An LFG approach to Icelandic reciprocal constructions

Reciprocal constructions in Icelandic involve complex interactions of gender, number, and case. Icelandic prescriptive grammars describe a single construction type, but actual Icelandic usage reveals there to be a number of variations on this construction. In this chapter Hurst and Nordlinger present these variant construction types, based on the results of a survey undertaken by over 500 Icelandic speakers. They discuss the different morphosyntactic properties of these reciprocal constructions and show how they can be given a straightforward account in LFG. They argue that our LFG account not only provides a natural analysis of the different individual constructions, but also of the relationship between them, potentially reflecting stages of historical development in the Icelandic reciprocal construction over time.