Infinitives in Norwegian
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Infinitives
The notion infinitive can be used referring both to a given type of form and a type of construction, or clause. Infinitival clauses: are introduced by the infinitival marker å, they have no subject, and their first verb is in infinitive. They otherwise have the same internal build-up as finite subordinate clauses, and can serve as constituent or part of constituent in a clause, as in the following example, where the infinitival clause serves as part of the Oblique constrituent om å måtte bli skjenket et sverd:
(1) Infinitival clause exhibiting clausal structure:
| Jeg |
| jeg |
| 1SG |
| PN |
| snakker | |
| snakke | r |
| talk | PRES |
| V | |
| om |
| om |
| about |
| PREP |
| å |
| å |
| toINF |
| COMP |
| måtte |
| måtte |
| mustINF |
| AUX |
| bli |
| bli |
| beINF |
| AUX |
| skjenket | |
| skjenke | t |
| give | PRFPTCP |
| V | |
| et |
| et |
| aINDEFNEUTSG |
| ART |
| sverd |
| sverd |
| sword |
| N |
Inf-mark Modal Passive Vmain DirectObject Subject Vmain Oblique
Given this parallellism, one may subsume finite and infinitival subordinate clauses alike under the notion subordinate clauses. (Other languages also display subordinate structures built around participial forms, those built around present participles often called gerunds, and those built around past participles as absolutives; since these types only to a very limited extent can be used in Norwegian, we don't include them in this enumeration.)
Not all occurences of infinitives count as clauses: the occurrences of infinitival forms following modals (see above) are not counted as constituting separate clauses.
Infinitival forms following modals are also not preceded by å. Further types of occurrence of infinitives without å are seen in constructions like the following.
In (2), the 'omission' of å may be seen as connected to the governing verb be ('ask'), contrasting for instance with the otherwise parallel verb befale ('order'), which requires å, as in Jeg befaler deg å komme ('I order you to come').
(2)
| Jeg |
| jeg |
| 1sg |
| PN |
| ber | |
| be | r |
| ask | PRES |
| V | |
| henne |
| henne |
| 3sg.FemOBJACC |
| PN |
| komme | |
| komm | e |
| come | INF |
| V | |
The pattern in (3) is used by a small group of verbs like se ('see'), høre ('hear'), føle ('feel'), kjenne ('sense'):
(3)
| Jeg |
| jeg |
| 1sg |
| PN |
| ser | |
| se | r |
| see | PRES |
| V | |
| henne |
| henne |
| 3sg.FemOBJACC |
| PN |
| komme | |
| komm | e |
| come | INF |
| V | |
In both cases, what follows the main verb has a clausal content, that is, 'I ask her that she comes ' in (2) and 'I see that she comes ' in (3). Although infinitive clauses with clausal content generally use the å-marker, there are thus some verb-dependent cases where this is not so.
The infinitive marker å, corresponding to English to, is pronounced in the same way as the coordination marker og, corresponding to English and. They cannot be used one for the other. (See also Coordination marking in Norwegian.)
An extensive overview of infinitival constructions is available at xxx.