ABSTRACT
The origin of Russian reflexive verbs lies in the combined form of a verb and the pronoun in Old Russian. The majority of reflexive verbs derive from transitive non-reflexive verbs with the same root, and form pairs with them. All reflexive verbs are intransitive. Reflexive verbs can describe reciprocal actions. There are several reflexive verbs describing reciprocal action that do not have a non-reflexive transitive pair. Reflexive verbs can describe ability or permanent quality. In passive sentences, reflexive verbs are mainly used in the imperfective aspect to describe an ongoing incomplete action. There are a number of reflexive verbs that do not have non-reflexive pairs. Some reflexive verbs may seem, at first sight, to share a root with a non-reflexive verb pair. However, the reflexive and similar-looking non-reflexive verbs may have completely different meanings. Some reflexive impersonal verbs have non-reflexive pairs that have similar meanings, but are used in personal constructions with the subject in the nominative case.
