[Lingtyp] “excessive/redundant” use of reflexive pronouns

[Sergey Loesov]

Dear colleagues,



What do we know, cross-linguistically, about “excessive/redundant” use of
reflexive pronouns with verbs of leaving (transitives) and remaining
(intransitives)? Is there an accepted explanation of this feature?



A well-known example is Spanish:



dejarse atrás “to leave (for oneself) behind”:



echando de menos todo lo que me dejé atrás “missing everything I left
behind (for myself)”

Le conté cómo la vida de mi madre se consumía y cómo me arrastraba a su
combustión... cómo salí de aquel infierno y todo lo que me dejé atrás

I told him how my mother’s life was consuming itself and how it dragged me
into her combustion... how I escaped from that hell and all that I left
behind (for myself).



quedarse atrás “to stay behind (for oneself):





El sentimiento de “me quedo atrás en la vida” es una experiencia
relativamente común en la etapa final de la juventud.



In Spanish, it looks like one can equally well say “todo lo que dejé atrás”
and “quedo atrás en la vida”, without the reflexive marker.



What prompts its appearance?



Thank you very much,

Sergey
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