The word diri (self) in Iban, which is a cognate of the Malay diri (also meaning "self") could have referred to the human body or the person in an earlier stage of the development of these two languages, and most probably in the proto-language from which these two languages descended. Evidence of this can be traced in the semantics of bediri (Iban), berdiri (Malay); kediri, kediri-diri (Iban), kediri, sendiri (Malay). Gammaticalisation of this word in the above examples is seen as part of the morphological process.

The semantics of diri which points to the human body is also seen in the use of the word as a numeral classifier in phrases such as tiga iko diri menyadi (three siblings) which consist of the structure Numeral-Classifier-Classifier-Human Noun. In this structure diri occurs as an optional classifier complementing iko (obligatory for all animate nouns, inclusive of the human nouns), and it can occur only when the nucleus of the phrase is a human noun. The phrase can stand perfectly well without diri, i.e. tiga iko menyadi.

Other instances of the grammaticalisation of diri at the syntactic level are mainly indicated by reflexivisation, showing transitivity and reciprocity. Reflexivisation in the context of transitivity involves the transitivisation of certain intransitive verbs with the suffix -ka making it possible for diri to occur after these verbs, resulting in the transitivised reflexive verbal phrase. The opposition of this phrase and its intransitive counterpart occurring in its root-form indicates clearly the opposition between event and state. For example dudok (sit) denotes a state, whereas nudokka diri (sit) denotes an event. The same goes with pulai (return) and mulaika diri (return). This paper will examine the type of verbs that can enter into such an opposition and the contexts in which they occur.

Reciprocity has a variety of forms but in each form, diri is the obligatory element. In the possessive phrase, diri can be followed by empu (denoting ownership) for intensification. Finally this paper will examine grammaticalisation at the inter-clausal level where diri stands as a co-reference for the object of the main clause and the subject of the subordinate clause.