nonfinit

Nonfinit is a term used in linguistics to describe verb forms that do not carry finite tense, person, or number features. In many grammars these forms are referred to as nonfinite or non-finite; nonfinit is an alternative label used in a minority of theoretical works. The nonfinite set typically includes infinitives, participles, and gerunds, though exact terminology and classification vary by language. Nonfinite forms can occur in subordinate or non-tensed clauses and are generally not the main verbs of a clause.

Languages differ in how they mark or realize nonfinite forms. In English, nonfinite forms include the infinitive (to eat) and participles (eating, eaten), with the participles serving adjectival or verbal functions in various contexts. Romance languages likewise employ infinitives and participles, though with distinct morphologies. Other languages, such as Finnish, Basque, or Icelandic, provide dedicated nonfinite inflection or distinct nonfinite constructions that participate in complex clause structures. Nonfinite clauses commonly appear in purposes, results, or complement clauses, such as want to go, decide to leave, or having finished, where the clause as a whole does not assign finite tense to its verb.

Some theoretical positions argue over whether nonfinite forms constitute a separate syntactic category or reflect a functional property of verbs across structures. The label nonfinit remains less widely adopted than nonfinite or infinitival terminology, and its usage varies by school of grammar. Etymologically, the term combines non- with finite, signaling the lack of finite grammatical properties in these forms.