infinitivelike

Infinitivelike is a descriptive term used in linguistics to describe non-finite verb forms and clauses that function like infinitives in a language, but do not necessarily correspond to a canonical infinitive form in that language. The idea covers a range of realizations, including bare verb forms, reduced non-finite clauses, and other non-finite constructions that carry infinitive-like meanings such as purpose, control, or complement of a predicate.

In terms of morphology and syntax, infinitivelike forms are typically non-finite and often lack overt tense marking or subject agreement. They commonly occur as complements to matrix verbs (for example, raising or control constructions), as objects or complements in perception or causative verbs, or in purpose clauses. Realizations can be bare verbs, participial forms used in infinitival function, or non-finite clauses that are marked or unmarked by particles or other affixes, depending on the language.

Cross-linguistically, infinitivelike forms help to describe patterns where the function of an infinitive is retained without exhibiting the prototypical marker of an infinitive in the language. English provides clear instances through the bare infinitive after certain verbs, as in let him go or I saw him swim, where the form serves infinitive-like purposes without a to-infinitive marker. Other languages may realize infinitival semantics through different non-finite markers or through specific verb forms that do not align with a single, uniform “infinitive.”

Scholarly usage of the term varies, and infinitivelike is not a universal grammatical category. It is employed to capture cross-linguistic similarities in how languages encode non-finite, infinitive-like clauses, highlighting a continuum between true infinitives, bare forms, and related non-finite constructions.