• Dutch
  • Frisian
  • Saterfrisian
  • Afrikaans
Show all
The complementiser of the argument IPI
quickinfo

The argument Imperativus-pro-Infinitivo (IPI), like the adjunct IPI, is normally introduced by the complementiser en and, which is homophonous to the coordinating conjunction. In rare cases, the IPI is introduced by a different complementiser, such as the complementiser as than.

readmore

The argument IPI can be introduced by the comparative complementiser as than (BI stands for Bare Infinitive):

1
Hy koe oars net dwaan as skriuw dat artikel
he could else not do than write.BI that article
He could not do anything else than write that article

In this particular case, the IPI can either be replaced by an ordinary infinitival clause, as in the first example, or by a to-infinitival clause, as in the second example:

2
a. Hy koe oars net dwaan as dat artikel skriuwe
he could else not do than that article write.OI
He could not do anything else but write that article
b. Hy koe oars net dwaan as dat artikel te skriuwen
he could else not do than that article to write.GI
He could not do anything else but write that article

The second example is less common than the first. In addition, the IPI can also be found in the second disjunct of a disjunction, as in (3):

3
Ik bin net fan doel en jou him in presintsje of felisitearje him mei syn jierdei
I am not of purpose and give.BI him a present or congratulate.BI him with his birthday
I do not intend to give him a present or congratulate him on his birthday

This example probably involves a disjunction in the scope of the complementiser en and. It is unexpected, though, that the second disjunct cannot be introduced by the complementiser en and:

4
*Ik bin net fan doel en jou him in presintsje of en felisitearje him mei syn jierdei
I am not of purpose and give.BI him a present or and congratulate.BI him with his birthday
I do not intend to give him a present or congratulate him on his birthday

Note that the complementiser om for is allowed to introduce the second conjunct:

5
Ik bin net fan doel om him in presintsje te jaan of om him mei syn jierdei te felisitearjen
I am not of purpose for him a present to give or him with his birthday to congratulate
I do not intend to give him a present or to congratulate him on his birthday

Apparently, the complementiser om for is different from the complementiser en and, seeing that the former but not the latter is allowed to introduce a second disjunct consisting of an IPI.

It is also possible to provide a coordination of IPIs, as in the following example:

6
Wy kinne om 'e need fan Fryslân net oars as meitsje front nei alle kânten, ferdigenje en fal oan rûnom
we can for the emergency of Fryslân not else than make frontline to all sides defend.BI and attack to everywhere
The emergency situation of Fryslân forces us to take up a battle position on all sides, to defend and to attack everywhere

The coordination, containing three conjoined IPIs, functions as a complex argument IPI which occurs in the scope of the complementiser as than.

References
    printreport errorcite