• Dutch1
  • Frisian
  • Saterfrisian
  • Afrikaans
Show all
Accompanied by a to-infinitive of purpose
quickinfo

Auxiliaries may generally combine with an infinitival clause of purpose, introduced by the complementiser om for, in order to. This option is briefly discussed since it is one of the ways of translating the aspectual use of the Dutch auxiliary komen come into Frisian.

readmore

Komme come may combine with an infinitival clause of purpose, which may function as a translation equivalent to Dutch sentences featuring the aspectual use of this copula:

1
a. Muoike Fouk komt om jim in nije jurk te passen
aunt Fouk comes for you a new dress to fit
Aunt Fouk is coming to let you try on a new dress
b. Mar Mem komt om harren te warskôgjen
but mother comes for them to warn
But mother is coming to warn them

The above biclausal sentences could be rendered in Dutch as monoclausal sentences involving one verb cluster, as shown below:

2
a. Omdat Tante Fouk jullie een nieuwe jurk komt passen
because aunt Fouk you a new dress comes fit
Aunt Fouk is coming to let you try on a new dress
b. Omdat moeder hun komt waarschuwen
because mother them comes warn
Because mother is coming to warn them

Such monoclausal sentences are ungrammatical in Frisian, as shown below (unless of course the infinitival verb is a verb expressing a type of motion to which a particle of approach has been appended, see selecting a bare infinitive):

3
a. *Omdat Muoike Fouk jim in nije jurk komt passen
because aunt Fouk you a new dress comes fit
Aunt Fouk is coming to let you try on a new dress
b. *Omdat Mem har komt warskôgjen
because mother them comes warn
Because mother is coming to warn them

In case the Dutch auxiliary of coming is accompanied by a locative Adposition Phrase (PP) that cannot be construed with the infinitive, the auxiliary can no longer function as an aspectual:

4
a. *Omdat mam naar hun toe hun kwam waarschuwen
because mother to them to them came warn
Because mother came to them to warn them
b. Omdat mam naar hun toe kwam
because mother to them to came
Because mother came to them
c. Omdat mam hun kwam waarschuwen
because mother them came warn
Because mother came to warn them

There appears to be a negative causal connection between the verb of coming as a locative copula and the verb of coming as an aspectual copula. This correlates with the fact that the verb of coming is more freely used as an aspectual copula in Dutch than in Frisian. See also selecting a to-infinitive.

References
    printreport errorcite