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Anbirese/Syntax: Difference between revisions
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→Infinitive clauses
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===Infinitive clauses=== | ===Infinitive clauses=== | ||
In Modern Tíogall, infinitives or verbal nouns go to the end of the clause for common modal constructions (e.g. want, need, must, may). | |||
: | Drion ean le ghnúi. | ||
: | on-1SG water to drink.VN | ||
I have to drink water. (lit. It is on me to drink water.) | |||
Oith góis le shnóisill. | |||
go_through.PRES with-2SG to continue | |||
You may continue. (lit. It goes through with you to continue.) | |||
For emphasizing the object, "want/need/etc. an X to Y", a resumptive pronoun can be used after the verbal noun. (Alternatively the emphatic clitic -na/-ne can be used on X.) | |||
Geilin tána le cháis ú! | |||
from-1SG something to eat.VN 3SG.M-DEP | |||
I want something to eat! | |||
Not all constructions with the verbal noun use the infinitive-final order: | |||
Ní h-airŋín lion áichir ú. | |||
I didn't succeed in finding it. | |||
The infinitive-final order arose from constructions corresponding to modal verbs in English: originally the order was something similar to "Drion gnúi ean" ("on-1SG drink.VN water"), then "Drion ean le ghnúi" (originally "I want water to drink") became more common, eventually to the exclusion of the original construction, which is archaic or high-register today for common modal expressions. | |||
===Ergative clauses=== | ===Ergative clauses=== | ||