Reflexiivne

Reflexiivne, or reflexive, is a grammatical category found in many languages that indicates a relationship between the action of a verb and its subject. In its core use, the subject performs an action on itself, making the subject also the object of the verb. This contrasts with non-reflexive actions where the subject does not act upon itself.

Reflexivity is typically realized through pronouns or dedicated verb forms. In English, reflexive pronouns such as myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves accompany verbs to mark reflexivity (for example, She dressed herself). Other languages use different devices, such as a clitic attached to the verb or a bound reflexive marker. Some languages also employ reflexive constructions that blur with reciprocal meaning (they harmed themselves vs. they harmed each other, depending on context).

There are two broad types of reflexive expression. Independent reflexive pronouns are separate words, used with a wide range of verbs. Bound reflexive markers are affixes, clitics, or inflections integrated into the verb or a dependent word, requiring little or no separate pronoun. In addition to direct reflexive actions, reflexivity can contribute to emphasis, a change in voice (sometimes called reflexive or middle voice), or idiomatic meanings that differ from a literal reading.

Cross-linguistically, reflexivity shows substantial variation in how it is encoded and in which verbs it can occur. Some languages have extensive reflexive systems, while others rely on context or additional words to convey reflexive meaning. In Estonian linguistic terminology, reflexiivne relates to how the action turns back on the subject within the wider pronoun and verbal system.

Overall, reflexiivne is a fundamental concept for understanding how languages encode actions that affect the actor, enabling precise representation of self-directed or self-referential actions.