Infinitivalpur
Infinitivalpur is a term used in theoretical linguistics to describe a proposed subtype of infinitival clauses that exhibit a specific set of licensing and binding properties when embedded under certain predicates or operators. The name combines infinitival, referring to non-finite infinitive clauses, with a shorthand pur used in some accounts for a proposed Purity/Purpose feature that constrains the argument structure of non-finite clauses. The concept appears in discussions aimed at explaining cross-language patterns where infinitives seem to maintain distinct control relations from their matrix predicates or interact with modality in unusual ways.
In the proposed analyses, infinitivalpur environments are thought to create a separate functional domain for the
Criticism of the concept centers on questions of empirical coverage and theoretical necessity, with opponents arguing
See also: infinitival clause, non-finite clause, control theory, modality in linguistics.