<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The main goal of this paper is to account for the recategorisation of the Old English <italic>to</italic>-infinitive and the consequent rise of <italic>for</italic> before the Middle English <italic>to</italic>-infinitive. We argue that the loss of D feature has two consequences. The first consequence is that V?<italic>to</italic>-D movement was lost resulting in the break-up of the (morphological and) syntactic unity of the <italic>to</italic>-infinitive. The second consequence, a consequence of the first consequence, concerns the appearance of the so-called split infinitive, i.e. the development of a preverbal adverb, negation and object position. This crucial evidence marks the drift of the infinitive towards VP behaviour. Given that D was lost in early Middle English (i.e. 1150-1200) and the split infinitive appeared in the 13<sup>th</sup> century, the paper concludes that the change from a PP to a TP status was gradual and not simultaneous with other changes.</p></abstract>

The main goal of this paper is to account for the recategorisation of the Old English to-infinitive and the consequent rise of for before the Middle English to-infinitive. We argue that the loss of D feature has two consequences. The first consequence is that V?to-D movement was lost resulting in the break-up of the (morphological and) syntactic unity of the to-infinitive. The second consequence, a consequence of the first consequence, concerns the appearance of the so-called split infinitive, i.e. the development of a preverbal adverb, negation and object position. This crucial evidence marks the drift of the infinitive towards VP behaviour. Given that D was lost in early Middle English (i.e. 1150-1200) and the split infinitive appeared in the 13th century, the paper concludes that the change from a PP to a TP status was gradual and not simultaneous with other changes.

The breakup of Old English <italic>to</italic>-infinitive: Causes and consequences

Studia Anglica Posnaniensia

The breakup of Old English -infinitive: Causes and consequences

The main goal of this paper is to account for the recategorisation of the Old English to-infinitive and the consequent rise of for before the Middle English...

The breakup of Old English to-infinitive: Causes and consequences

Published Online: Feb 29, 2012

Page range: 21 - 42

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10121-010-0002-9

This content is open access.