Cominciarsi

Cominciarsi is a scarcely attested Italian verb form that appears as the reflexive variant of cominciare, meaning to begin. In standard Italian, the non-reflexive form cominciare is used for the act of starting, while the reflexive -arsi form is rare and is generally found in regional dialects or in certain literary or historical texts. Linguists sometimes treat cominciarsi as a dialectal or archaic variant that can convey a nuance of the subject initiating the action upon themselves or taking personal responsibility for the onset of an activity.

Etymology and form: Cominciarsi is derived from the infinitive cominciare with the reflexive pronoun se attached, yielding the形 -arsi. The form follows the general pattern of Italian reflexive verbs, with corresponding conjugations in the appropriate tense, though its use remains unconventional in mainstream Italian.

Usage notes: Because cominciarsi is not part of the standard lexicon, most contemporary grammars do not treat it as productive. When the sense of self-initiated action is intended, speakers typically use non-reflexive constructions such as cominciare a + infinitive or, in some contexts, mettersi a + infinitive or darsi a + gerund. Cominciarsi may still appear in regional speech, in historical texts, or for stylistic effect in literature, where it can emphasize agency, emphasis, or a dialectal flavor.

See also: cominciare, reflexive verbs, diathesis.