ABSTRACT
The previous chapter has described and evaluated the various theories proposed to explain the origin of the inflected infinitive in Portuguese. Some are based on the assumption that the inflected infinitive arose in Portuguese out of analogy with the future subjunctive forms, or with the infinitive with nominative subject construction, or both. Considering several factors such as the use of the inflected infinitive and its distribution throughout the Romance speaking territory, I support the theory which claims that the origin of the inflected infinitive is the Latin imperfect subjunctive. This chapter studies the forms and syntactic distribution of the imperfect subjunctive, and compares the uses of the imperfect subjunctive and of the inflected infinitive in Portuguese and Galician to determine in which syntactic environments they correspond. A comparison of the distribution of the two forms reveals many correspondences, especially in complement and adverbial clauses expressing purpose.
