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Infinitive Basics

Infinitive Basics. MarshLatin.wordpress.com. What is an infinitive?. When you look up a Latin verb in a Latin-English lexicon or dictionary, you will see 4 entries (principal parts) for most verbs.

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Infinitive Basics

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  1. Infinitive Basics MarshLatin.wordpress.com

  2. What is an infinitive? • When you look up a Latin verb in a Latin-English lexicon or dictionary, you will see 4 entries (principal parts) for most verbs. • The 2nd entry, usually abbreviated "-are," "-ere" or "-ire," is the infinitive. More specifically, it's the present active infinitive, which is translated into English as "to _____." • The vowel (a, e, or i) of the infinitive indicates which conjugation it belongs to.

  3. Example • the dictionary entry for a verb in Latin: • Laudo, -are, -avi, -atus. Praise

  4. Looking up a verb • The 1st entry in the dictionary entry is the present, active, singular, 1st person form of the verb. • Note the -o ending.  • Laudo 'I praise' is a first conjugation verb and therefore has an infinitive ending in "-are." • The entire present activeinfinitive of laudo is laudare, which we translate into English as "to praise.“

  5. On Interpreting the Infinitive • Although it may be easy enough to translate the infinitive as "to" plus whatever the verb is (plus whatever person and tense markers may be required), it can be hard to explain the infinitive. It acts like a verbal noun, for which reason, it is sometimes taught alongside the gerund.

  6. Tense in Latin Complementary Infinitives • As an example of why tense is a difficult concept with present infinitives, Allen says that in Cicero and Caesar, 1/3 of their present infinitives follow the verb possum 'to be able'. • If you are able to do something, that ability precedes the time of the statement.

  7. Other Uses of the Infinitive • An infinitive can also be used as the subject of a sentence. The subjective infinitive is found after impersonal expressions like necesseest 'it is necessary'. • Necesseestdormire.it is necessary to sleep.

  8. What do I need to know? • 2nd principal part of the verb • Ends with an “-re” • The “to _____” version of the verb • Used most often with possum or volo • Determines to what CONJUGATION a verb belongs

  9. CONJUGATIONS • -are – 1st • -Ere – 2nd • -ere – 3rd • -ire – 4th

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