| infinitive |
| Definition: The non-finite uninflected form of a verb. |
| Example:
There are two forms: (1) the bare infinitive (I made him eat the cake), and (2) the full infinitive (I asked him to eat the cake) |
| Etymology:
The word derives from the Latin infinitivus, unlimited or indefinite. Note: Diomedes called the Latin version the infinitivus, because it doesn't have a definite person or number. |
| Oxford English Dictionary: Its first citation is from 1520: "Quis, qui, is … gouerned … somtyme of ye infinytyue mode folowynge." (Whitinton Vulg. (1527) 3) |