Reflexive in subject position

[dnsbhat]

The so-called reflexive pronoun ta:nu 'self' of Kannada, a Dravidian
language, appears to occur in the subject (nominative) position in
certain idiomatic or proverbial types of sentences. It also appears to
provide the reflexive meaning in such a usage.

	ta:n-u: tinn-a parar-ig-u: koD-a
	self-emph eat-not others-Dat-emph give-not
	'He will neither eat (it himself) nor will he give (it) to others'
(used as a comment about a selfish fellow)

	However, the reflexive construction in Kannada is normally derived with
the help of a verbal suffix (or auxiliary), namely koL. A reflexive
sentence may or may not contain the "reflexive" pronoun.

	avanu kannaDiy-alli (tann-annu) no:Di-koNDa
	he mirror-Loc (self-Acc) saw-Reflexive
	'He saw himself in the mirror'

It is not possible in sentences of this type to replace avanu 'he' by
the pronoun ta:nu 'self'.

Further, ta:nu 'self' can occur as an anaphoric pronoun in sentences
like the following, in which the verbal reflexive does not occur:
	
	avanu tan-na kurciy-alli kuLita
	he self-Gen chair-Loc sat
	'He sat in his (own) chair'
	
It can also occur in the subject (nominative) position along with the
coreferential noun (or pronoun) when that noun is emphasized.

	ra:ju ta:n-e: horage ho:da
	Raju self-Emph outsede went
	Raju himself went outside'

I wonder whether an exaplanation for the Nepali use of reflexive pronoun
in the "subject" position can be found in some of these probably
pan-Indian usages of a primarily anaphoric (rather than reflexive)
pronoun, namely a:p 'self'.	



--
D.N.S.Bhat,
135, D-Block, 22nd Cross, 3A Main,
Vijayanagar III Stage,
Mysore 570 017, INDIA