• Dutch
  • Frisian
  • Saterfrisian
  • Afrikaans
Show all
Preceding infinitival with complementiser and object gap
quickinfo

The adjective is preceded by an infinitival clause with an object gap. The infinitival clause does not have a modal interpretation. It must be introduced by a complementiser. An example is given below:

1
De krante is om by [e] yn sliep te fallen sa saai
the newspaper is for with in sleep to fall so boring
The newspaper is extremely boring
readmore

The construction discussed here consists of an infinitival clause followed by a degree phrase consisting of sa so and an adjective. It is remarkable in that the infinitival clause precedes the combination of the degree word sa so and the adjective. The infinitival clause contains a gap in the position of a direct or a prepositional object. In this construction, the argument of the adjectival predication is identical to the object gap in the infinitival clause, and the subject of the infinitival clause is pragmatically identified as the person responsible for the judgment expressed. This construction has a collocational character and it belongs to an informal register.

Predication via the prepositional object:

2
a. Bist om yn [e] te biten sa lekker
are.2SG for in to bite so tasty (hot,nice)
You are extremely attractive
b. De krante is om by [e] yn sliep te fallen sa saai
the newspaper is for with in sleep to fall so boring
The newspaper is extremely boring

Predication via the direct object:

3
a. Se is om [e] op te fretten sa leaf
are.2SG in to devour so tasty (hot,nice)
She is extremely nice
b. Ik fyn dy om [e] op te fretten sa leaf
I find you for up to eat so sweet
I think you're extremely nice

The complementiser om for cannot be omitted:

4
a. *Bist yn[e] te biten sa lekker
are.2SG in to bite so tasty (hot,nice)
You are extremely nice
b. *De krante is by[e] yn sliep te fallen sa saai
the newspaper is with in sleep to fall so boring
The newspaper is extremely boring

The non-finite clause may form a constituent with the adjective modified by sa so:

5
[Om [e] op te fretten sa leaf] fûn hy har
for up to eat so sweet found he her
He thought she was extremely nice

This constituent can marginally occur in attributive position, provided that there is no overt agreement, which is the case in the neuter singular indefinite, as shown in the examples below:

6
a. *It om [e] op te fretten sa leave famke
the for up to eat so sweet girl
The extremely sweet girl
b. ?In om [e] op te fretten sa leaf famke
a for up to eat so sweet girl
An extremely sweet girl

Such examples may have originated as interferences from Dutch, since in Early Modern Frisian (1600-1800), sa so was not used in an attributive construction. Instead, the determiner sok (in) / sokke such a was used.

Indefinites improve in the plural (in which case there is no article at the beginning of the phrase), if the attributive form sokke such is used:

7
a. Om [e] op te fretten sokke leave famkes
for up to eat such sweet girls
Extremely sweet girls
b. ?Om [e] op te fretten sa leave famkes
for up to eat such sweet girls
Extremely sweet girls

Singular examples seem better in the neuter gender, where agreement is zero, than in the common gender:

8
a. ?In om [e] op te fretten sok in leaf famke
a for up to eat such a sweet girl.NG
An extremely sweet girl
b. *In om [e] op te fretten sok in leave faam
a for up to eat such a sweet girl.CG
An extremely sweet girl

The infinitival clause cannot have the form of an Imperativus pro Infinitivo (IPI):

9
a. *Se is en fret [e] op sa leaf
she is and eat up so sweet
She is extremely sweet
b. *De krante is en fal by [e] yn sliep sa saai
the newspaper is and fall with asleep so boring
The newspaper is extremely boring
References
    printreport errorcite