Paul Bartlett | Re: [LFN] Use of the infinitive

• Autor: Paul Bartlett (“bartlett22183”)
• Tema: Re: [LFN] Use of the infinitive
• Data: 2007-12-04 00:42
• Mesaje: 2435 (a supra, presedente, seguente)

On Mon, 3 Dec 2007, Isaac Ben Harush wrote:

> Hello all,
> Going through the LFN grammar, I was wondering if the infinitive form
> is really essential. Examples using the -r form also mention it to be
> optional.
>
> Me vole dansar = I want to dance.
> To my eyes, "me vole dansa" means the same. If the meaning should be "I
> want a dance", then it's "Me vole un dansa", no?
>
> I'm trying to think of occations where the infinitive is essential. But
> I'm not very linguistically inclined... Right now, the -r suffix seems
> out place with the creole nature of LFN.
>
> I'll be happy to be corrected.

My personal opinion -- and it is only that! -- is that the infinitive
construction is almost never, perhaps never, necessary.  In my personal
opinion -- and George Boeree and I have differed on this -- is that LFN
has four inflections -- one noun inflection (plural) and three verb
(infinitive and two participles, present and past).  In my own opinion,
these three verb inflections spoil the creole-like nature of LFN.  I
have also noticed that some writers of LFN, especially those whose
native language is English, seem to be obsessive about marking tense of
verbs, just as in their native language, even if it is not necessary
from context.  Generally I think that LFN is a respectable auxiliary
language, if only its (currently) few users could break out of their
native language habits and realize that not all the world does things
the way English does them.

--
Paul Bartlett