Infinitiveimperative

Infinitiveimperative is a term used in linguistics to describe a non-finite verb form that carries imperative force in a given language. It refers to cases where the infinitive form, rather than a finite verb in the imperative mood, functions to express a command, exhortation, or directive.

In practice, infinitive-imperative constructions are not a widely standardized mood across languages. They are typically described as non-finite clauses that gain imperative meaning through context, discourse pragmatics, or interaction with other elements in a sentence. The key idea is that the clause lacks a fully finite subject-verb structure, yet still directs an action in a directive sense.

Typologically, infinitive-imperative realizations vary. Some languages may use infinitive forms in directive constructions within higher clauses, instructional phrases, or hortative/jussive contexts where the speaker aims to urge an action without marking the verb for a finite second person. In other cases, infinitival clauses may appear in parallel with modal or auxiliary expressions that contribute the imperative force. The notion is primarily descriptive: it captures how non-finite verb forms can function as commands in certain syntactic environments.

Examples and precise realizations differ by language, and the term is more a label for a functional category than a universally recognized mood. Some grammars treat these as special uses of the infinitive rather than as a distinct mood. For researchers, infinitive-imperative highlights how directive meaning can be encoded without a finite imperative inflection, illustrating the interaction between non-finite morphology and discourse force.

See also: imperative mood, infinitive, non-finite clause, jussive, hortative.