http://wordie.org/words/infinitive Comments for the word 'Infinitive' http://wordie.org http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments Oh. Guess I need to learn Latin. Or not. :-) Fri, 26 Jan 2007 09:58:17 +0000 http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments The biggest experimenter was of course, Shakespeare.<br /><br />The rule exists in English because some British guys were obsessed with Latin. In Latin, the infinitive is one word, which is unsplittable. English has no problem splitting infinitives, and everyone does. Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:40:23 +0000 http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments I've heard otherwise from various professors. Ultimately, the question about "rules" like this and their "application" comes down to authority. There is no rulebook. There are no enforcers of the rules. There may be disagreement about what is proper usage, but in the end language is fluid -- and we may use it however we wish.<br /><br />Some standardization arises naturally. It must, or no one would be able to communicate. But on the fringe are voices like E.E. Cummings and James Joyce, keeping things interesting. Where's <a href="http://wordie.org/people/profile/brtom" title="brtom's Profile">brtom</a> when you need him? It's the experimenters that add color and richness to the English language! Without them, Wordie wouldn't be a very fun place to hang out.<br /><br />Woah! Spontaneous tirade! Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:51:30 +0000 http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments Actually, that rule only applies in Latin. Thu, 25 Jan 2007 17:37:25 +0000 http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments Remember to never split an infinitive. Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:44:39 +0000 http://wordie.org/words/infinitive#comments