Reflexive possessives in Tungusic: Comparison of Bystraja Even and Uilta
Reflexive possessives in Tungusic: Comparison of Bystraja Even and Uilta

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines reflexive possessive constructions in two Tungusic languages, Bystraja Even and Uilta. Its focus is on reflexive possessive agreement, an uncommon and typologically significant feature that has been documented in only a handful of language families worldwide. We investigate the morphological, syntactic, and semantic characteristics of these constructions, showing how each language implements them. We provide a detailed account of the reflexivity systems in Bystraja Even and Uilta, outlining all available strategies for expressing reflexive meaning. We describe the formation of reflexive elements, their relationship to intensifiers, and propose a new interpretation of the absence of accusative case on reflexively marked nominals. We then compare the reflexive possessive systems of Bystraja Even and Uilta with regard to person and number restrictions, reflexive pronoun formation, same-subject marking, usage in verbal contexts, and associative plural interpretations. While the two languages share many general properties, their subtle differences illuminate the complexity and variability of reflexive possessive agreement within closely related languages. These findings highlight how morphosyntactic features can evolve differently even among genetically close languages. Further extending our analysis to other Tungusic languages, we situate Bystraja Even and Uilta within the broader family context and typological landscape. We discuss the implications of reflexive possessive agreement for theories of binding and agreement, proposing that reflexive possessive indexes in these languages are best analysed as instances of agreement with reflexive pronouns rather than as separate reflexivity strategies.

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