The reflexive pronouns of English end with self in the singular and selves in the plural. However, the paradigm is inconsistent. With the third person singular and plural, the object pronoun is used, but the with first and second persons, the possessive adjective is used.
The object pronoun is used with himself and themselves. The reflexive pronoun herself is ambiguous because the word her can be both the possessive adjective and the objective pronoun. However, if the reflexive pronoun herself is formed in the same manner as himself, the reflexive pronoun herself is formed with the object pronoun.
The reflexive pronouns myself, yourself, ourselves and yourselves are formed with the possessive adjective. The object pronoun only occurs with the third person singular and plural. Forms such as itself and oneself contain the object pronoun, but it may be that the original forms had the possessive adjective. If this was the case, they became itself and oneself because of degemination.
The reflexive pronouns of English reflect that language is not completely regular. If it were, all the reflexive pronouns of English would be formed with the possessive adjective or with the object pronoun. However, this is not the case. Most of the reflexive pronouns of English are formed with the possessive adjective, but a few are formed with the object pronoun.
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