Alternation ‘Impersonal Reflexive’ (Coded)

A coded intransitive-like alternation, characterized by defocusing of the S/A argument (according to whether the verb is monovalent or divalent), that is suppressed and signaled by the reflexive morpheme si. This morpheme marks an indefinite human participant, with variable interpretation (generic or existential/indefinite, optionally comprising the Speech Act Participants, as in the first person plural, inclusive interpretation), according to the temporal reference of the clause and the aspectual nature of the predicate. With divalent verbs, in the unmarked word order [si V N] the P-subject (i.e., the nominal agreeing with the verb) occurs in the postverbal position, and is most typically indefinite, and conveys new information (Cennamo 1995: 85-86, Bentley 2006, D'Alessandro 2007, Cennamo 2011c and references therein).