Chapter 451Allen and Greenough's Latin GrammarDickinson CollegeChristopher Francese
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Infinitive as Noun
The Infinitive is properly a noun denoting the action of the verb abstractly. It differs, however, from other abstract nouns in the following points: (1) it often admits the distinction of tense; (2) it is modified by
adverbs
, not by
adjectives;
(3) it governs the same case as its verb; (4) it is limited to special constructions.
The Latin Infinitive is the dative or locative case of such a noun
The ending
-ĕ
(
amāre
,
monēre
,
regere
,
audīre
) was apparently locative, the ending
-ī
(
amārī
,
monērī
,
regī
,
audīrī
) apparently dative; but this difference of case had no significance for Latin syntax. The general Latin restriction of the
ī-
infinitives to the passive was not a primitive distinction, but grew up in the course of time.
and was originally used to denote Purpose; but it has in many constructions developed into a substitute for a finite verb. Hence the variety of its use.
In its use as a verb, the Infinitive may take a Subject Accusative (§
397
.
e
), originally the object of another verb on which the Infinitive depended. Thus
iubeō tē valēre
is literally
I command you for being well
(cf. substantive clauses, §
562
. N.).