherently reflexive, meaning they always require a reflexive pronoun to complete their meaning, or their meaning changes when used reflexively. In some languages, a specific grammatical marker is used to indicate reflexivity. Understanding autoréflexifs is crucial for comprehending sentence structure and meaning, as they establish a clear connection between the subject and the object or the action performed. The precise grammatical rules and the frequency of their use can vary significantly across different languages.