Reflexives 423
In (27), aba'na dibi' takes its reference from the subject of the subordinate ad-
verbial clause, Ali. In (29), the antecedent of aba'na dibi' is Hasan, which is the
direct object in a relative clause modifying the subject of the sentence. And in
(30), Fatima is the possessor of the preposed object yet serves as the antecedent
of the subject aba'na dibi'.
In (24-30), aba'na dibi' has an antecedent within the sentence that con-
tains it. However, aba'na dibi' need not have an antecedent in its own sentence
but can take its reference from a salient argument in the discourse. This is true
in (31) and (32).
(31) Aba'na dibi' e-tangkep bi' polisi.
OV-catch by police
‘The police caught him.’
(32) Are laggu' aba'na dibi' e-tenggu Atin neng tifi.
day tomorrow OV-watch Atin on TV
‘The next day, Atin saw her on TV.’
When (31) occurs as part of a discourse describing the police apprehending a
thief, it is the thief that serves as the antecedent of aba'na dibi'. While in one
context aba'na dibi' can be construed as referring to Atin in (32), in the context
of a friend of Atin’s having been interviewed by TV reporters, aba'na dibi' is
interpreted as referring to Atin’s friend. (32) especially points to the importance
of context for the interpretation of aba'na dibi'. While there is potential for am-
biguity, when the discourse context is factored in, the ambiguity is generally
resolved.
1.3 Reflexive interpretation without dibi'
At times, reflexive meaning can also be conveyed without the use of dibi'. This
was shown above for some instances of first and second person reflexives with
aba'. In some instances it is possible or even preferred to simply use the third
person pronominal to denote reflexive meaning. For example, for reasons that
are not currently well understood, some speakers greatly prefer aba'na rather
than aba'na dibi' in the following sentences.^4
(33) Bambang a-careta ka Hasan bab aba'na.
Bambang AV-story to Hasan about him
‘Bambang talked to Hasan about himself.’
(^4) Just as the data in the previous section indicate that there is no analog of Principle A at
work in Madurese, the data in this section indicate that there is no analog of Principle B
either, as pronouns can be bound by a c-commanding antecedent in the same clause.