Complementary Infinitive vs. Objective Infinitive

Latin Learning Latin
1

In latin:

Complementary Infinitive: A second verb is used to complete the meaning of the main verb in its infinitive form

Example:

We ought to give help to miserable people
MISERIS AUXILIUM DARE DEBEMUS

Ought=main verb Give=Infinitive Help=Object

Now look at the objective infinitive: Infinitive as object of main verb with noun in accussative form which is subject of infinitive

Example:

The farmer taught the slaves to work
AGRICOLAS SERVOS LABORARE DOCUIT

“Slaves Work” = one block or object of the main verb teach




If you look at the first sentence (complementary infinitive) the object ‘help’ was seperate from the rest of the verbs. It is an object of them but it is not considered one working unit. As far as i am aware in the second sentence (objective infinitive) ‘slaves work’ is one gigantic block or object of the main verb. This is a combination of the object + infinitive to form an object.



What is so special about the second sentence that is not in the first? Why cant ‘help’ in the first trigger the same relationship and be attached so that it looks like ‘help give’. It cannot be because there is no person involved like ‘the slaves’ can it? In the first sentence we gave ‘help’. there is no person. In the second line there was a slave involved. Could this be it?



thanks.

2

“We ought.” does not make sense. It needs an infinitive to go along with it to make it make sense, hence the complimentary infinitive.

“He taught the slaves” makes sense. Hence, the “to work” in “He taught the salves to work” is objective because it is not reqired to complete the thought, only to make it more precise.