Reflexive and Reciprocal Constructions in Modern Greek

This paper examines the various constructions that convey reflexivity and reciprocity in Modern Greek. Modern Greek reflexive and reciprocal constructions are characterized by a considerable degree of overlap between them, in the sense that they are structurally parallel to each other. More concretely, both reflexives and reciprocals in the language can be lexicalized through the addition of the non-active suffix -mai to a transitive verb; moreover, reflexivity and reciprocity can be syntactically realized by means of an active transitive verb followed by a pronominal that is referentially bound to an antecedent. Lastly, pronoun incorporation to a –mai verb constitutes another way of expressing reflexivity and reciprocity in the language, while in certain cases reflexivity/ reciprocity is inherently encoded in the semantics of individual verb predicates. The analysis is implemented within Role-and- Reference Grammar; the richness of the data, however, dictates the need for the enrichment of the framework. Specifically, the traditional Role-and-Reference Grammar organization structure is extended through the postulation of additional steps to the semantics-to-syntax derivational process and through the introduction of a feature-based analysis at the semantic level of representation. What is aimed in this way is a more thorough and effective analysis of the constructions under examination.