This monograph constitutes the first comprehensive investigation of reciprocal constructions and related phenomena in the world’s languages. Reciprocal constructions (of the type The two boys hit each other, The poets admire each other’s poems) have often been the subject of language-particular studies, but it is only in this work that a truly global comparative picture emerges. Nine stage-setting chapters dealing with general and theoretical matters are followed by 40 chapters containing in-depth descriptions of reciprocals in individual languages by renowned specialists. The introductory papers provide a conceptual and terminological framework that allows the authors of the individual chapters to characterize their languages in comparable terms, making it easy for the reader to see points of commonality between languages and constructions that have never been compared before. This set of volumes is an indispensable starting point and will be a lasting reference work for any future studies of reciprocals.

Table of Contents:
1. List of contributors; 2. Foreword by Bernard Comrie; 3. Preface by Vladimir Nedjalkov; 4. Abbreviations; 5. Part I. Typological aspects of the investigation of reciprocals; 6. 1. Overview of the research. Definitions of terms, framework, and related issues (by Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.); 7. 2. Lexical reciprocals as a means of expressing reciprocal situations (by Knjazev, Jurij P.); 8. 3. Encoding of the reciprocal meaning (by Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.); 9. 4. Sociativity, conjoining, reciprocity and the Latin prefix com- (by Zalizniak, Anna A.); 10. 5. Polysemy of reciprocal markers (by Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.); 11. 6. Reciprocal and polyadic (Remarkable reciprocals in Bantu) (by Maslova, Elena S.); 12. 7. Reciprocal derivation involving non-verbals (by Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.); 13. 8. Questionnaire on reciprocals (by Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.); 14. 9. Some typologically relevant properties of reciprocal markers and arrangement of the subsequent chapters (by Geniusiene, Emma S.); 15. Part II. Reflexive-reciprocal polysemy of reciprocal markers; 16. A. Verbal and pronominal reciprocal markers; 17. 10. Reciprocal and reflexive constructions in German (by Wiemer, Bjorn); 18. 11. Reciprocal and reflexive constructions in Polish (by Wiemer, Bjorn); 19. 12. Reciprocal and reflexive constructions in French (by Guentcheva, Zlatka); 20. 13. Reciprocal and reflexive constructions in Bulgarian (by Penchev, Iordan); 21. 14. Reciprocal and reflexive constructions in Lithuanian (with references to Latvian) (by Geniusiene, Emma S.); 22. 15. Reciprocal constructions in Russian (by Knjazev, Jurij P.); 23. 16. Reciprocals in Vedic (by Kulikov, Leonid); 24. 17. Reciprocal, comitative, sociative, and reflexive in Kabardian (by Kazenin, Konstantin I.); 25. 18. Reciprocal, reflexive, and sociative in Adyghe (by Letuchiy, Alexander); 26. 19. Reciprocals in West Greenlandic Eskimo (by Fortescue, Michael); 27. B. Verbal reciprocal marker only; 28. 20. Reciprocals and reflexives in North Arawak languages of the Upper Rio Negro (Warekena, Bare, Baniwa of Icana) (by Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y.); 29. C. Pronominal reciprocal marker only; 30. 21. Reciprocal constructions in Djaru (by Tsunoda, Tasaku); 31. Part III. Sociative-reciprocal polysemy of reciprocal markers; 32. A. Verbal and pronominal reciprocal markers; 33. 22. Reciprocal, sociative, and comitative constructions in Tagalog (by Shkarban, Lina I.); 34. 23. Reciprocal constructions in Udehe (by Nikolaeva, Irina); 35. 24. Reciprocals, sociatives, and competitives in Karachay-Balkar (by Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.); 36. 25. Reciprocal, sociative, and competitive constructions in Japanese (by Alpatov, Vladimir M.); 37. 26. Reciprocals, sociatives, comitatives, and assistives in Yakut (by Nedjalkov, Igor' V.); 38. 27. Reciprocals, sociatives, comitatives, and assistives in Tuvan (by Kuular, Klara B.); 39. 28. Reciprocals, assistives, and plural in Kirghiz (by Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.); 40. 29. Reciprocal, sociative, and assistive constructions in Buryat and Khalkha-Mongol (by Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.); 41. B. Verbal reciprocal marker only; 42. 30. Reciprocal and sociative, reflexive and reciprocal in Tariana: Their genetic and areal properties (by Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y.); 43. 31. Reciprocal constructions in Bolivian Quechua (by Kerke, Simon van de); 44. Part IV. Reflexive-reciprocal-sociative polysemy of reciprocal markers. Verbal reciprocal marker only; 45. 32. Reciprocal constructions in Warrungu (by Tsunoda, Tasaku); 46. Part V. Sociative-reciprocal-iterative polysemy of reciprocal markers; 47. A. Verbal and pronominal reciprocal markers; 48. 33. Reciprocal constructions in Indonesian (by Ogloblin, Aleksandr K.); 49. B. Verbal reciprocal marker only; 50. 34. Polysemy of the reciprocal marker in Nelemwa (by Bril, Isabelle); 51. 35. Reciprocal, sociative, reflexive, and iterative constructions in East Futunan (by Moyse-Faurie, Claire); 52. Part VI. Non-prototypical polysemy; 53. A. Verbal and pronominal reciprocal markers; 54. 36. Reciprocals and related meanings in To'aba'ita (by Lichtenberk, Frantisek); 55. B. Verbal reciprocal marker only; 56. 37. Reciprocals in Mundari (by Osada, Toshiki); 57. Part VII. Monosemous reciprocal markers; 58. A. Verbal and pronominal reciprocal markers; 59. 38. Reciprocal and sociative constructions in Evenki (with an appendix on Manchu) (by Nedjalkov, Igor' V.); 60. 39. Reciprocal and sociative constructions in Even (by Malchukov, Andrej); 61. 40 Reciprocal constructions in Chukchi (with an appendix on Koryak) (by Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.); 62. 41. Reciprocal constructions in Nivkh (Gilyak) (by Otaina, Galina A.); 63. B. Verbal reciprocal marker only; 64. 42. Reciprocals and sociatives in Ainu (by Alpatov, Vladimir M.); 65. 43. Reciprocals in Itelmen (Kamchadal) (by Volodin, Aleksandr P.); 66. 44. Reciprocals in Yukaghir languages (by Maslova, Elena S.); 67. 45. Reciprocal, response reciprocal, and distributive constructions in Cashinahua (by Camargo, Eliane); 68. C. Mostly pronominal reciprocal markers; 69. 46. Reciprocal and sociative constructions in Bamana (by Vydrin, Valentin); 70. 47. Reciprocal constructions in Vietnamese (by Bystrov, Igor S.); 71. 48. Reciprocal constructions in Ancient Chinese (by Yakhontov, Sergej E.); 72. 49. Reciprocal constructions in Modern Chinese (by Hoa, Monique); 73. Part VIII. Assessments; 74. 50. Comments (by Haspelmath, Martin); 75. Name index (by Geniusiene, Emma S.); 76. Language index (by Geniusiene, Emma S.); 77. Subject index (by Krylov, Sergej A.)