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nonfinite. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
nonfinite, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
nonfinite in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
nonfinite you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
non- + finite
Adjective
nonfinite (not comparable)
- Infinite.
- (grammar) Not finite.
1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 6, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 306:Although a finite I ( = INFL = INFLECTION) constituent is (overtly or covertly) inflected for TENSE or AGREEMENT properties, it should be obvious that a nonfinite I in English lacks these properties. Hence, the infinitival particle to which occurs in a nonfinite I is by its very nature tenseless and agreementless (i.e. it carries no Tense or Agreement properties, and is thus an entirely uninflected form). The difference between a finite and a nonfinite Clause can thus be seen to lie in the nature of I: a finite Clause is one which contains a finite I (carrying Tense and Agreement properties); a nonfinite Clause is one which contains a nonfinite I which is tenseless and agreementless.