Self-Reference With ara

Referring Back to a Person

Level 2

Ara mi: my body/myself; ara rẹ: your body/yourself; ara rẹ̀: his or her body/self.

How It Works

Ara denotes the body and takes a following possessor in bodily-care expressions. Ara mi, ara rẹ and ara rẹ̀ distinguish first person, second-person singular and third-person singular. The last form does not mark gender.

When actor and possessor identify the same person, English may use a reflexive pronoun. Compare Mo ń nu ara mi, “I am wiping myself”, with Mo ń nu ara rẹ, “I am wiping your body”. Changing the possessor changes the affected person; intended reference matters.

Emphasizing personal performance uses a separate fúnrara construction. Acting on oneself and personally performing an action express different relations. Other predicates need their own reflexive constructions; do not replace every English self-expression with ara. Plural ara phrases and reciprocal readings require their own treatment.

Examples (3)

  1. Mo ń nu ara mi.

    I am wiping myself.

    The actor and possessor identify the same person.

  2. O ń wẹ ara rẹ.

    You are washing yourself.

    Rẹ identifies the addressee's own body.

  3. Títí ń tọ́jú ara rẹ̀.

    Títí is taking care of herself.

    Rẹ̀ refers to Títí; English gender is contextual.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Self-Reference With araLevel 2Referring Back to a Person

Learn This First

Ara with a possessor can identify the actor's own body or self.