reflexív

Reflexív is a linguistic term used to describe forms and constructions that indicate the reflexive relation between the subject and the object of a verb, meaning the subject performs an action on itself. The concept is widely studied in morphology, syntax, and semantics and appears in many language families under different spellings and realizations. In some languages, the term is written as reflexív, reflecting diacritical conventions, while in others the standard term reflexive or reflexive pronouns are used.

Reflexivity is typically encoded in one of three main ways. A reflexive pronoun, such as myself, yourself, himself, herself, themselves, or equivalents in other languages (for example se in Spanish or se in French), explicitly marks the relation. A reflexive verb form or affix attaches to the verb itself, indicating that the action’s patient is identical to its agent. Some languages use a combination of clitics, inflection, or light verbs to express reflexivity, and others employ periphrastic constructions or middle voice strategies.

The reflexive category is distinct from reciprocity, which involves two or more participants acting on each other, as in “they praised each other.” Reflexivity also interacts with broader grammatical phenomena such as valency, voice, and aspect, and can serve functions beyond core reflexive meaning, including emphasis or denoting an involuntary or habitual action in certain languages.

Cross-linguistically, reflexivity shows substantial variation in morphology, syntax, and semantics. It is a standard topic in typology and description of languages, helping to map how different grammars encode the self-directed relation between an action and its doer.