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While I certainly have no desire to terminate the discussion here,
for which I am very grateful, let me just use the occasion for a few
clarifications.<br>
<br>
@Elena: This is a surprising idea which I would have liked to adopt.
Unfortunately, there are almost no rules to require or block
coreference of any of the nominals of the superordinate clause with
any of the nominals of the <i>-klä</i> nominalization (@Ellison).
The only coreference which is apparently non-standard [assuming that
such a concept makes sense in an almost unwritten language] is
between the absolutive of the superordinate clause with the (overt!)
absolutive of the infinitival.<br>
@Jürgen and Nigel: Like other infinitives in the world, the Cabecar
vacant-subject nominalized form [it serves as an infinitive, but
also as a nomen agentis, which is why I call it that] is subject to
syntactic control by rules of grammar in suitable contexts, as
Jürgen observes; and in other contexts, as Nigel observes, it is
not. I therefore prefer the more general term 'phoric control' [~
referential control; some attribute is necessary here to prevent
confusion with that control which distinguishes the actor from the
undergoer].<br>
@Ellison: It is true that <i>-klä</i> partly undoes the effect of
the vacant-subject nominalizer. However, the -klä nominalization
does inherit a few properties of the vacant-subject nominalization;
for instance, neither allows representation of an ergative actant.
Otherwise, I concede that the hope of building a regular syntax on
splitting little morphemes in inflected forms may be
methodologically naive in certain cases.<br>
@Riccardo: The grammar of the language does not lend itself to such
a terminological move. On the one hand, as you say, the infinitive
is an inflected form [something that should, in fact, prevent use of
the term 'inflected infinitive' for cases like the Portuguese one].
On the other, Cabecar lacks person marking on the verb, no matter
whether finite or non-finite.<br>
<br>
I remain grateful for more ideas,<br>
Christian<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<p style="font-size:90%">Prof. em. Dr. Christian Lehmann<br>
Rudolfstr. 4<br>
99092 Erfurt<br>
<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Deutschland</span></p>
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<td>+49/361/2113417</td>
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<td>E-Post:</td>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:christianw_lehmann@arcor.de">christianw_lehmann@arcor.de</a></td>
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<td>Web:</td>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.christianlehmann.eu">https://www.christianlehmann.eu</a></td>
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