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    The modal verb hoege need
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    The modal verb hoege need must appear in a clause-union structure in case it selects an infinitival clause. Furthermore, it must be adjacent to the verb which it selects, the only exception being that a verbal particle is allowed to intervene. As a result, this verb cannot display the so-called third construction, in which arguments of the main verb appear to the left and to the right of the selecting verb (in an embedded clause).

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    The modal verb hoege need must appear in a clause-union structure, as shown below, in which the to-infinitive occurs to the right of the selecting verb:

    1
    Omdat gjinien har mei har wurk hoegde te helpen
    because nobody her with her work need to help
    Because nobody needed to help her with her work

    The to-infinitive does not occur to the left of the selecting verb:

    2
    ?*Omdat gjinien har mei har wurk te helpen hoegde
    because nobody her with her work to help need
    Because nobody needed to help her with her work

    The arguments and predicates selected by the infinitival verb may only appear to the left of the verbal cluster consisting of the modal and the to-infinitive (except for the verbal particle, which is also called intransitive adposition, see below). For example, the Adposition Phrase (PP) mei har wurk with her work cannot intervene between the selecting verb and the main verb, as shown below:

    3
    a. Omdat gjinien har mei har wurk hoegde te helpen
    because nobody her with her work needed to help
    Because nobody needed to help her with her work
    b. ?*Omdat gjinien har hoegde mei har wurk te helpen
    because nobody her needed with her work to help
    Because nobody needed to help her with her work
    c. Omdat er mei skimpskoaten op it langhierrich rosmos net by dy oan hoegde te kommen
    because he with jeers at the long-haired scum not at you to need to come
    Because he did not need to come up to you with taunts about long-haired scum
    d. ?*Omdat er mei skimpskoaten op it langhierrich rosmos net oan hoegde by dy te kommen
    because he with jeers at the long-haired scum not to needed at you to come
    Because he did not need to come up to you jeering at long-haired scum

    Particles may intervene in the verbal cluster in case the selected verb is placed to the right of the selecting verb, as is the case when the selected verb is a to-infinitive:

    4
    a. Omdat er mei skimpskoaten op it langhierrich rosmos net by dy hoegde oan te kommen
    because he with jeers at the long-haired scum not at you need P to come
    Because he did not need to come up to you with taunts about long-haired scum
    b. ?Omdat er mei skimpskoaten op it langhierrich rosmos net oan by dy hoegde te kommen
    because he with jeers at the long-haired scum not P at you to to come
    Because he did not need to come up to you jeering at long-haired scum

    Some speakers may find that last sentence above ungrammatical. The particle may not be incorporated in infinitives selected by the modal hoege need:

    5
    a. *Omdat er mei skimpskoaten op it langhierrich rosmos net by dy hoegde te oan-kommen
    because he with jeers at the long-haired scum not at you need to P-come
    Because he did not need to come up to you with taunts about long-haired scum
    b. *Omdat er fan my net hieltyd hoecht te op-rêden
    because he of me not constantly needs to P-clean
    Because he does not constantly need to clean up, as far as I am concerned
    References
      About this article
      Author(s): Eric Hoekstra
      Category: Frisian Syntax
      Keywords: modal verb
      Version: 1.0, December 2015
      Version history:
      version editor(s) date remarks
      1.0 Eric Hoekstra December 2015
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