9.17, Disc: Infinitives

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List:  Vol-9-17. Thu Jan 8 1998. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 9.17, Disc: Infinitives

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=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Wed, 17 Dec 1997 16:40:12 -0500
From:   "David Harris " <dharris at las-inc.com>
Subject:  definition of infinitives

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Wed, 17 Dec 1997 16:40:12 -0500
From:   "David Harris " <dharris at las-inc.com>
Subject:  definition of infinitives


Re: the very use of the term `infinitive-splitting'.  Why
call "to /go" an infinitive?  Its etymological counterparts in the
other /Germanic languages (such as German "zu gehen") are never
called that.  What? "zu gehen" is not an infinitive? Perhaps you
mean to say that  "gehen " is the infinitive by itself, ie. that it
doesn't need the "zu" portion to be an infinitive. Incidentally,
it's interesting you should mention German in this conversation - a
language in which a split infinitive (or whatever you want to call
the situation that would occur when something intruded between "zu"
and  "gehen") absolutely never occurs. (At least I can't for the life
of me think of an utterance where this does occur. Maybe you can.)

David Harris david at las-inc.com Language Analysis Systems Voice: (703)
834-6200 ext. 242 2214 Rock Hill Road, Suite 201 Fax: (703) 834-6230
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