what to make of the Spanish IRSE?

[Bernhard Waelchli]

Dear Sergey
The use of some reflexive or middle marker on verbs meaning "depart" is 
quite wide-spread cross-linguistically. Going away is going "self, (for) 
yourself".
Compare for instance Ukrainian
pishov sob-i
go:PST:M:SG self-DAT
"he departed"
And they began to beseech him to depart from their borders. (Mark 5:17)
І вони стали благати Його, щоб пішов Собі з їхнього краю. (Ukrainian)
Y comenzaron á rogarle que se fuese de los términos de ellos. (Spanish)
Best wishes
Bernhard

-- 
Bernhard Wälchli
Stockholms universitet
Institutionen för lingvistik
SE - 106 91 Stockholm
Tel +46 8 16 23 44