Reflexiveness (Noun)
Meaning 1
(logic and mathematics) a relation such that it holds between an element and itself.
Classification
Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
The coreferential relation between a reflexive pronoun and its antecedent.
Classification
Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas.
Examples
- The concept of reflexiveness in linguistics is often illustrated through the relationship between a pronoun and its antecedent in a sentence.
- In the sentence "John saw himself in the mirror," the reflexiveness of the pronoun "himself" is established through its coreferential relation with the antecedent "John."
- The theory of reflexiveness proposes that the interpretation of a reflexive pronoun is dependent on its antecedent, which is typically a noun or a pronoun that precedes it in the sentence.
- Linguists have long been interested in the reflexiveness of pronouns like "herself" and "themselves," which can only be used when there is a clear antecedent in the sentence.
- The reflexiveness of a pronoun like "itself" is often demonstrated through examples such as "The cat washed itself," where the pronoun refers back to the noun "cat".