LINGUIST List 3.991

Wed 16 Dec 1992

Qs: Romanian, Inversion, Bells

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Directory

1. Martin Haase, Romanian Infinitive
2. CALIX, Queries
3. DEBRA HALPERIN BIASCA, Query: "bells on"

I'm currently working on a paper on infinitives in Romance languages.
Romanian presents an interesting case, as it has infinitives as well as
the Balkan "finite infinitive construction". I would like to know more
about it. So if you have bibliographic data, language data, and/or an
opinion about my example sentences, please let me know. I'll send a
summary to the list.
Martin
Examples (partly from grammar/text books, from the literature, and
my own):
1. Are all of the following sentences correct?
2. If two alternatives are given, is there a semantic/pragmatic/stylistic
difference between them?
3. If only one construction is given, is there an alternative one?
(1) Nu ma> pot ret,ine...
(2) Se cuvine a merge eu la milit,ie sa> o i5ns,tiint,ez
(3a) Vreau sa> ma> prega>tesc.
(3b) Trebuie sa> ma> prega>tesc.
(3c) Pot sa> ma> prega>tesc.
(4) (i) Pot,i pleca.
 (ii) Pot,i sa> pleci.
(5) S,tit,i toarce.
(6) Nu avem unde parca.
(7) I5ncercarea sa sa>-s,i recupereze ra>mi5nerea i5n urma> s-a soldat
cu un succes.
(8) I5ncercarea sa de a-s,i recupera ra>mi5nerea i5n urma>...
(9) El a poruncit ca palatul sa> fie reconstruit ci5t mai curi5nd.
(10) (i) ...porunci la vro doi ostas,i de-l scoase d-acolo.
 (ii)...porunci la vro doi ostas,i sa>-l scoata> d-acolo.
(11) El dores,te sa> vorbeasca> cu reponsabilul restaurantului.
Martin Haase mhaasedosuni1.bitnet
Universitaet Osnabrueck FB 7 mhaasedosuni1.rz.uni-osnabrueck.de
Postfach 4469 Phone: (+ 49 541) 969-4340
D-W-4500 Osnabrueck FAX: (+ 49 541) 969-4256

Two queries:
(1)
An example of verb/subject inversion in English, which I had not
consciously been aware of, was pointed out to me recently:
Only when X is not Y, can X be ........
Except when X is Y, is X.......
Are there any other examples of inversion in English other than in
yes/no and wh questions?
(2)
The following sentence from a term paper by a Native Speaker of
English set me thinking about its acceptability, productivity in
modern English, how to describe the syntax of infinitives, and what
constrains its occurence:
"Parents will have to crystal ball gaze for their children."
to Verb preposition object -> to object Verb ?????
WHY not "to man kill" if "mankiller" ?
Why is the example more acceptable to me than infinitives spilt
with adverbs?
Lloyd Holliday
edulhlure.latrobe.edu.au School of Education, La Trobe University

The expression "I'll be there, with bells on" means, to me, that I'll be
there, eagerly awaiting what I expect to be a positive experience, or
something to that effect.
Does anyone know the etymology, folk or otherwise, of this expression?
Reply to me directly, biascaucsu.colorado.edu, please.
Debra Halperin Biasca