Disterheft examines the syntactic shift from the proto-IE nominalized verb to the morphologically distinct infinitives of the daughter languages. For this she focuses on the syntax of the infinitives in three groups (Indo-Iranian, Celtic, and Hittite) that have morphologically conservative infinitives. Applying internal reconstruction and the comparative method, the author concludes that purpose clauses and complements to verbs whose subjects control coreferential noun phrase deletion employed the still-nominal form during the PIE period. In the Rig Veda and Old Irish the reanalysis of nominalizations as non-finite predicates can still be seen in progress. Contents Chapter 1. The Indo-European problem
1.0 Introduction 9 1.1Morphology 12 1.2 Syntax 17
Chapter 2. Syntax of the infinitive in the Rigveda
2.0 Introduction 27 2.1 Previous Syntactic descriptions 28 2.2 The predicate infinitive 40 2.3 The imperative infinitive 49 2.4 The infinitive in relative clauses 53 2.5 Purpose clauses 57 2.6 Temporal clauses with infinitive 2.7 Verb complements 2.8 Adjective and noun complements; Sentential subject 83
Chapter 3. Syntax of the Old Iranian infinitive
3.0 Introduction 87 3.1 Past research 87 3.2 Predicate infinitive 88 3.3 Imperative infinitive 91 3.4 Relative clauses 93 3.5 Purpose clauses 94 3.6 verb complements 97
Chapter 4. The Indo-Iranian infinitive
4.0 Introduction 103 4.1 Constraints on subject and object 104 4.2 Word order 110 4.3 Voice 111 4.4 Indeterminacy of analysis 120 4.5 Reconstructing Indo-Iranian 129
Chapter 5. The Celtic verbal noun
5.0 Introduction 135 5.1 Verb complements 142 5.2 Purpose clauses 150 5.3 Sentential subject 152 5.4 Indeterminate constructions 155 5.5 Conclusions 159
Chapter 6. The Hittite infinitive
6.0 Introduction 161 6.1 Imperative infinitive 165 6.2 Purpose clauses 166 6.3 Verb complements 170 6.4 Complements to nouns and adjectives 177 6.5 Conclusions 178
Chapter 7. Reconstructing the Proto-Indo-European infinitive
7.0 Introduction 181 7.1 Comparison of the infinitive in Indo-Iranian, Celtic, and Hittite 181 7.2 Other Indo-European evidence 192 7.3 Gradual nature of syntactic change 196 7.4 Effects of reanalysis 198
"...a good book. It is to be recommended as a model for sound comparative IE syntactical research..." (Celtica)
